Vacation rentals can be one of the best options for family travel. Having multiple bedrooms, a kitchen, and extra space can make longer trips much more comfortable — especially when traveling with kids.

For several years, one of the best ways to book vacation rentals using points was through a partnership between Wyndham Rewards and Vacasa.

That strategy allowed travelers to redeem Wyndham points for Vacasa vacation homes, often unlocking incredible value on large properties in destinations like ski towns, beach communities, and national park gateway towns.

However, that option is no longer available.

If you’ve heard about booking Vacasa properties with points and are wondering what happened — or you’re simply looking for ways to use points toward vacation rentals today — this guide will walk you through the best strategies available now.

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What Happened to Vacasa and Wyndham Points?

For a long time, Wyndham Rewards points could be redeemed for Vacasa vacation rentals. This partnership allowed travelers to book entire homes using Wyndham points, often at a fixed rate based on the nightly cost.

It quickly became one of the most valuable ways to redeem Wyndham points, especially for families who needed more space than a typical hotel room.

But Wyndham and Vacasa have since ended that partnership.

That means Vacasa vacation rentals can no longer be booked using Wyndham points.

While that was a disappointing change for many points and miles enthusiasts, there are still several excellent ways to use rewards to cover vacation rentals.

In many cases, these strategies can be even more flexible than the old Vacasa method.

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Why Vacation Rentals Work Well With Points

Many people assume that points and miles only work for flights and hotels.

But in reality, some of the most useful rewards strategies allow you to cover any type of travel purchase, including vacation rentals.

This can be especially helpful when traveling to places where traditional hotels are limited or expensive, such as:

National parks
Beach towns
Mountain destinations
Small European villages
Family ski trips

In many of these places, vacation rentals are often the most comfortable option for families.

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Strategy 1: Use Flexible Travel Miles to Cover the Purchase

One of the simplest ways to use points for vacation rentals is by earning flexible travel miles that can be applied to travel purchases.

With this strategy, you book the vacation rental normally through a site like Airbnb or VRBO and then use miles to erase the travel purchase from your statement.

Some travel rewards cards allow you to redeem miles toward travel purchases made on your card, including:

Vacation rentals
Flights
Hotels
Rental cars
Tours and experiences

This flexibility makes these types of rewards extremely useful for families who don’t always stay in traditional hotels.

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Strategy 2: Use Rewards That Function Like Cash Back

Another approach is using rewards that are marketed as cash back but are actually part of a larger points ecosystem.

Some rewards cards earn points that can be redeemed for statement credits, which effectively allows you to cover travel purchases — including vacation rentals.

These points can also sometimes be combined with other cards within the same rewards system, creating additional flexibility.

For example, some business and everyday rewards cards earn points that are often advertised as cash back. However, those same points can also be pooled and used toward travel redemptions when combined with certain travel cards.

This flexibility allows families to earn rewards from everyday spending and later use those rewards toward travel expenses like vacation rentals.

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Strategy 3: Cards That Work Well for Vacation Rentals

When your goal is booking vacation rentals, the most helpful rewards programs are usually the ones that offer flexible points rather than points tied to a single hotel chain.

Some of the most useful categories of cards for this include:

Travel cards that allow you to erase travel purchases with miles

Business cards that earn flexible rewards which can later be used for travel

Everyday rewards cards that earn points marketed as cash back but that can also be pooled with travel rewards

Many families use a combination of these types of cards so their everyday spending helps generate points that can later be used toward travel.

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A Few Cards Families Often Use to Build Flexible Points

There are several rewards cards that are particularly helpful for building flexible points that can eventually be used toward travel.

For example, some business cards and everyday rewards cards earn points that are often marketed as cash back, but those rewards are actually part of a larger flexible points system. When paired with a travel card in the same ecosystem, those points can become extremely valuable for flights and hotels.

Other travel cards earn flexible miles that can be used to cover travel purchases after they post to your account, which can work well for vacation rentals booked through sites like Airbnb or VRBO.

