Wyndham Hotels & Resorts' loyalty program Wyndham Rewards has claimed the top spot in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers' Choice Awards for the ninth consecutive year, while its co-branded Wyndham Rewards Earner® Card simultaneously took the No. 1 Hotel Credit Card title for the eighth straight year. The dual sweep follows a No. 1 ranking from U.S. News & World Report last month — a run of recognition that underscores how loyalty program design has become a central competitive lever in the hospitality industry.
What's Driving the Rankings
The program's consistent finish at the top of reader and editorial surveys traces directly to its fixed-redemption structure. Unlike many competing programs, Wyndham Rewards does not apply dynamic pricing to point redemptions, meaning free-night requirements stay constant regardless of season or demand spikes. Members earn a minimum of 1,000 points per qualified stay, and the free-night redemption floor — already set at 7,500 points — is dropping to 5,000 points next month. For franchisees and operators, that lower threshold raises the bar on value delivery but also strengthens the program's draw for price-conscious travelers, a segment that drives significant occupancy across Wyndham's broad portfolio.
Scott Strickland, Chief Commercial Officer at Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, credited the program's clarity of value as the engine behind sustained member loyalty. "Great loyalty programs don't just reward travel — they give members a reason to keep coming back," he said. "Seeing travelers continue to rank the program #1 is a powerful validation that we're delivering on what our members expect."
The Credit Card Portfolio Angle
The credit card side of the ecosystem received a significant overhaul earlier this year, with Wyndham and issuing partner Barclays expanding the lineup to include the new Earner® Premier Card — the first premium card in the portfolio. Cardholders earn accelerated points on Wyndham stays and everyday categories including dining, grocery, gas, and EV charging. The Premier Card adds a 25% discount on free-night redemptions, more than $400 in stated annual value, and points that never expire — a feature previously absent from the suite. For hospitality operators attuned to hotel loyalty program trends, the expanded card portfolio signals a broader industry push to capture everyday consumer spending, not just travel dollars.
Beyond core hotel stays, Wyndham Rewards has extended its redemption ecosystem to include Wyndham Rewards Experiences — a points-bidding platform for live events and sporting experiences through partners including Madison Square Garden and Caesars Rewards — as well as Wyndham Travel Bundles, which allow members to book hotels, flights, cruises, car rentals, and activities in a single transaction. The program's subscription tier, Wyndham Rewards Insider, layers in automatic Gold status and enhanced earning opportunities for members who want deeper value.
Implications for Operators
For the franchisees and independent operators who populate Wyndham's network across 100 countries, these rankings carry practical weight. Strong loyalty program performance correlates with repeat-visit rates and direct bookings, both of which reduce operator dependence on third-party distribution channels. As the broader hospitality sector navigates elevated labor costs and tightening margins, loyalty-driven direct bookings remain one of the more reliable levers for protecting RevPAR. The upcoming reduction in the free-night redemption floor to 5,000 points is particularly worth watching: a lower entry point could accelerate redemption velocity, generating more on-property visits from reward travelers. Operators should ensure front-desk teams understand the program mechanics so they can speak fluently to members at check-in — a small touchpoint that consistently factors into loyalty renewal behavior.
For more on how hotel brands are evolving guest retention strategies in hospitality, the competitive loyalty landscape continues to reshape how operators think about brand affiliation and program participation.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
