Save Big on Vacasa Vacation Rentals: Transfer Points to Wyndham to Book!

While transferring your credit card points to hotel rewards programs to book a stay doesn't always make sense, there are a few exceptions where doing so is a good idea.
One such case can be made for transferring your Capital One miles or Citi ThankYou points , earned from a card like the *venture x* or the *Citi Premier* , to Wyndham Rewards to book a Vacasa vacation property.
Wyndham Rewards is a hotel program that often flies under the radar … and understandably so. When people think of Wyndham, they're far more likely to envision a roadside Days Inn than a five-star resort or a vacation rental on the beach in Hawaii. But thanks to Wyndham's partnership with Vacasa, you can book one-bedroom vacation properties in pricey tourist hot spots for as few as 15,000 Wyndham points per night.
While you can book bigger (more bedrooms) properties with points, it'll rarely be a good deal. With one-bedroom vacation rentals being the sweet spot , Wyndham points might be the perfect alternative for anyone looking to avoid expensive nightly hotel rates, all while enjoying the comforts of home.
Let's take a deep dive into what Vacasa vacation homes are and how to book them.
 
What Is Vacasa?
Vacasa is an Oregon-based rental management company where travelers can book vacation properties owned by everyday people from beach houses to ski cabins. It's not exactly a hotel, but it's also not quite the same as Airbnb or Vrbo. While homeowners rent out their homes to travelers through Vacasa, these vacation rentals are professionally managed, providing a full-service rental experience similar to what you can expect at a hotel. It's a sort of hybrid experience if you will.
And best of all, Vacasa's partnership with Wyndham makes it possible to use hotel points, or even credit card rewards to book these vacation rentals for free. Just how many points you'll need depends on the number of bedrooms and the nightly cost.
 
Courtesy of Vacasa
 
Travelers can book a one-bedroom unit with an average nightly rate of $250 or less for just 15,000 Wyndham points. More expensive one-bedroom properties averaging between $251 and $500 can be had for 30,000 points per night.
With Vacasa, travelers can choose specific vacation rentals based on filters like location, type of property, amenities included, number of bedrooms, and number of bathrooms.
 

 
Property layout will vary, but if you want to use points to pay for your stay, you should focus on single-bedroom properties as this is where the real value is when using points. If you need more space, booking Vacasa rentals with more than one bedroom gets expensive … in a hurry . Since the price in points is per bedroom, per night , two- or three-bedroom properties simply aren't worth it.
In fact, if you need more than one bedroom, you'd be better off paying the nightly room rate with a card like the *capital one venture card* and then going back in to cover the charge with your Capital One miles instead.
On the bright side, one bedroom doesn't necessarily mean you'll be cramped – you still get the entire place to yourself and most properties come with a full kitchen, living room, and bathroom. Some even have lofts or dens that include an extra bed but aren't considered a bedroom so you don't have to pay any extra.
 

 
And if you search really hard, you might even find some one-bedroom properties that include multiple bathrooms. This is ideal for couples traveling together or any bigger families.
Let's walk you through how this all works.
 
Using Wyndham Rewards for Vacasa Vacation Rentals
You can search for available properties on Vacasa's website, but unfortunately, you can't book online with Wyndham points. After identifying the property you want to reserve,  call (800) 441-1034 to book over the phone .
To start your search, input your desired location, dates, and number of travelers, and be sure to set the “nightly rate” filters when you're hoping to book a room using points. If you want to spend 15,000 points per night, only select one bedroom and input $250 as the maximum nightly average rate per room. If it's a two-bedroom property, it will cost double at 30,000 points per night.
 

 
For properties costing 15,000 points per night, you need to ensure the booking total, after taxes and fees, averages $250 or less per night (total cost divided by number of nights).
For example, a four-night stay in this one-bedroom Vacasa property in Honolulu costs a grand total of $871.77. That averages out to $217.94 per night after taxes and fees, meaning you would be under the $250 cap and this property would only cost you 15,000 Wyndham points per night. The total for your four-night stay would be 60,000 points, much better than the nearly $900 cash price.
 

 
If you are interested in a pricier single-bedroom property and are okay with redeeming more points per night, you can set the nightly rate filter to allow for properties in the $251 to $500 range. But keep in mind that if it's a two-bedroom property, it will cost double that at 60,000 points per night. Ouch!
 

