Wyndham Worldwide changed its best rate guarantee policy (BRG) again last month to match a lower rate and award 3,000 Wyndham Rewards points for an approved claim. This is a fairly valuable bonus for a hotel stay at one of the economy or midscale market segment Wyndham brands where rates are typically less than $75 per night.
What is a “best rate”?
• As used in our advertising, “best rate” means a rate on another website that is $1.00 or more lower than the room rate at which you booked on our website. The other website’s rate must be publicly available for viewing and booking, and be for the same hotel, same room type, same number of guests, same currency and for the same date(s) as the hotel, room type, number of guests, currency and date(s) you booked.
3,000 Wyndham Rewards points can save $50 or more at thousands of hotels using a Wyndham Rewards Cash & Points rate.
Wyndham Brands:
- Wyndham – Upper Upscale
- Wyndham Grand – Upper Upscale
- Dolce – Upper upscale (conference center hotels)
- Wyndham Garden – Upper Midscale
- Ramada Plaza – Upper Midscale
- Tryp by Wyndham – Upper Midscale (primarily outside USA, in Europe and Latin America)
- Ramada – Midscale
- Baymont Inn & Suites – Midscale
- Wingate by Wyndham – Midscale
- Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham – Midscale
- Days Inn – Economy
- Howard Johnson – Economy
- Knights Inn – Economy
- Microtel Inn – Economy
- Super 8 – Economy
- Travelodge – Economy
Wyndham used to offer a free night for approved claims, then changed that policy a few years back to reduce the lower rate found on a competitor online travel agency site by 10%. The drawback in that 10% discount policy is the vast majority of hotel brands in Wyndham are economy market segment brands with average room rates in the $50 to $70 per night range. A $65 room rate for a Days Inn booked on Wyndham’s site that is found at a $60 room rate on a site like Expedia would be reduced to $54. An $11 savings on a $65 room is an okay deal, but not if Days Inn is a lower market segment hotel than you desire. There was minimal advantage to getting an approved best rate guarantee claim on a low priced room.
Link: Wyndham Best Rate Guarantee Terms
Value of 3,000 Wyndham Rewards points with GoFast
Wyndham Worldwide is not a hotel chain I use frequently. Changes to the program in 2015 made it much more valuable for loyalty travelers. All hotels worldwide are available for 15,000 points per night. This is not that useful for the vast majority of Wyndham Worldwide’s 7,200+ hotels since most hotels have average room rates far below $100 per night.
The Wyndham Rewards more valuable change was the introduction of Wyndham Rewards GoFast Rates, a points and cash rate for 3,000 points, plus a copay of $25 to $150 per night. The GoFast 3,000 points can frequently save $50 or more per night.
Ramada Boston for March 17 St. Patrick’s Day
- Best Flexible Rate = $149 for $175.48 after tax.
- Wyndham Rewards Go Fast = 3,000 points + $75 for $90.79 after tax.
- 3,000 points saves $85 for one room night at Ramada Boston.
Ramada Boston standard room rate for March 17 = $175
Ramada Boston GoFast award room rate for March 17 = $90
Wyndham Rewards 3,000 bonus points for an approved best rate guarantee will have me checking Wyndham brand hotels more regularly for rate discrepancies. There is good value in Wyndham Rewards points these days.
Wyndham Rewards 18 months points expiration policy
Last week Choice Privileges announced a new 18 months points expiration policy for accounts with no activity. That change matches Wyndham Rewards current points expiration policy.
Loyalty Traveler – New Choice Privileges Points Expiration Policy: inactive accounts forfeit all points Aug 1, 2017 (Jan 14, 2016).
Another change I noticed last month for Wyndham Rewards is an increase in the highest copay amounts. The highest GoFast copay rate was $95 when the new program award option launched in May 2015. That has increased to $150 per night for many of the top market segment hotels in the Wyndham and Wyndham Grand brands. This significantly higher copay from $95 to $150 per night reduces the usefulness of GoFast reward nights at many of these more desirable hotels.