There are also travel cards that allow you to redeem rewards toward travel purchases in a similar way, offering another option for offsetting the cost of vacation rentals.

These flexible rewards strategies allow families to reduce the cost of trips even when staying outside traditional hotel programs.

Here are some of the cards and reward systems that work particularly well for this.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

One of the simplest ways to cover vacation rentals with points is by using miles that can erase travel purchases.

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns miles that can be redeemed toward travel purchases after they post to your statement. This means you can book a vacation rental normally and then apply miles to cover part — or all — of the cost.

This flexibility makes it especially useful for:

• Airbnb stays
• VRBO rentals
• vacation homes near national parks
• ski condos and beach houses

Because the redemption works as a statement credit, you are not limited to hotel loyalty programs.

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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Another useful card for building flexible travel points is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card.

This card earns Ultimate Rewards points that can be transferred to airline and hotel partners, but they can also be used through the Chase travel portal to book a wide range of travel options.

Many vacation rentals appear through the travel portal, which means points can sometimes be used directly toward those bookings.

The flexibility of these points also makes them helpful for covering flights to destinations where vacation rentals are the best lodging option.

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Ink Business Cards and Freedom Cards

Another strategy many families use is earning points from everyday spending through cards that are often marketed as cash back cards.

Examples include the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card, and the Chase Freedom Unlimited®.

These cards earn rewards that are often described as cash back, but they are actually Ultimate Rewards points.

When those points are combined with a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred®, they become fully transferable travel points that can be used for flights and hotels.

Or they can simply be redeemed as statement credits to help cover travel expenses like vacation rentals.

This makes them powerful cards for building points from everyday business or household spending.

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Ink Business Premier® Credit Card

The Ink Business Premier® Credit Card works slightly differently.

This card is designed primarily as a high-earning cash back business card, particularly for larger purchases.

Because it earns rewards that can be redeemed as statement credits, it can be a useful tool for covering travel purchases like vacation rentals — especially for families who prefer the flexibility of cash-style rewards.

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U.S. Bank Travel Cards

Several U.S. Bank travel cards also allow points to be redeemed toward travel purchases.

These cards often provide statement credits or travel redemptions that can be applied to expenses like vacation rentals.

This type of redemption is especially useful when staying in destinations where vacation rentals are more practical than hotels, such as:

• national park gateway towns
• ski resorts
• beach destinations
• larger family trips

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Why Flexible Rewards Work Best for Vacation Rentals

Vacation rentals rarely participate in traditional hotel loyalty programs.

Because of that, the best strategy is usually earning rewards that offer flexibility rather than being tied to a single hotel brand.

Flexible points and miles allow you to:

• book the property that fits your trip
• reduce the cost using statement credits or travel redemptions
• combine rewards from multiple cards

While the Vacasa partnership with Wyndham was an incredible option while it lasted, flexible rewards strategies ultimately give families more options for the types of trips they want to take.

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Our Family’s Approach to Vacation Rentals

When our family books vacation rentals now, we usually follow one of three approaches.

First, we sometimes use flexible travel miles to erase the cost of the rental after booking.

Second, we may redeem rewards as statement credits to offset part of the cost.

And third, we often combine rewards from several cards to cover as much of the trip as possible.

This flexibility allows us to book the types of properties that work best for our family — whether that’s a cabin near a national park, a larger home for a road trip, or an apartment in a city.

While the Vacasa partnership was a great option while it lasted, flexible rewards strategies have ultimately proven to be the most sustainable long-term approach.

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Final Thoughts

Points and miles strategies work best when they are flexible enough to match the way your family actually travels.

For some trips, that means booking flights and hotels entirely on points.

For others — especially trips that involve vacation rentals — it may mean using flexible rewards to offset the cost.

Either way, the key is letting everyday spending generate the rewards that eventually fund the trip.

Over time, those ordinary expenses can add up to some pretty extraordinary adventures.