Do You Use Rewards When You Travel?
We do not get to travel much...
Whenever we do travel, I plan on taking advantage of the Rewards programs that are out there!
If you think about it, grocery stores offer rewards cards, why not hotels too?
Wyndham Hotels has the "Wyndham Rewards" program.
(This was just copied/pasted from their email, but it explains it pretty clear how wonderful this program can be... Basically, you stay at qualifying hotels, earn points per dollar spent and then "cash in" the points for rewards!!!)
Washington DC
· Attractions:
o National Air & Space Museum, Smithsonian Museum and National ZoologicalPark, National Mall (Capitol building, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, etc.), Arlington House, National Aquarium
o For off the beaten path ideas visit historic Solomon’s Island, Maryland, a quiet waterfront fishing village located just 55 minutes south of Washington DC where the Patuxent River meets the Chesapeake Bay. This area offers jet skiing, kayaking, fishing and boat rentals. Visitors can even charter a boat for a day of Chesapeakefishing or luxury cruising. Kids can practice their geology skills exploring fossils from millions of years ago and tour the Drum Point Lighthouse at the Calvert MarineMuseum
· Hotel Deal: History in the Mid-Atlantic: Discovery DC at the Wyndham Garden Hotel – Gaithersburg
· Other Hotel Options:
o Days Inn Washington DC Connecticut Ave
o Howard Johnson Washington DC North
o Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham Alexandria
Richmond, VA
· Attractions:
o Jamestown Settlement, Yorktown Battlefield, Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia Aviation Museum, Federal Reserve Bank Money Museum
o For off the beaten path ideas take a day trip to Luray Caverns, located in the Shenandoah Valley, about an hour and a half from Richmond, VA. Since its discovery in 1878, Luray Caverns has been renowned as one of the world’s most spectacular natural wonders. The cave features naturally formed cathedral-sized rooms with ceilings 10 stories high and enormous chambers that are filled with towering columns, shimmering draperies and crystal-clear pools.
· Hotel Deals: Rest, Revive and Ride Package at the Wyndham Richmond Airport
· Other Hotel Options:
o Days Inn Williamsburg Colonial Historic Area
o Days Inn Williamsburg Colonial Resort
o Howard Johnson Inn Williamsburg
New Orleans, LA
· Attractions:
o Audubon Zoo, Cemetery tour, Louisiana Children’s Museum, New OrleansHistoric Voodoo Museum, Swamp Tour
· For off the beaten path ideas head about 50 miles from New Orleans in Vacherie,Louisiana is the Laura Plantation, one of a half-dozen plantations on the Great River Roadalong the Mississippi River. The newly restored Big House was originally completed in 1805 and is surrounded by over 1,500 acres of sugar cane fields. Tours are provided that give the history of the family home and the creole tradition.
· Hotel Deals: Taste of the South Dinner Package at The Whitney Wyndham Hotel
· Other Hotels:
o Ramada Plaza Hotel The Inn on Bourbon
o Wyndham Riverfront New Orleans
o Super 8 New Orleans
Chicago
· Attractions:
o Chicago Children’s Theater, Sears Tower Skydeck, Garfield Park Conservatory, Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago Food Planet Food Tour
· For off the beaten path ideas take a quick 75 mile trip and hop the border to Lake Geneva,Wisconsin for some fun and adventure. In addition to beaches, fishing and cruising the Lake Geneva area offers zipline canopy tours that are designed to appeal to everyone from seasoned adventure travelers to young family vacationers.
· Hotel Deals:Family Breakfast Package at the Wyndham Chicago
OR American Girl® Place Package at the Wyndham Chicago: PJ Palooza Party!
San Francisco
· Attractions:
o San Francisco Zoo, Alcatraz Tour, Bay Area Discovery Museum, The TechMuseum (San Jose, CA), Exploratorium
· For off the beaten path ideas take a quick one hour trip to San Jose to explore the beautiful San Jose Municipal Rose Garden. Open since 1927, the Garden is exclusively devoted to shrubs of the rose family and features 189 varieties of roses. Visitors can enjoy colorful displays throughout the April to November season.
· Hotel Deals: Stay Five Nights and Save 30% at the Parc 55 San Francisco - Union Square
If that is not really your thing, you can always plan a weekend getaway to enjoy the fall foliage! I for one would LOVE to go and visit any and all of these areas... If nothing more than just the photography aspect of it all! (Think of the great family photo's you might capture!!!!)
READ MORE HERE:
· At 14,000 points per night, visit the Days Inn Gaitlinburg on the River inGatlinburg , Tennessee. Leaf enthusiasts visiting Gatlinburg can enjoy the city’s small-town charm in the middle of the Smoky Mountains. With over 600 miles of hiking trails, travelers can observe a brilliant tapestry of foliage at 1,400 feet above sea level. Peak foliage-viewing is from mid-October to early November.
· For 16,000 points per night, stay at the Days Inn Bar Harbor in Bar Harbor, Maine. Bar Harbor, Maine. On the way to this quaint town, travelers can experience the dazzling hues of fall while driving along the 40-mile stretch of the Acadia Byway and stop to enjoy the rocky coastlines, crisp foliage and evergreens at Acadia National Park. Peak foliage-viewing is from mid-September to mid-October.
· At 16,000 points per night, visit the Ramada Downtown Denver in Denver, Colorado. Located in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Denver is an exciting metropolis within close driving distance of the best autumn sightseeing the Western U.S. has to offer. Leaf peep while exploring Colorado’s nearby wine country or by catching a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater, one of the most famous outdoor venues in the United States.
· At 16,000 points a night, take a trip to the Catskill region of New York State and stay at the Super 8 New Paltz. The Catskills are a quick two-hour drive from much of the New York Metropolitan area and feature beautiful foliage as well as harvest festivals and cultural events for travelers to enjoy. As an added bonus, the peak leaf-peeping season lasts from the middle of September until the end of October.
By using Wyndham Rewards points, travelers can save an average of $86.72 per night at the above leaf peeping destinations! With the money you save, why not indulge in these fall favorites:
· Eight pumpkin pies: $10 per pie
· 17 gallons of apple cider: $5 per gallon
· 21 gallons of gas: $4 per gallon
· Two cozy fall sweaters: $ 40 per sweater
***** I was not compensated in any way for this post... I just think it is a great way to reward yourself and SAVE at the same time! With the holidays coming up, we can all use rewards! I was not required to post this, just wanted to share!*****
I have a love/hate relationship with Wyndham rewards. They're one of the few rewards programs that I actually have accumulated enough to cash in on in the past (I've probably had a half dozen free nights now, yeah!)
ReplyDeleteHowever, they don't give you points on *all* your stays, which irks me a bit. I stayed several times at one of their properties with a special discount rate/window, and when I inquired about why I hadn't gotten my points they said it was because the rate didn't "qualify" for points. Hmph!
/end rant.
I do like the free nights though...