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…

Turkish Airlines and Saudia Airlines partner with Wyndham Rewards.

The value for Americans and other Wyndham Rewards members with the expansion of Wyndham Rewards to other countries is new international airline partners.

Wyndham Rewards has the highest exchange rate of any hotel loyalty program for points-to-miles transfers.

1,000 Wyndham Rewards points exchange to 400 miles in most miles-based frequent flyer programs. All hotel brands in Wyndham Rewards earn 10 points per USD$1, except the extended stay brand Hawthorn Suites earn 5 points per USD$1. This means every $1 spent at Wyndham earns 4 airline miles. That is a great rebate.

Read More…

While air travelers can usually find a nice upscale hotel in airport locations and big cities, the road warrior and highway driver will likely be familiar with the midscale hotel segment when staying in smaller cities. This is the world of Hilton Garden Inns, Marriott Courtyards and Hyatt Place cookie cutter hotel design so dominant in current hotel construction for a traveling world. Midscale full service hotels offer truly functional rooms with the options of food and a bar. Business centers are common for basic office needs. Exercise facilities, usually with a pool, offer standardized style at mid-price rates ($65 to $125 in most places) and super-sized geographic distribution.

JD Power’s 2010 Guest Satisfaction Survey ranks Midscale Full Service hotel brands. This type of hotel is usually designated Midscale with Food and Beverage (Midscale F&B) in hotel market segment data. The JD Power survey categorizes two classes of Midscale Hotels with the Full Service Segment and Limited Service Segment.

JD Power 2010 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index - Midscale Full-Service Hotel Brands

Graphic is from JDPower.com 2010 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Press Release

JD Power Midscale Full Service  Ratings report 

Nine major hotel loyalty programs are represented in the midscale full service segment. Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, and Starwood make the four and five circle ratings for their Midscale F&B brands. 

Hilton Garden Inn and Hyatt Place ranked high with a top Power Circle Rating 5 from JDPower.com ratings. Marriott Courtyard and Starwood’s Four Points come in at the level 4 rated brands. IHG Priority Club is not represented until level 3 Power Circle Rating with Holiday Inn. 

I have stayed frequently in these brands and I guess I prefer Hyatt Place for the room design over a typical Hilton Garden Inn room but I’ll take HGI for the food. Some Four Points have great beer deals. The basic Marriott Courtyard is usually a comfortable lobby. In general I favor the upscale hotels, but I drop down to visit these brands when the price is right and the option works out best for the location. 

Wyndham, Holiday Inn, and Best Western receive three circles in the JD Power ratings.

Holiday Inn has been going through a $1 billion make-over for the past two years. At over 800 hotels in North America the brand is iconic in the hotel world and still growing strong. The disparity between Holiday Inn hotels around the U.S. is a concern, however, international Holiday Inn properties tend to be more in the upscale market in many locations. 

Wyndham Garden Hotels have a three circle rating although this brand is limited in number of hotels with fewer than 20.

Best Western is a solo hotel brand with over 2,200 hotels in the U.S. alone and almost 200 hotels in Canada. Best Western is midscale franchise brand with a wide variety of hotel properties mostly in the form of conversions of existing hotels.

Choice Hotels and Wyndham vie for least desirable mid-scale hotel brands with each representing two of the bottom four ranked chains in the mid-scale full service market. Quality Inn and Clarion Hotels are Choice Privileges brands.

Curiously the Clarion brand ranked slightly lower in guest satisfaction than the Quality Inn brand. Clarion Hotels as a brand was created in the 1980s from the high-end Quality Inn properties.  

Ramada Inn and last ranked Howard Johnson are Wyndham Rewards brands.

Hotel Brands Ranked by Number of Hotels in North America

Best Western (Best Western Rewards) = 2,400+ hotels in North America; 4,000+ globally. 

Quality Inn (Choice Privileges) = about 984 hotels in North America. Quality Inn and Suites locations.  

Holiday Inn (IHG Priority Club Rewards) = 880 Americas; 1,300+ hotels globally

Courtyard by Marriott (Marriott Rewards) = 780 hotels US; 850+ globally.                                                                              Marriott Courtyard Hotel Directory (pdf) 

Ramada Inn (Wyndham Rewards) = 910 hotels globally

Hilton Garden Inn (Hilton HHonors) = 500+ hotels globally; almost all in North America. Hilton Garden Inn Hotel locations: Downloadable PC or Mac HGI e-directory.

Howard Johnson (Wyndham Rewards) = 500+ hotels; almost all in North America.

Clarion Hotels (Choice Privileges) = 175 hotels in North America; 250+ globally. Clarion hotel locations.

Hyatt Place (Hyatt Gold Passport) = 160 hotels. Hyatt Place Hotel Locations 

Four Points by Sheraton (Starwood Preferred Guest) = about 113 hotels North America; 166 hotels globally. Four Points Hotel locations. 

Wyndham Garden Hotels (Wyndham Rewards) = about 20 hotels. Wyndham Garden locations.

Links to Related Loyalty Traveler commentary for different hotel market segments covered in JD Power 2010 North America Hotel Satisfaction Index:

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

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

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

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

Loyalty Traveler comments on JD Power 2010 Economy/Budget Hotel Brand Ratings (August 16, 2010)

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