I can’t remember the last time I booked a room by actually talking with anyone directly affiliated with the hotel in question.  When the Lampsen clan travels, we tend to spend precious little time in our hotel space, so we’re not the most discriminating consumers.  As long as basic cleanliness standards are maintained and the location is within reasonable proximity of our recreational targets, we make do.  That’s why I’m more likely to book a deep discount room via William Shatner’s outfit than I am to get on the horn to call some hotel company’s reservation line.  If you’re willing to roll the dice, it’s hard to beat Travelocity, Expedia, etc.

Not everyone shares my perspective, however.  Some folks have higher expectations for accomodations and aren’t willing to gamble with their vacation beds.  I can understand that. 

Those who do exercise more discretion might want to look into the Wyndham Rewards program.

The Wyndham program is your standard hotel customer loyalty program.  If you stay at a participating hotel, you earn points for every night (or frequent flier miles, for that matter).  You can later cash those babies in for just about anything under the sun.  Whether you want a Home Depot gift card or a free night at a participating property, your wish is Wyndham’s command.  They’re also known to do other promotions, including sweepstakes contests for members.

But the point thing isn’t the whole story.  There are other perks associated with the program.  Days Inn, part of the Wyndham family, explains:

Membership has many benefits:

• Receive free room upgrades*
• Relax with early check-in and late check-out*
• Enjoy a free snack and drink
• Earn points that can be redeemed for free night stays and other rewards
• Or earn airline miles with one of our participating airline carriers
• Convenient online booking
• Easy online account access

Those little extras could be pretty darn handy for someone who travels a great deal and when you consider the fact that it’s free to join up, it’s fairly inviting.

You’ll notice that I mentioned the “Wyndham family” of properties.  It’s a big family.  You don’t need to stay at a Wyndham to use your membership.  The collection of participants includes Baymont Suites, Microtel Inn, Ramada, Hawthorn Suites, Howard Johnson’s, Wingate, TravelLodge, Days Inn, Super 8 and Knights Inn.  There are probably others.  You get the idea.  There are many different hotels that are covered in your reward membership.

Of course, not everyone is in love with the reward program.  One gripe, which is common to almost all point-based customer loyalty offerings, is the fact that accumulated points can expire if they’re not used in what the terms of the agreement consider a timely fashion.  In the case of Wyndham, that would appear to be eighteen months.  So, if you’re master plan was to generate a big point total over the course of two full years, you should probably recalibrate your scheme’s details to comport with the program rules.

Would I choose a Wyndham property over a similarly-appointed alternative that was cheaper based on the rewards program alone?  Probably not.  Maybe, if I was really accumulating a sizeable chunk of points, but otherwise…  Nah.

However, if you absolutely LOVE a particular Wyndham variation it makes sense to join.  Likewise, if you’re staying at a Wyndham property on a regular basis because it happens to be the only legitimate option or due to its perfect location for your needs, it makes sense to sign up.  You’re going to be there either way, you might as well get a little lagniappe out of the deal, right?

Me?  I’ll keep low-balling my bids and hoping that I end up with a hotel that isn’t frequented by too many hookers, cockroaches or drunken Shriners.  I’m a gambling man.  If you’re not, consider whether the Wyndham reward program is a good fit for your travel tendencies.