 
With the increased price range, you'll find even more properties, like this on the island of Maui costing a total of $887.19 for a two-night stay. Divided by two, the average nightly rate would be about $444, making it just below the $500 cap to qualify for a 30,000-per-night rate – or 60,000 total points. That's still not too shabby of a deal.
 

 
Vacasa properties aren't just available in Hawaii, but given how expensive lodging can be on the islands, it's where you might find some of the best value. In total, you'll find over 44,000 homes available to book across 35 U.S. states, plus Canada, Mexico, Belize, and Costa Rica, meaning most places you're headed, Vacasa should be an option.
After identifying a property you like, you'll need to transfer your Capital One miles or Citi ThankYou points to Wyndham before calling in to book.
 
Transferring Capital One Miles to Wyndham
Start by logging into your Capital One account on either a computer or the mobile app. On your home page, you'll see how many miles you've earned listed. Click on “View Rewards” to see all your redemption options.
 

 
On the next screen, you'll see a host of options for using your miles, including transferring your to one of Capital One's airline or hotel partners. Choose “Convert Rewards” and you'll see the full list of all Capital One transfer partner options.
 

 
You will then need to select Wyndham Rewards by clicking “Transfer Miles”.
 

 
If you haven't done so already, you'll need to create an account with Wyndham as you'll need a loyalty number to input here.
 

 
After inputting your membership number, select the exact amount of points you want to transfer to Wyndham (transfers must be done in 1,000-point increments). Once you've hit complete transfer, you're done. In most cases, these transfers are instant but in some cases, it can take a little time for your Capital One miles to get converted into Wyndham Rewards points. This is especially true if you just created a new Wyndham Rewards account.
After the points hit your Wyndham account, you'll want to call (506) 646-2943 to book. Just have details handy on the specifics of the property and the dates that you would like to book over the phone.
You could also email [email protected] but you could imagine how long that's going to take after the potential back-and-forth communication. We advise calling.
Check out our full walkthrough on Capital One transfer partners and how they work!
 
Transferring Citi ThankYou Points to Wyndham
You'll start by logging in to your Citi account where you should see your ThankYou points balance listed right on the main screen. From there, you'll need to click on the link to view accounts and “redeem points.”
 

 
That will take you to the ThankYou points homepage. At the top, you'll see many different redemption categories. “Points Transfers” are buried in the “More Ways to Redeem” category – this is what you're looking for.
 

 
After clicking on points transfer, you'll see Citi's full list of eligible transfer partners with Wyndham Rewards down at the bottom.
 

 
Transfers to Wyndham must be done in 1,000-point increments and are usually processed instantly. If you don't see the points reflected in your Wyndham account right after completing the transfer, try logging out and signing back in again.
Check out our full walkthrough on Citi transfer partners and how they work!
 
Is it Worth Booking a Vacasa Vacation Property with Credit Card Points?
Despite a recent devaluation where 15,000 points used to get you a night at a single-bedroom property with an average rate of up to $350, capping this redemption option at $250 still represents a decent value for your points or miles. Just remember that one-bedroom properties are the sweet spot : Two- or three-bedroom units will cost you double or triple the points, even when the cash price is still below $250.
What's great about Vacasa is that you can save on accommodations in major markets where traditional hotels can cost a fortune. As a frequent traveler to the Hawaiian islands, I know how expensive lodging on Oahu (or any of the other islands) can be! This is especially true at big hotel chains like Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, and IHG. Saving a few hundred dollars with a Vacasa vacation property is nothing to scoff at.
As long as you book a property with an average nightly rate of $150 or more, you're getting decent value for your points – more than 1 cent per point. As for more expensive properties, you'd want to find something with an average nightly rate of $300 or more, since properties over $250 per night now cost 30,000 points.
Anything less than 1 cent per point is a red flag for redeeming points for these stays.
Although I haven't stayed at a Vacasa property yet, I would much rather book a Vacasa vacation house than an Airbnb or hotel. Some Airbnbs only include a bedroom with shared common areas and minimal privacy, despite pricy nightly rates. As for hotels, the points required to book a night often cost double if not triple what you'll find with Vacasa.
 
Bottom Line
Credit card points and miles exist to save you money on your travels and while Wyndham is an often overlooked program, there's real value to be had with one-bedroom Vacasa vacation rentals. The next time you're striking out with sky-high hotel prices, consider transferring your Capital One miles or Citi ThankYou points to Wyndham to book a Vacasa property instead.