The Best Wyndham Resorts to Book With Points

In early June 2021, Wyndham announced a new brand: the Registry Collection Hotels. For now, the brand-new brand has just one property, but it's a resort that's worthy of its own brand — the Grand Residences Riviera Cancun. Wyndham Rewards members can now earn and redeem points at this property, and reward nights cost just 30,000 points per night.

This property joins a lengthy list of other great resorts that you can book with Wyndham Rewards points. So, let's take this chance to review some of the best Wyndham resorts to book with points.

Wyndham Rewards' award chart

Wyndham uses a three-tier award chart, and each of Wyndham's more than 9,000 properties is assigned to one of three pricing tiers:

• 7,500 points per night for Go Free awards (1,500 points for Go Fast awards).

• 15,000 points per night for Go Free awards (3,000 points for Go Fast awards).

• 30,000 points per night for Go Free awards (6,000 points for Go Fast awards).

Go Fast awards cost 80% fewer points than Go Free awards. But you'll need to pay a cash co-pay to book these awards — and those cash co-pays can be pricey. Still, this award option can be a useful way to use a small balance of Wyndham Rewards points to save on a stay.

» Learn more: Your guide to the Wyndham Rewards award chart

4 best Wyndham resorts for award stays

From Cancun to Hawaii, Wyndham has an extensive portfolio of resorts that you can book using Wyndham Rewards points.

1. Grand Residences Riviera Cancun

The Grand Residences Riviera Cancun is the one and only (so far) property in the just-announced Registry Collection Hotels. The way it looks, it's not surprising that Wyndham launched a new brand for it.

This all-suite resort has just 144 rooms, so it should be a lot less crowded than the other megaresorts in Cancun.

Wyndham is pricing awards at this property at the highest tier: Go Free awards cost 30,000 Wyndham Rewards points per night.

On the plus side, you aren't stuck with the base room type when booking with points. As long as you can find availability, you can book any of the Junior Suites or select One-Bedroom Suites for just 30,000 Wyndham Rewards points.

You can even use your Wyndham Rewards points to book a 1,800-square-foot Master Suite that includes four beds, a fully equipped kitchen, 1.5 bathrooms and a laundry room with a washing machine. That's a deal on a room that costs over $1,000 after taxes and fees using the Wyndham Rewards Member Rate.

» Learn more: How to travel to Cancun with points and miles

2. All-inclusive Viva resorts in the Dominican Republic

What's better than an all-suite hotel in Cancun? How about a few all-inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic that cost half the points.

Wyndham's partner, Viva, has resorts throughout the Caribbean, but two of Viva's all-inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic cost just 15,000 Wyndham Rewards points per night. Alternatively, you could pay just 3,000 points plus around $155 per night using Go Fast awards.

» Learn more: The best hotel credit cards right now

Each property is designed for a different experience. The Viva Wyndham V Heavens All-Inclusive Resort is adults only. Meanwhile, kids under 12 stay and eat free at the Viva Wyndham Tangerine All-Inclusive Resort. Plus, there's a kids club for when you need some adult time.

Go Free rewards nights include meals, beverages and other resort amenities, but only for up to two guests. You'll need to pay more to add extra guests to your booking.

3. The Wyndham Reef Resort Grand Cayman

For stays in Grand Cayman, Wyndham Rewards members can redeem 30,000 points per night (or 6,000 points plus $237 per night) at the Wyndham Reef Resort Grand Cayman. As the name implies, this wonderful property is right on the Grand Cayman reef, which makes it an excellent place to stay if you want to go diving.

As with the other resorts featured, you don't just get a basic hotel room here. You can use points to book a Beachfront Studio that comes complete with a kitchenette and a balcony to take in the wonderful views.

» Learn more: How to travel to the Caribbean on a budget

4. Waikiki Marina Resort at the Ilikai

If you're Hawaii-bound, Wyndham Rewards has a great resort option right in the heart of Waikiki Marina. Book a 500-square-foot studio at the Waikiki Marina Resort at the Ilikai for just 15,000 Wyndham Rewards points, or 3,000 points plus around $139. You can utilize the studio's full kitchen to prep some meals to save even more on your trip.

You're probably not going all the way to Hawaii for one night. But just in case, note that this property requires at least a two-night minimum stay.

» Learn more: The cheapest ways to fly to Hawaii

How to get Wyndham Rewards points

Let's face it, many travelers aren't staying at Days Inn and Super 8 hotels often enough to collect the Wyndham points necessary to stay at one of these incredible resorts. Wyndham Rewards members earn 10x points per $1 spent on Wyndham hotels — meaning you'd need to spend $3,000 (before taxes and fees) at Wyndham hotels to get just one award night at these top resorts.

Thankfully, there are a couple of ways for travelers to rack up Wyndham Rewards points outside of Wyndham stays.

Transfer Capital One Venture miles to Wyndham Rewards

Capital One Venture miles are the best source of Wyndham Rewards points. Capital One recently improved the transfer rate to a 1:1 transfer ratio, rather than the prior 4:3 transfer ratio.

That means you can effectively earn 2x Wyndham Rewards points on all purchases charged to the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. And after meeting the spending requirements for the card, you can score enough points to stay at the most expensive Wyndham resorts. Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

» Learn more: Can you transfer Wyndham Rewards points?

Wyndham Rewards credit cards

Wyndham Rewards offers two co-branded credit cards for consumers:

• Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card: Earn 30,000 bonus points, enough for up to 4 free nights after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days. This card has an annual fee of $0.

• Wyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card: Earn 45,000 bonus points, enough for up to 6 free nights after spending $1,000 on purchases in the first 90 days. This card has an annual fee of $75.

Buy Wyndham Rewards points

Buying points and miles is rarely a good idea, but there are exceptions. Wyndham typically sells points at 1.3 cents per point.

At that rate, you can buy enough points for a night at a 15,000-point property for $195 or 30,000-point property for $390. That's not cheap, but it can be cheaper than paying for a night at some expensive properties. And it can be a great way of topping off your account to have enough points for a stay.

Even better, you can score Wyndham Rewards points cheaper by buying Wyndham Rewards points during a promotion. For example, in June 2021, Wyndham was offering a 35% bonus on buying points. With that bonus factored in, you could buy points for under 1 cent each. Check for available promotions before you make your decision to buy or book.

» Learn more: How much are my Wyndham points worth?

The bottom line

The Wyndham Rewards program may be more synonymous with Super 8 hotels than beachside resorts. However, don't forget about Wyndham Rewards points the next time you're looking to take a luxury vacation.

From all-suite resorts in Cancun to all-inclusive resorts in the Dominican Republic, Wyndham Rewards points can score you a free night at a wide range of resorts. And thanks to the many ways you can get Wyndham Rewards points, you aren't limited to just earning points through Wyndham hotel stays.

Photos courtesy of Wyndham Hotels.