The Complete Guide to Redeeming Wyndham Points

With so many ways to earn points through the Wyndham Rewards program, you may be wondering how to best put them to use. Not all redemption options are created equal, and some are better than others for maximizing point value.

NerdWallet currently values Wyndham points at 0.9 cent each, which is helpful to know when comparing different ways to redeem them. Ideally, you should be getting at least that much value, if not more, every time you redeem points. If you've accumulated a decent chunk of Wyndham points and you're ready to use them, here are our best tips for making the most of them:

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

Redeem for hotel stays

While there are lots of things you can use your Wyndham points for, the best way to maximize value is perhaps the most obvious: Booking hotel stays.

With Wyndham, you have two options to redeem for award nights:

• Go free  — Redeem points for free nights at rates of 7,500, 15,000 or 30,000 points per bedroom.

• Go fast  —  Get a discounted night for 1,500, 3,000 or 6,000 points per bedroom plus cash at participating properties.

Altogether, points can be redeemed at over 30,000 hotels, vacation club resorts and vacation rentals worldwide. That includes over 30 Caesars Entertainment hotels in Las Vegas, Atlantic City and other locations. You can also use points to book vacation homes through Cottages.com or a cozy bungalow through Landal GreenParks.

Keep in mind that blackout dates may apply when redeeming rewards for stays at Caesars Entertainment properties or cottages, bungalows and other vacation rentals.

Transfer points to travel partners

If you're planning to book a flight as part of your travel plans and you have extra points, you could transfer them to a Wyndham Rewards travel partner. You can redeem points for flights through these frequent flyer programs, starting at 6,000 points per redemption. Points transfer at a 5:1 ratio.

• Aeromexico Club Premier

• Air Canada Aeroplan

• Air China PhoenixMiles

• American Airlines AAdvantage

• Avianca LifeMiles

• China Eastern Miles

• Fortune Wings Club

• Frontier Airlines Frontier Miles

• Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles

• Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles

• United Airlines MileagePlus

Additionally, you can transfer points to Amtrak Guest Rewards if you'd rather travel by train. Points also transfer to PAYBACK Points, where you can use them for flights or online shopping.

» Learn more: Wyndham Rewards Visa review: Decent rewards for no fee

Pay attention to cash value

Whether you're booking a stay at a Wyndham property or transferring points, make sure you try to redeem your points for a reasonably good value. Say you want to book a room for Valentine's Day weekend in New York City. A single night stay at one property may cost 30,000 points, which equates to $270 in value (using our figure of 0.9 cent per point).

A room at another property might cost you $100 cash, plus 3,000 points. You'd have to decide which is more valuable to you: Booking with points to save the cash, or saving those points by redeeming half the points and $100 cash.

Other ways to book

You can also squeeze value from Wyndham points when you redeem them for activities or tours. For example, you could use your points to take in a show on the Vegas strip or sip a glass of merlot in Napa Valley's wine country.

To round out the list, you can also redeem points for:

• Gas and other purchases at Marathon gas locations.

• Online shopping.

• Gift cards.

• Charitable donations.

Just keep in mind that these options typically yield a lower value for your points.

The bottom line

You've got the best chance of coming out ahead with points value when sticking with travel redemptions. Just do the math on cash value first to make sure a redemption is worth your time (and points).

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