How to cancel a Wyndham Rewards free night and get points back

What you can do after reading this guide

• Work out the exact deadline for cancelling a Free Night at a Participating Hotel from the two limits that apply to it.
• Predict whether a given cancellation returns the redeemed points or forfeits them.
• Find the correct cancellation route and telephone number for Participating Destinations, Vacasa Vacation Rentals and Redemption Cottages.
• Recognise the three situations — late cancellation, no-show and partial use — that forfeit all points redeemed for a Free Night.

Who this applies to and what you need first

This guide covers a Free Night, which the programme defines as a free night booked with Wyndham Rewards points at a Participating Hotel, a Participating Caesars Rewards Property, a Participating Destination or a Redemption Cottage. [1] It is written from the Wyndham Rewards redeeming terms published in English, and redemption may vary by country. [1] Discounted Nights with Points + Cash appear only where the same cancellation rules tie them to a points return or forfeiture; airline tickets, car rentals, merchandise, gift cards, charitable donations and partner travel programme currency are outside this guide. [1]

You need a Wyndham Rewards account holding the redeemed points, because only Wyndham Rewards Members can redeem points in their accounts. [1] Points are withdrawn from the member's account at the time of booking a Free Night, so the booking already sits against that balance when you come to cancel. [1] Before you rely on a deadline, check the cancellation policy attached to your own reservation, which is displayed or explained prior to finalisation of the reservation. [1] One Free Night is valid only for the specific hotel, property or cottage requested when the points were redeemed. [1]

How do you cancel a free night and get the points back?

1. Identify the property type on your reservation, because the terms applicable to Free Nights vary by property type and the programme directs you to the correct section — III(C-1), (C-2), (D-1), (D-2), (E-1) or (E-2) — for the property you booked. [1]
2. Read the cancellation policy shown with your reservation: it is displayed prior to finalisation for an online reservation and explained prior to finalisation for a reservation made with Member Services. [1]
3. For a Participating Hotel, cancel by the earlier of (a) 4:00 pm the day before your scheduled check-in date in the time zone of the hotel and (b) the hotel's own deadline; where a hotel requires cancellation earlier than 4:00 pm the day before, the hotel's policy governs. [1]
4. For a Participating Destination, cancel without penalty by calling Wyndham Rewards Wyndham Vacation Clubs at 1-800-809-6480 up to seventy-two (72) hours prior to scheduled check-in. [1]
5. For a Free Night at a Vacasa Vacation Rental booked on or before November 30, 2025, cancel thirty-one (31) days or more prior to scheduled check-in; members in the U.S. and Canada contact Wyndham Rewards Vacasa Vacation Rentals at 1-800-441-1034, and members outside those countries use the Wyndham Rewards Member Services number. [1]
6. For a Participating Caesars Rewards Property, follow that property's cancellation policy, which varies by property and time of year; members in the U.S. and Canada must contact Wyndham Rewards. [1]
7. For a Redemption Cottage, check the conditions at www.cottages.com/legal/booking-conditions; members in the U.S. and Canada must contact Wyndham Rewards Vacation Rentals (UK) at 1-866-232-8628 and members outside those countries use the Wyndham Rewards Member Services number. [1]
8. Confirm the outcome: where the cancellation was made inside the applicable policy, all points redeemed return to the account automatically, provided they have not expired as of the date of cancellation. [1]

When do you get your points back?

Worked example (illustration)

Illustration only: a member who does not hold an Earner Card books one Free Night at a Participating Hotel whose Standard Redemption Amount is 15,000 Wyndham Rewards points, and those points are withdrawn from the account at the time of booking. [1] If the member cancels by the earlier of 4:00 pm the day before the scheduled check-in date in the hotel's time zone and the hotel's own deadline, all 15,000 points return to the account automatically, provided they have not expired. [1] If the member instead cancels after that deadline, does not arrive, or uses only part of the stay, all 15,000 points are forfeited and are not re-credited. [1] If some of the redeemed points had expired before the change or cancellation was made, those expired points would be forfeited even where the cancellation itself followed the hotel's policy. [1]

