Wyndham Rewards is the only major loyalty program that has not had elite tiers for members. Now Wyndham Rewards adds a Gold elite level for members who stay 20 nights in a calendar year in Wyndham Rewards numerous brands.

The only benefit advertised for Gold status are bonus points awarded upon reaching 20 eligible nights in a calendar year.

How does Gold Status work?

• After staying 20 qualifying* nights in a calendar year, you’ll achieve Gold Status and automatically be rewarded with Gold Status Points that can solely be redeemed for a free night.
• The amount of Gold Status Points you have depends on the average amount you spent over the course of your 20 qualified nights.

Average spend per 20 nights

Gold Status     Points earned

$100 or less           6,000

$100.01 – $150      10,000

$150.01+              20,000

• You will earn an additional Gold Status Point bonus for every 20 qualifying nights, up to 3 bonuses in a calendar year.
• Your Gold Status will last for the remainder of the calendar year in which you achieved status as well as the following calendar year.
• You will continue to earn your regular Rewards points on every qualifying night you stay. Again, your Gold Status Points may only be redeemed for a free night; however, your regular Rewards points can be redeemed for free nights, gift cards, merchandise & more.

Read More…

I disagree with Gary Leff at View from the Wing calling the Wyndham Rewards category changes a ‘bloodbath’ devaluation of points on March 14.  For most  Wyndham Rewards members used to redeeming points for hotels in the U.S., the changes will mostly be no big deal.

The changes are more severe for Canada and international hotels where hundreds of hotels will rise by 50% or more in points cost, but the vast majority of Wyndham Rewards 7,000+ hotels are located in the USA and these Ramada, Days Inn, Howard Johnson, Super 8, Microtel, Travelodge and other brand hotels in the states do not look like that many will increase in points cost for award nights.

Wyndham Rewards posted in the comments section on View from the Wing and Loyalty Traveler to share their posting of pdf files showing the hotels increasing and decreasing in award tier on March 14.

Wyndham Rewards pdf for hotels increasing award tier.

Wyndham Rewards pdf for hotels decreasing award tier.

Their word choice could have been better.

View a list of properties with increasing point levels or decreasing point levels right here!

Looking over the pdf files reveals that most hotel awards for U.S. properties are only increasing or decreasing in award tier with the shift from seven categories introduced in mid-2012 to eight categories in effect march 14, 2013. The amount of points for most hotels is actually not increasing or decreasing.

Wyndham Rewards is not doing itself a favor by saying thousands of hotels are increasing points level when the points required for an award night are not changing with the new tier system March 14.

Despite the Wyndham Rewards pdf showing thousands of hotels increasing in award tier, the impact is nil for many of these hotels.

Tier 2 to Tier 3 = 10,000 points for hotel award night (no points increase).

Tier 3 to Tier 4 = 14,000 points for hotel award night (no points increase).

Tier 4 to Tier 5 = 16,000 points for hotel award night (no points increase).

Read More…

Wyndham Rewards seems to not have thought through its restructured seven tier award categories last month. The program now plans to change to eight award tiers March 14 in what looks to be a global realignment of hotel awards.

Free Nights Just Got Faster

Get a free night faster than ever before. Starting March 14, 2013, we are introducing our lowest point level ever and lowering other tiers so you can experience a free night faster!

• Our lowest tier is decreasing from 6,000 to 5,500 points!
• We are adding a new 8,000 point tier between 5,500 and 10,000 points so you can stay at hotels for FREE more quickly
• Our highest point tier will be 30,000 points. The 35,000 and 45,000 point tiers are being eliminated.
• Properties within the current point level may move into different point levels. This means that point levels for individual hotels may increase or decrease beginning March 14. You’ll be able to see the new point levels on March 14.*

Wyndham Rewards

• Tier 1 = 5,500 points
• Tier 2 = 8,000 points
• Tier 3 = 10,000 points
• Tier 4 = 14,000 points
• Tier 5 = 16,000 points
• Tier 6 = 20,000 points
• Tier 7 = 25,000 points
• Tier 8 = 30,000 points

Read More…

The Economy/Budget segment of the hotel market scale is sometimes where the price of a hotel room forces your hand. These are brands with average daily rates usually under $75 per night and generally in the $40 to $65 range in most locations. Do you really want to spend $200 to stay in a nice airport hotel when you can have that bed for six hours of sleep at a $40 to $65 rate before you hop back on the plane?

These JD Power economy-budget brand circle ratings are quite useful to me for helping choose a budget hotel brand. I honestly can’t remember the last time I stayed in one of the eleven brands listed in the JD Power 2010 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study for the Economy/Budget segment.

When I drove cross-country three times in the 1990s I am sure I visited several of these brands. Those road trips in the 90s were one of the motivators for getting into loyalty travel as a means to better hotel stays.

Sources: JD Power 2010 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study press release

                JD Power 2010 Economy/Budget Hotel Market Segment Full Report

Loyalty traveler commentary:

The economy/budget segment of hotels is dominated by Wyndham Rewards and Choice Privileges.

