The Complete Guide to Wyndham Rewards

Pop quiz: What's the largest hotel group in the world by property count? If you guessed Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors, you're wrong. The answer is Wyndham, with over 9,000 properties worldwide. And yet, most travel rewards enthusiasts have barely given it a second thought.

There's a reason for that. Wyndham's portfolio leans heavily on budget chains like Days Inn, Super 8 and Travelodge. Sure, these are the kind of places you book when you need four walls and a bed off the interstate.

But dismissing Wyndham entirely would be a mistake. The program has some legitimate strengths: a dead-simple award chart, surprisingly generous credit card perks for the annual fees charged and enough locations that you'll almost always find something available when you need it.

This guide will walk you through everything you need to know about Wyndham Rewards: how the program works, whether the credit cards are worth getting and how to actually extract value from a loyalty program that most people ignore.

Wyndham's brand portfolio is a mixed bag. The company is best known for roadside budget chains, but it also operates a handful of upscale properties that occasionally offer outsized value on points. Here's what you're working with:

Budget tier: AmericInn, Baymont, Days Inn, Howard Johnson, La Quinta, Microtel, Super 8, Travelodge.

Mid-range: Ramada, Wingate, Wyndham, Wyndham Garden.

Upper mid-range to boutique: Dazzler, Dolce, Esplendor, Hawthorn Suites, Trademark, Tryp, Wyndham Grand, Wyndham Alltra.

The boutique properties are where things get interesting. A Wyndham Grand in a secondary market can sometimes be booked for 15,000 points per night when the cash rate is $200+. That's rare, but it happens often enough to keep the program on your radar.

NerdWallet values Wyndham Rewards points at 0.7 cent apiece. That's based on analyzing hundreds of real hotel stays across multiple destinations and dates, comparing cash prices against points redemptions.

We divided the cost in cash by the cost in points to determine a “cent per point” value for each flight, then averaged this value across several searches. Read more about how we arrived at these figures.

This is a baseline, not a maximized value. You should aim for redemptions that deliver at least 0.7 cent or more in value from your Wyndham points.

To determine the value of your points for specific bookings, divide the cash value (minus any fees associated with the reward booking) by the number of points required. So if a hotel room would cost either $100, or 15,000 points + $10 in resort fees, the math would be as follows:

($100 – $10) / 15,000 = 0.006, or 0.6 cent per point.

Historical Wyndham Rewards point values

The earning structure is straightforward: 10 points per dollar spent on qualifying stays, or 1,000 points minimum per night, whichever is higher. So if you book a $75 night, you'll earn 1,000 points instead of 750.

Qualifying stays must have an average nightly rate of at least $25, which rules out the absolute bottom-tier Super 8 in the middle of nowhere but covers most bookings.

Elite members earn bonus points on stays:

• Gold: 10% bonus.

• Platinum: 15% bonus.

• Diamond: 20% bonus.

You can also earn points through Wyndham credit cards (see below), limited-time promotions and partnerships with companies like DoorDash and Avis. Buying points directly is almost never worth it unless you're a few thousand points short of a redemption and the math works out.

Earn points through Wyndham credit cards

Wyndham offers two consumer credit cards and one business card, all issued by Barclays. None of these cards will replace your everyday spending card, but they're surprisingly decent if you stay at Wyndham properties with any regularity.

TheWyndham Rewards Earner® Card has an annual fee of $0 , so it might be hard to pass up if you're looking for a Wyndham-branded credit card. But if you're willing to pay more for better benefits, you might consider theWyndham Rewards Earner® Plus Card, which has an annual fee of $75 . Wyndham also offers a business version of its credit card called the Wyndham Rewards® Earner℠ Business Credit Card .

The former offers some degree of elite status as well as a path to a free stay each year, for no annual fee. The latter offers a higher earnings rate, and a higher degree of elite status. While there's no outright 'free night award,' as is common with some other hotel credit cards, you do earn anniversary points that can help with that.

Both also offer decent introductory offers that can get you set with a free night — or a few, if you book at the lower-priced properties — right off the bat (free nights cost either 7,500, 15,000 or 30,000 points per night, depending on the hotel class).

These cards are good options for those either looking to spend a lot on Wyndham purchases or score some extra points with low or no annual fees. However, the relatively low earning rate on regular purchases (and even gas and grocery stores) are lackluster compared to many other travel credit cards.

Other travel credit cards that can help you earn Wyndham points

Speaking of other travel credit cards, some credit cards that are tied to a bank, rather than Wyndham, can still help you accrue Wyndham points. They won't earn Wyndham points outright, but instead earn points in their own currency, which you can then transfer to Wyndham.

Wyndham currently partners with Capital One, which issues Venture miles as rewards for some of its credit cards, including the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. With that card, you might take advantage of the recently improved transfer ratio and move miles to Wyndham at a 1:1 ratio.

