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…

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…

Tryp Hotels are a Spanish brand in a joint venture with Wyndham Hotel Group. The brand has 92 properties with 78 hotels in Europe and 14 hotels in the Americas. Tryp San Jose Sabana is the most recent hotel to open and the first property to open in Central America.

Tryp New York City Times Square South is currently taking online reservations for January 1, 2012, but not accepting dates in December 2011.

The hotel loyalty program situation with Tryp is a bit confusing as older properties are part of MAS Rewards affiliated with the parent chain Sol Melia Resorts, yet Tryp properties opening since 2011 are part of Wyndham Rewards. The website simply says ask at the Tryp Hotel for loyalty points and the staff will get you signed up for the correct program for that hotel. Tryp Hotels has a page of special offers and an email sign-up for weekly discount rates posted on Wednesdays.

Tryp Hotels Get a Free Night promotion (must book by today, November 13)

Today is actually the last day to book a special rate offer for a free night when staying 3 or more nights at a Tryp Hotel for stays through February 15, 2012. These are prepaid, nonrefundable rates based on Best Available Rate.

I checked this offer and found it to be a straight 3 nights for the price of 2 nights rate at Tryp Leon Spain where the 60EUR per night rate drops to 40EUR per night on a prepaid, nonrefundable 3-night stay.

Remember Sunday, November 13 is the last day to book this special free night rate offer.

Tryp Hotel, Leon Spain - 3rd Night free rate drops rate to 40EUR from 60EUR.

Tryp is a brand to know for travel in Spain and South America. The hotel brand is classified as Upper Midscale in STR Global Chain Scale Directory.

Tryp Hotel Locations (link)

• Argentina (1)
• Brazil (9)
• Colombia (1)
• Uruguay (1)
• Costa Rica (1)
• USA (1)
• Spain (57)
• Portugal (7)
• France (3)
• Germany (11)

Tryp by Wyndham New York City Times Square South

Planet Hollywood – First Las Vegas…and now the World

Wyndham Worldwide Corporation signed a Planet Hollywood franchise and development deal for worldwide hotel brand development. This is the second hotel brand acquired for Wyndham Rewards in the past three months. Wyndham Hotels is the world’s largest hotel company by number of hotels with over 7,200 hotels worldwide. This compares to Choice Hotels in second at around 6,000 hotels with InterContinental Hotels Group (Holiday Inn brands) at about 4,500 hotels as the third largest hotel group globally.

Currently there is just Planet Hollywood Hotel Resort in Las Vegas that was formerly the Aladdin Hotel until Nov 2007 and then remodeled as Planet Hollywood. Both hotel entities participated in the Starwood Preferred Guest program up until January 15, 2010. The hotel was an economical SPG elite credit at consistently cheap Las Vegas weekday $59 to $89 rates with a regular SPG platinum upgrade every time I stayed these past few years.

Wyndham Takes TRYP

Sol Meliá is Spain’s largest hotel company with about 300 hotels in 26 countries on four continents. The hotel chain sold its TRYP Hotels brand to Wyndham in June 2010. TRYP Hotels are a midscale hotel brand with 92 locations in Europe and South America. Sol Melia and Wyndham will market and develop the TRYP by Wyndham brand globally.

TRYP Hotel Zaragoza, Spain

Wyndham Acquires ResortQuest to Grow rental vacation business

And just yesterday Wyndham announced a deal for ResortQuest to integrate the rental vacation homes company into its vacation exchange and rentals segment business. This portion of Wyndham’s business has been strong and the ResortQuest deal makes Wyndham the world’s largest provider of vacation homes with over 85,000 properties in 100 countries.

Tryp Hotel Room, Buenos Aires, Argentina