Wyndham Rewards is the major economy/budget segment hotel loyalty program with six of the eleven JD Power rated brands of Microtel Inns and Suites, Howard Johnson Express, Super 8, Days Inn, Travelodge and Knights Inn. One of the better features of Wyndham Rewards is the good points-to-miles exchange rate for converting Wyndham Rewards points into airline miles.

EconoLodge and Rodeway Inn are hotel brands participating in Choice Privileges. The primary disadvantage with these budget brands is a 50% reduction in points earned for stays. Most Choice Privileges hotel brands earn 10 points per $1, but only 5 points per $1 is earned with EconoLodge and Rodeway Inns. Wyndham Rewards earns 10 points per $1 for all its economy/budget brands.

Red Roof Inn and Americas Best Value Inn are independent chains with their own loyalty programs.

Motel 6 is the ugly stepchild of French-based Accor Hotels. Motel 6 currently has a limited time offer participating in Accor’s A-Club hotel loyalty program for the opportunity to redeem 2,000 A-Club points for $60 cash vouchers valid at North America Motel 6 properties through October 31, 2010. In general, Motel 6 and Accor’s European budget brand hotels do not participate in the Accor A-Club hotel loyalty program.

Hotel Brands ordered by Number of Hotels in North America

Super 8 Motel (Wyndham Rewards) = 2,137 hotels; mostly in North America, although growing rapidly in China. (ADR = $56.67) Super 8 is the largest economy hotel brand in North America. Free breakfast, free internet and loyalty points or miles are added benefits of this JD Power three circle rated brand.

Days Inn (Wyndham Rewards) = 1,858 global properties (ADR $62.24). Properties offer free internet and most offer a complimentary breakfast and swimming pool.

Motel 6 (Accor A-Club limited participation) = 1,000+ properties in North America. Motel 6 locations.

Americas Best Value Inn (Value Club) = 900 hotels in North America. Hotel locations search. Hotel Directory. Americas Best Value Inn hotel loyalty program – Value Club does not appear to be a points-based program, but rather a value-added on stays program which is common to luxury and independent upscale market brands. Value Club rates give a 15% room discount to members and an opportunity for a complimentary upgrade and late checkout.

EconoLodge (Choice Privileges) = 785 hotels (2010 ADR $51.21). Free wi-fi, continental breakfast and USA Today on weekdays.

Howard Johnson Inns and Express Inns (Wyndham Rewards) = 500+ hotels globally. (ADR = $61.22) Howard Johnson Hotels and Inns operate in three different market segments with some properties in the midscale and some in the economy segment in North America. Internationally in Asia and Latin America the brand tends to be positioned in the midscale to upscale market. I was unable to locate a breakdown of this brand by market segment.

Howard Johnson Hotels USA Directory (pdf)

Howard Johnson Hotels Canada Directory (pdf)

Travelodge (Wyndham Rewards) = 460 hotels in North America. The brand is mostly an economy segment hotel in the U.S. but midscale with food and beverage market segment for hotels in Canada.

Rodeway Inn (Choice Privileges) = 381 hotels (2010 ADR $47.06). Free local calls, continental breakfast, and morning newspaper on weekdays.

Red Roof Inn (RediCard Rewards program) = 345 hotels in  36 states. This brand has slight familiarity due to its promotion earlier this year for 1 cent room rates. Red Roof Inn locations.

Knights Inn (Wyndham Rewards) = 340 hotels in North America. This chain falls squarely in the budget hotel market segment with an average daily rate at $42.46, significantly below the other Wyndham Rewards hotel brands. You apparently get what you pay for with a JD Power hotel guest satisfaction rating of two circles and ranked last on the economy/budget hotel segment report.

Microtel Inns and Suites (Wyndham Rewards) = 320 hotels in North America. (ADR = $56.72) This brand has won the JD Power Hotel Guest Satisfaction Award for Economy/Budget brands 9 years in a row, achieving the only JD Power 5 circle rating for an economy/budget hotel brand in the 2010 study. Microtel Inns founded in 1989 are newly constructed properties rather than rebranded hotels which may account for the overall high satisfaction with the brand.

The Microtel brand was purchased by Wyndham in July 2008. A Microtel Inn promotion is currently in play to celebrate the JD Power achievement. Book a Microtel Inn room between August 9 and September 12 and you could win a free night, a $25 Visa gift card or a $50 Visa gift card. Nine prizes in each category for 27 prizes each week to be awarded.

Microtel promotion link and more details of the promotion can be found in this August 9 press release.

Data sources:

Wyndham Hotels property numbers and ADR data taken from this Wyndham Hotels 2009 10K Report.

Choice Privileges data taken from Choice Hotels 2010 Q2 June 30 financial results.

Related Loyalty Traveler posts on JD Power 2010 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study

Overview JD Power 2010 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study (Aug 10)

Comments on JD Power 2010 Luxury Hotel Satisfaction Index (Aug 11)

Comments on JD Power 2010 Upscale Hotel Satisfaction Index (Aug 11)

Comments on JD Power 2010 Midscale Full Service Hotel Satisfaction Index (Aug 13)

Comments on JD Power 2010 Midscale Limited Service Hotels Satisfaction Index (Aug 15)

Comments on JD Power 2010 Extended Stay Hotels Satisfaction Index (Aug 17)