Wyndham's "5 th Night Free Plus $100" deal seems straightforward at first. When you stay at least five nights at any in a long list of Wyndham properties in Mexico and the Caribbean, you'll get your fifth night free plus an American Express gift card worth $100. You might think that getting one night free during a five-night stay would mean a 20% reduction of your bill. Seems like a no-brainer, right? Not so fast.
At the Wyndham Sugar Bay in St. Thomas, for instance, the "5th Night Free Plus $100" package rate starts at $219 a night, compared to the lowest available rate of $170 a night, which is an advanced-purchase nonrefundable rate. Even after you subtract the cost of the free night, you'd pay $876 for a five-night stay, versus the $850 you’d pay for five nights at the advanced purchase rate. (True, when you factor in the $100 gift card, the package nets out as a $74 savings. But you wouldn't be able to use the $100 gift card on your trip. You'll receive your gift card in the mail six to eight weeks after you get back home. )
A better bet at the same property is the "Caribbean Vacation Stimulus Package," which gives you two free nights when you buy two nights, plus a $100 food-and-beverage credit. As with the “5 th Night Free Plus $100” package, the rate for this package starts at $219 a night if you travel between August 25 and October 31. (It jumps to $294 a night in November.) With this deal, a four-night stay in September or October will cost $438, an average of about $110 a night, which beats the lowest available rate by $60 a night. Plus, you’ll get $25 a day shaved off your dining costs. Jackpot!
The "Caribbean Vacation Stimulus Package" is good through November 30 and can be booked online with promo code PKGCARIB1. The "5 th Night Free Plus $100" deal is good through December 30. To reserve either deal by phone, call 800/WYNDHAM.
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