TTT103

I was pleased that I could change my 2.5 week Viva stay this summer from a paid stay to an all point stay yesterday, as I locked in 15K a night versus 30K. I still have 500K Wyndham points, but will burn those over the next year or so.

I also told my corporate travel agent to switch all of my stays from Wyndham to Hilton moving forward. I'm finished with Wyndham. While I don't fault Wyndham for the program changes, they handled the transition poorly with only seven weeks notice. I also know of no other chain that doubled the points requirements of their hotels overnight. That was downright sleazy. Of course, this is a Henry Silverman company, so shame on me for not knowing any better.

sdsearch

The list only loads a bit a time and takes a while to keep loading, and it's a long list, but on a casual scroll I spotted some Baymonts and the occasional Microtel on the list, so it's not quite all Days Inn and Super 8 and the like, even if it's not resorts either.

flyer4512

I just looked at the Wyndham Fort Myers Beach, no go free awards, all go fast which is 6k points plus $125 or so plus tax.

This is for mid December 2019 so I'm hoping this is just a temporary glitch

jebr

There's some even crazier jumps with the La Quinta properties. Many of the NYC properties were 11k points last year under La Quinta's program, but are now 30k points after the merger. The La Quintas in Brooklyn and Far Rockaway both were in that bracket (except for the La Quinta Brooklyn Central) and they are now 30k points.

There's also a fair amount of Ramadas at the 30k price point that don't have great reviews (the ones in Mountain View and LA, specifically.) They also raised the price to 30k on some destination hotels near national parks and such. There's a few decent hotels at the 7.5k mark (the Hawthorn Suites at Hoffman Estates near Chicago seems decent, though the price likely doesn't go up that often) but not a lot. There's a starking lack of them in a lot of locations, even where the hotels likely don't have a very high average room rate.

My travel plans so far this year have hit areas that aren't very well represented by inexpensive conveniently located Wyndham hotels (Boston and Washington, DC) and so those have shifted to opaque booking sites, along with a night's stay in Denver. (I did do one in Colorado Springs as well that landed me at a Baymont, though that was before I started to be choosier with my strategy.) So far, for about the price that Wyndham is wanting for a hotel at a okay location with only sort-of-good reviews (say, a nicer Super 8 or Baymont) I can get a hotel in a much more desirable location that's easily a star or star-and-a-half above. Wyndham's reward program made it more justifiable to make that tradeoff, but the value just isn't there anymore.

I'll still probably use Wyndham as a "primary" hotel chain simply because they seem to be the cheapest overall, but I likely won't be loyal like I was the past couple of years. I'll definitely find it much more difficult to get even a penny per point of value, with values seeming to be between 0.5 and 0.8 cents/point. That's disappointing, but such is the name of loyalty programs I suppose.

Enigma368

Yeah to be fair, there are a lot of what I am sure are decent properties in secondary locations e.g. Yuma, Arizona, Fargo, ND or Albuquerque, NM for 7.5k. I imagine a lot of these hotels might go up to $150 a night on weekends or other times, so at 7.5k you would be getting good value. I don't think there is much at 7.5k to go out of your way to stay at though, only if you have happen to be in those secondary locations and need a basic but comfortable room.

Chicago looks to be the only major U.S. city that has a 7.5k property and even then the property is right on the outside of the city.

ciaohound

lonelycrowd

I'm seeing the same phenomenon for a reservation at the Wyndham Boston Beacon Hill later this month. Booked at 15k, now showing on the app as 30,000 points plus $114. Hoping I won't have to call in to sort this out.

flyer4512

My 7 night stay in the Dominican now says 210,000 points but it doesn't say I owe anything. I think I will call just to be safe.

Update, I called and the said I'm all set. All upcoming reservations will show the new points needed for a free night(s) according to the CSR.

1- 877-999-3223..........no hold time

LegalTender

The overnight jump in LaQuinta room rates was a ballbuster. Nearly 2x at properties where I regularly stay.

One LQ manager believes pillow-top beds and "Bright Side" breakfasts will disappear. He says pet policy will be local option - with standardized fee of $20/night.

Billy Mumphrey

I noticed this too. My 3 night stay at Rio Mar was booked for 45,000 points but it now says I paid 90,000. If I were to cancel, do you think I'd be refunded 45 or 90?

flyer4512

I'm pretty sure it would be 45k refunded as the CSR knew I paid 105K not 210K points.

My trip is in November and I plan on calling again a few weeks before our arrival date to confirm everything again.

italdesign

It's common for hotel reward programs to show updated points requirement for a reservation booked pre-update. IHG, Marriott, SPG (pre-merger) all did that. I wouldn't be concerned. Now, showing a co-pay that didn't exist before IS a concern.

TTT103

The co-pay is likely the amount that the hotel is reimbursed by Wyndham Rewards in exchange for your points.

persoid

prior to the devaluation, i booked 3 nights at wyndham grand clearwater @15k/night. when i view my reservation now, it says total points 90k points, when i know i only paid 45k. I wonder what would happen if I cancel, whether they'll credit 45k or 90k.

ElmhurstNick

Meh, I'm at 6800 points after the merger, as I had managed to burn my two free nights at a LQ back in Feburary. I didn't have a lot of stays with LQ, but they treated me very well as an Elite (got comped in from Hyatt Diamond). About a 50% suite upgrade rate, nice beds, big rooms.

Platinums don't get suite upgrades, and I'm not going to do 40 LQ nights a year to make Diamond. I'll get 1200 UA miles out of my remaining Wyndham points, plus another 18 months of extending my UA account.

I'm not at all interested in any of Wyndham's other brands, and hotels.com will match Wyndham's AARP price for both of the common LQs in Texas that I stay at and checked. So I'll just book through them now.

It's a shame, I really like a number of LQ airport properties for one night stays and when I do project work in Texas they are cheap enough to fit under the per diem. I'll definitely stay with the Austin airport location going forward, as it is 20% cheaper most nights than the Hampton, Courtyard, and HIX within a half mile.