Loyalty Traveler – Best Rate Guarantee tag
Loyalty Traveler – Wyndham Rewards GoFast $150 copay hotels in New York and other places (Jan 1, 2016)
Loyalty Traveler – Wyndham Rewards Vacation Properties GoFast and GoFree reward nights (Dec 28, 2015)
Loyalty Traveler – New Wyndham Rewards elite status program coming in 2016 (Dec 28, 2015)
Loyalty Traveler – Wyndham Rewards 3,000 AA bonus miles per stay Dec 1-Feb 29, up to 15,000 miles (Dec 3, 2015)
Loyalty Traveler – Pick up a quick 9,000 Wyndham Rewards points for about $110 to $130 (May 15, 2015)
Loyalty Traveler – Loyalty brilliance in the new era of Wyndham Rewards (May 12, 2015)
Loyalty Traveler – Big changes for Wyndham Rewards May 11 and I redeemed all my points yesterday (March 31, 2015)
Wyndham Best Rate Guarantee Terms
BOOK WHERE THE BEST RATE IS GUARANTEED
Book where the best rates are GUARANTEED! If you do, and then find a lower rate on another website, we will match the lower rate and give you 3,000 Wyndham Rewards bonus points*. When you book online at Wyndham.com or via our central reservation telephone number, 1-800-337-0550, we GUARANTEE you will get the best rate. How can we guarantee this? Simple.
If you find a lower, publicly available rate on another website for the same hotel accommodation and date, we’ll match the competing rate plus give you 3,000 Wyndham Rewards bonus points. Below please find a summary of our Best Rate Guarantee. For full terms and conditions, visit: Best Rate Guarantee Terms
What is a “best rate”?
• As used in our advertising, “best rate” means a rate on another website that is $1.00 or more lower than the room rate at which you booked on our website. The other website’s rate must be publicly available for viewing and booking, and be for the same hotel, same room type, same number of guests, same currency and for the same date(s) as the hotel, room type, number of guests, currency and date(s) you booked.
What do I do if I find a lower rate?
• Fill out and submit the online claim form to our Customer Service department within 24 hours of booking.
How long do I have to submit the online claim form to get my rate adjusted and the Wyndham Rewards bonus points?
• Submit the online claim form to Customer Service within 24 hours of booking and no later than 48 hours prior to the hotel’s check-in time on your scheduled date of arrival.
• A Customer Service agent should respond via email within one day. If your online claim form is sent outside of normal business hours, it will be processed the next day. Normal business hours are 7:00am – 10:00pm CST
What are the main requirements to get the Guarantee?
• Bookings must be made via www.Wyndham.com or through our central reservation telephone number, 1-800-337-0550.
• You must have a Wyndham Hotels and Resorts reservation confirmation number.
• The rate on the other website must be for the same hotel, same room type, same number of guests, same currency and for the same date(s), as the hotel, room type, number of guests, currency and dates you booked. The other website’s rate must also be publicly available for viewing and booking. All of these conditions must still be in place at the time your claim is processed.
• A Customer Service agent must be able to verify the lower Internet rate* and the other information above for the applicable date(s).
• Certain deadlines apply for claim submission; please see question 3 for more information.
What is the turnaround time for adjusting my rate and receiving my bonus points?
• A Customer Service agent should respond via email within one day. If your online claim form is sent outside of normal business hours, it will be processed the next day. Normal business hours are 7:00am – 10:00pm CST.
• Please allow 2 to 4 weeks for points to be deposited into your Wyndham Rewards account.
Your new rate is not effective until you receive your new confirmation number from Customer Service.
*The Best Rate Guarantee does not apply to rates that are within $1.00 of the lower rate and certain other rates, including, without limitation, those that are only available to members of membership clubs, affinity programs or other organizations. Additional terms apply.
