For many years, Wyndham Rewards had the simplest award chart of any loyalty program: Until 2019, all reward nights cost exactly 15,000 points per night, no matter of whether you booked in Frankfurt, New York, or Vancouver. Since then, a three-tier system has been in place, requiring 7,500, 15,000, or 30,000 points depending on the location. Over the years, more and more hotels have drifted into the highest pricing tier.
Now, another major change is on the horizon. According to Wyndham, the points system will be restructured starting September 15, 2026. There will then be four pricing tiers instead of the previous three:
- 5,000 points / night
- 15,000 points / night
- 30,000 points / night
- 45,000 points / night
This means the most expensive hotels will cost 50% more than before. According to Wyndham, this will initially affect only a small number of particularly high-end hotels. However, this is likely to expand in the future, similar to how all remaining 15,000-point hotels in New York City were raised to 30,000 points over the last few years.
The cheapest hotels will theoretically become slightly cheaper. However, we expect that numerous hotels will increase in price from 7,500 to 15,000 points. Several hotels in Europe (e.g., Ramada Prague & Vienna House Easy Krakow) have already suffered this fate recently. That would be at least as bad as the 50% increase in the highest pricing tier.
Book Now to Lock In the Old Rates
The changes only affect new bookings made on or after September 15, 2026. For bookings made before that date, the following rules apply:
- If the price increases, existing bookings will be honored at the old rates.
- If the points price is lowered, Wyndham will automatically refund the difference.
Therefore, it is a good idea to make some speculative bookings and redeem your points now. If the trip doesn’t work out, you can still cancel for free close to your arrival date.
Our Take
It was only a matter of time before Wyndham adjusted its pricing tiers. While cash rates at some US hotels have skyrocketed, the maximum points price had remained unchanged for seven years. Fortunately, the new system remains one of the most transparent on the market: each hotel is assigned to a specific pricing tier, regardless of the season or regular nightly cash rates.
However, we expect the average value per point to decrease significantly as a result of these changes—and there will likely be very few hotels in Europe available for 5,000 points. Those have already become a rare exception.
Source: Wyndham Rewards