Wyndham Is Quietly Becoming a Vacation Rental Company

Wyndham Rewards has expanded beyond hotels with a new collection called Homes & Havens, which lets members earn and redeem points at private homes, villas and other unique stays. It launches with nearly 800 professionally managed properties in the United States, the Caribbean, Mexico and Europe. Wyndham Rewards has about 129 million members.

The earning side is generous on paper. Members earn five points per dollar spent on eligible stays, and the nights count toward elite status, which has historically been a weak spot for vacation rental bookings. Award stays start at 15,000 points per bedroom per night, with higher tiers at 30,000 and 45,000 points. A 5,000-point tier is planned for later.

Because redemption is priced per bedroom, bigger properties cost more points, so a large villa will use far more than a one-bedroom cottage. Wyndham has named Brightwild, Simpson Travel, StayTerra and Thousand Trails as partners supplying properties. Hundreds more are planned in coming months, including tiny homes, yurts and cabins.

The move places Wyndham in direct competition with similar programs from larger hotel groups, and the article source compares it to Marriott’s Homes & Villas offering. For loyal members the practical question is whether the points value holds up against paying cash on a rental platform. That will be easiest to judge once more properties are available.

Sources: Wyndham Rewards Insider, The Bulkhead Seat