NerdWallet values Capital One Venture miles earned through that card at 1.6 cents, while it values Wyndham Rewards at just 0.7 cent. Thus, this is not the greatest redemption of all time, but it's not bad either, especially if you're booking a hotel that fits in the Wyndham sweet spot when booked on points.

» Learn more: Capital One Venture review: Easy earnings, effortless redemptions

Here's where Wyndham shines: the award chart is simple and doesn't change. Every property falls into one of three tiers:

• Tier 1: 7,500 points per night.

• Tier 2: 15,000 points per night.

• Tier 3: 30,000 points per night.

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

No dynamic pricing. No peak vs. off-peak rates. No blackout dates. You know exactly what a room will cost in points before you even search.

This simplicity is Wyndham's greatest strength. You don't need to play games with the calendar or worry about award pricing suddenly spiking. A 15,000-point room costs 15,000 points whether you're booking in July or December.

The downside is that Wyndham's point value is capped. You'll rarely find redemptions that deliver more than 1 cent per point, and most cluster around 0.6 to 0.8 cents. That's fine for a budget program, but it means Wyndham points won't get you into luxury properties the way Hyatt or Marriott points can.

» Learn more: How to maximize Wyndham points with vacation rentals

Points plus cash

Wyndham offers a "go fast" option (yes, that's what they call it) where you can book with a mix of points and cash. There are three tiers: 1,500, 3,000 or 6,000 points plus cash.

To determine if this is worthwhile, multiply the points by 0.007 (our valuation) and add it to the cash portion. If that total is less than the all-cash rate, it's a decent deal. Most of the time, you're better off just paying all cash or all points.

The Wyndham elite status program is weak compared to competitors like Hyatt, Marriott or Hilton. The benefits are minimal, and even top-tier Diamond status doesn't come close to matching what other programs offer.

Earning elite status

The program includes three elite tiers: Gold, Platinum and Diamond. You can earn status by staying enough nights per calendar year or by holding a Wyndham credit card.

That jump from Platinum to Diamond is steep. 24 nights is a lot to ask for a program this limited. And since there's no credit card shortcut to Diamond (unless you count the business card, which does grant Diamond status automatically), most people will never reach it.

Elite status benefits

This list of benefits might look impressive, but it’s pretty underwhelming compared to other hotel loyalty programs. For example, Hilton offers a 20% points bonus for its lowest tier (Silver) and a 100% bonus for its highest tier (Diamond).

Late checkout is useful. Early check-in is hit-or-miss depending on the property. Suite upgrades at Diamond level sound good but are subject to availability and don't mean much at a roadside La Quinta. The welcome amenity is typically a bottle of water or a snack.

Status matching

Considering switching to Wyndham Rewards from another program but don’t want to start from scratch? Wyndham may match your status from another hotel program.

Through the end of 2025, Wyndham is running one of its most generous status promotions in recent memory. Blue, Gold and Platinum members can visit WyndhamRewards.com/Upgrade and register for an instant one-level upgrade that's valid through December 31, 2025. That means Blue members jump to Gold, Gold members move up to Platinum, and Platinum members can experience Diamond status. Even non-members can join the program and immediately receive Gold status, bypassing the usual requirement of staying three qualifying nights.

The upgrade takes effect within 24-48 hours of registration (you'll receive email confirmation), and you'll enjoy all the perks of your elevated tier for any stays completed by year-end. This includes benefits like late checkout for Gold members, early check-in for Platinum and suite upgrades for Diamond. Registration is free and takes about 30 seconds, though you'll need to complete it by Dec. 30, 2025.

What if you already have Diamond status?

Since Diamond members are already at the top tier, Wyndham is offering them something different: 5x points on qualifying stays, which the company is calling its biggest multiplier of the year. To qualify, Diamond members must register for the promotion, then book stays directly through Wyndham's website, app, toll-free number or at the property itself. Again, all stays must be completed by Dec. 31, 2025. There's a cap of 60,000 bonus points total, which translates to roughly $420 in value based on our 0.7 cent per point valuation.

Know the fine print

There are a few important catches to understand. The upgraded status doesn't include any rollover nights, meaning you're not making progress toward earning status for 2026. You also can't use this temporary upgrade to status match into the Caesars Rewards program. For Diamond members taking advantage of the 5x offer, the promotion isn't valid at Super 8 properties in Mainland China, and you won't earn bonus points on no-show reservations.

The tight timeframe is worth noting. You need stays completed (not just booked) by Dec. 31, 2025, giving you less than two months to take advantage of the promotion. But if you have any Wyndham stays planned before year-end, this is essentially free money. The late checkout benefit alone can be worth the 30 seconds it takes to register, and Diamond members with upcoming stays should absolutely jump on that 5x multiplier while it's available.