Wyndham Adds a 45,000-Point Award Tier on September 15. Book by the 14th.
Wyndham Rewards moves from three award tiers to four on September 15, 2026. The bottom tier drops from 7,500 points to 5,000, and a new 45,000-point tier arrives at the top. Award stays booked before September 15 keep their current price, so if a Wyndham property is on your list, book by Monday September 14.
The short version
New tiers from September 15, 2026: 5,000, 15,000, 30,000 and 45,000 points per bedroom per night.
The 7,500-point tier drops to 5,000. The 15,000 and 30,000 tiers stay unchanged.
The new 45,000-point tier makes Wyndham's top properties 50% more expensive than the old 30,000-point ceiling.
Bookings made before September 15 are honored at today's rate. If your property drops a tier, Wyndham refunds the difference automatically.
Wyndham held the 7,500 / 15,000 / 30,000 structure for seven years. Before that, every award night cost a flat 15,000 points.
What is changing in the Wyndham Rewards award chart?
Wyndham Rewards currently prices free nights at 7,500, 15,000 or 30,000 points. From September 15, 2026, the program moves to four tiers: 5,000, 15,000, 30,000 and 45,000 points per bedroom per night. Wyndham says "a small number of our most elevated hotels will move to a new tier of 45,000 points." Points-plus-cash awards shift with them.
Award tier | Free night | Points + cash starts at |
|---|---|---|
New bottom tier | 5,000 points | 500 points + cash |
Unchanged | 15,000 points | 1,500 points + cash |
Unchanged | 30,000 points | 3,000 points + cash |
New top tier | 45,000 points | 4,500 points + cash |
Wyndham is also reshuffling properties across all four tiers. Some hotels move up, some move down, and the program says the majority stay in the 5,000, 15,000 and 30,000 bands. Wyndham has not published how many properties go each way. Frequent Miler asked for the figures and Wyndham declined to share them, which is rarely a sign the numbers favor members.
Is this a devaluation or an improvement?
Both, and the split depends entirely on where you stay. Wyndham Rewards is cutting its cheapest award night from 7,500 points to 5,000, a 33% discount at the low end. At the same time it is adding a 45,000-point ceiling that makes its best properties 50% more expensive than the current 30,000-point maximum. Resorts including Wyndham Grand Rio Mar in Puerto Rico and Wyndham Grand Cancun All Inclusive are widely expected to land in the new top tier.
Our view: for most members this is a net negative, because the properties people save points for are the ones going up.
The 5,000-point tier is more interesting abroad than at home. A 5,000-point night in the US usually means a roadside Days Inn or Super 8. Overseas, the lowest Wyndham tier includes hotels people happily book, and at roughly 0.7 cents per point during a Wyndham sale, a 5,000-point night costs about $35 in purchased points.
Credit where it is due. Wyndham is keeping fixed tiers with no dynamic pricing and no seasonal surcharges, which is more than Hyatt, Hilton or Marriott offer.
What happens to bookings you already made?
Wyndham Rewards honors the award price on any stay booked before September 15, 2026, even if the hotel moves to a higher tier afterward. If the property moves to a lower tier instead, Wyndham automatically returns the difference in points. Cancel and your points are redeposited under the hotel's normal cancellation policy.
That combination is unusually generous, and it creates an obvious play.
Book now. Most Wyndham hotels take reservations up to a year out. A free-cancellation award booked on September 13 locks in the old rate with no downside, because a tier drop refunds you and a cancellation gives the points back.
How do you get more nights out of the change?
The Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier card, a $395 annual fee card Wyndham launched in early September 2026, includes a 25% discount on award nights. That turns a 5,000-point night into 3,750 points and a 45,000-point night into 33,750. At roughly 0.7 cents per purchased point, a 3,750-point night costs about $26.
Wells Fargo Rewards transfer to Wyndham Rewards at 1:2, which halves the effective cost of any tier.
Neither trick makes a 45,000-point La Quinta a good idea. Run the cash price first. If you would not pay $315 for the room, do not pay 45,000 points for it either. Our guide to what points and miles are worth covers how to run that comparison in about thirty seconds.
What this means for you
Check the Wyndham properties you have been eyeing and book the ones you are reasonably sure about before Monday September 14. Free cancellation makes this close to risk-free.
After September 15, treat Wyndham as a low-end play rather than a resort program. The 5,000-point tier is where the value moved, especially outside the US. The top of the chart now competes with hotel programs that do premium properties better. If you hold a stack of Wyndham points for a Grand resort, spend them this week.
If Wyndham cards are on your radar because of the new lineup, look at the whole field first in our best travel credit cards guide.
FAQ
When do the new Wyndham Rewards award tiers take effect?
The new Wyndham Rewards award tiers take effect on September 15, 2026. To lock in current pricing, book award nights by Monday September 14.
What are the new Wyndham Rewards redemption rates?
Wyndham Rewards free nights will cost 5,000, 15,000, 30,000 or 45,000 points per bedroom per night. Points-plus-cash awards start at 500, 1,500, 3,000 and 4,500 points for the four tiers.
Will my existing Wyndham award booking go up in price?
No. Wyndham honors the rate on any points booking made before September 15, 2026. If your hotel moves to a cheaper tier, Wyndham automatically refunds the extra points.
Which hotels are moving to 45,000 points?
Wyndham has not published a full list. The program says a small number of its most elevated hotels move to 45,000 points, and reporting points to premium resorts such as Wyndham Grand Rio Mar and Wyndham Grand Cancun All Inclusive.
Is Wyndham switching to dynamic pricing?
No. Wyndham says it is keeping a fixed redemption structure with no dynamic pricing and no increases based on seasonality.
How do I lower the cost of a Wyndham award night?
The Wyndham Rewards Earner Premier card gives a 25% award discount, which brings a 5,000-point night to 3,750 points. Wells Fargo Rewards also transfer to Wyndham at 1:2.
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