Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus

For a $95 annual fee, the Wyndham Rewards Earner Plus gives back 15,000 bonus points every anniversary, which Wyndham says covers up to two free award nights, so regular Wyndham guests can come out ahead on that alone. Earning is solid too: 6x at Hotels by Wyndham and 4x on dining, groceries, and travel, with 1x on everything else. The 100,000-point signup bonus is split, with 45,000 points after $1,000 in spend within 90 days and 55,000 more after $500 at Hotels by Wyndham within 180 days, so you need to book a stay to earn the full amount. You also get Diamond status in your first year, dropping to Platinum after that, a free night worth up to 15,000 points after five nights in a calendar year, and 10% off the points cost of free nights. The catch is that all of this value is tied to Wyndham, so if you rarely stay with the brand, the 4x categories alone do not justify the fee.