Common reasons it fails

• The cancellation lands after the hotel's own deadline. A Participating Hotel may require cancellation before 4:00 pm the day before check-in, and in that case the hotel's policy governs rather than the 4:00 pm point. [1]
• Nobody cancels and the guest does not arrive. A no-show forfeits all points redeemed for the award, with no re-credit. [1]
• The stay is only partly used. Partial use joins no-show and late cancellation in forfeiting all points redeemed. [1]
• The points had already expired. Expired points are not re-credited even when the cancellation was made in accordance with the applicable policy. [1]
• One deadline is assumed to apply everywhere. Participating Destinations require the call to 1-800-809-6480 up to seventy-two (72) hours before check-in, Vacasa Vacation Rentals allow cancellation only thirty-one (31) days or more ahead, and Caesars properties set their own policies. [1]
• A Redemption Cottage turns out not to be cancellable. Certain cottage reservations may not be cancellable or changeable at all, and all points redeemed are then forfeited. [1]
• A Points + Cash award is cancelled late. Outside the policy, a no-show or partial use forfeits all points and also leaves the member responsible for the cash portion of the cancelled award reservation. [1]

Exceptions and limits

• Redemptions are final by default. All redemptions are final and rewards may not be returned for credit except as otherwise provided in the programme terms, and Wyndham Rewards points are not redeemable for cash. [1]
• A property can leave the programme after you book. If a property ceases to be a Participating Property after a Free Night is booked there but before the stay, the programme does not guarantee that the Free Night will be honoured, and where the property does not honour it the programme's sole obligation is to refund the points redeemed for the applicable Free Night. [1]
• Some properties cannot be booked at all. Free Nights cannot be booked at ECHO Suites Extended Stay by Wyndham hotels or for unfurnished suites at WaterWalk Extended Stay by Wyndham hotels. [1]
• Caesars properties carry their own limits. Blackout dates and rates apply to Free Nights at Participating Caesars Rewards Properties and vary by property and time of year, and Free Nights are never available for Saturday night stays at Caesars Palace Las Vegas or Nobu Hotel Caesars Palace. [1]
• Partial outcomes are possible at cottages. A Redemption Cottage may allow only a partial return of points, partial reimbursement of advanced payments or partial forgiveness of amounts payable. [1]
• The rules can change without notice. The programme may modify, alter, delete or add terms applicable to any or all varieties of Free Nights, including the number of points required, at any time without notice. [1]
• Partner currency is one-way. Once points have been redeemed for partner travel rewards points or earnings, they cannot be returned for credit to the member's account. [1]

Frequently asked questions

How late can I cancel a Wyndham Rewards free night?

At a Participating Hotel, by the earlier of 4:00 pm the day before your scheduled check-in date in the hotel's time zone and the hotel's own deadline, and the hotel's policy governs where it requires earlier cancellation. [1] At a Participating Destination the cancellation is made without penalty by calling 1-800-809-6480 up to seventy-two (72) hours prior to scheduled check-in. [1]

Do I get all my points back if I cancel in time?

Yes — all points redeemed for the award are returned to your account automatically, provided they have not expired as of the date of cancellation. [1] Any points that had already expired are forfeited and are not re-credited. [1]

What happens if I simply do not show up?

In the event of a no-show, all points redeemed for the award are forfeited and will not be re-credited to the member's account. [1] For a Discounted Night with Points + Cash the member is also held responsible for payment of the cash portion of the cancelled award reservation. [1]

Does the same deadline apply to every type of Wyndham Rewards free night?

No. Free Night terms vary by property type beyond the general cancellation, change and forfeiture rules, so the section for Participating Hotels, Participating Caesars Rewards Properties, Participating Destinations, Vacasa Vacation Rentals or Redemption Cottages applies, and Caesars properties determine their own policies. [1]

Next step and official entry points

• Wyndham Rewards Terms: Redeeming — read the cancellation, change and points forfeiture clause for Free Nights and then the section for your property type before you cancel. [1]
• Wyndham Rewards programme hub — the place to start on this site for how the programme's awards and tiers fit together.

Related pages

Wyndham Rewards programme, cancellation deadline, no-show, how to book Wyndham Rewards awards, and the booking platform cancellation and refund guide.

Sources

Sources checked on 18 October 2026. This guide covers cancellation, deadlines, forfeiture and points return for Wyndham Rewards Free Nights, plus Discounted Nights with Points + Cash where the same cancellation rules apply; it does not cover cancellation of award airline tickets, car rentals, merchandise, gift cards, charitable donations or partner travel programme currency redemptions.

1. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts: Wyndham Rewards Terms — Redeeming, checked 18 October 2026