Here at Frequent Miler, we love using our Wyndham Rewards points for Vacasa vacation rentals. There have been a couple of devaluations over the last couple years that have taken some of the sugar out of the sweet spot, but it’s still possible to get excellent value.
In a somewhat surprising development that sounds a bit like an April Fool’s joke, Vacasa has informed its property owners that it will be merging with another vacation rental platform, Casago, in early Q2 of 2025 (we can only hope that the combined company will be called Vacasago).
Here’s what the Vacasa had to say:
We are excited to announce that Vacasa is merging with Casago, a premier vacation rental management company with nearly 5,000 properties in the U.S., Mexico, Costa Rica, and the Caribbean.
By merging with Casago, we are combining our strengths to accelerate both companies’ progress toward a shared vision: empowered local teams, delivering best-in-class home care and revenue for homeowners, and providing superior hospitality for guests. This combination will create an unmatched vacation rental management platform, pairing the advantages of a international brand with the personalized care of local management. We currently expect the transaction to close towards the end of the first quarter or the early part of the second quarter of 2025
What will this mean for Wyndham Vacasa redemptions?
Wyndham and Vacasa have been steadily chipping away at the value of Wyndham Vacasa redemptions over the last couple of years. Vacasa Vacation Rentals now cost either 15,000 or 30,000 points per bedroom per night, with the number of points required for your stay dependent upon the average cost per bedroom per night for your stay, inclusive of fees:
- Up to $250 per bedroom per night: Pay 15,000 points per bedroom per night
- $250.01 to $500 per bedroom per night: Pay 30,000 points per bedroom per night
- Over $500 per bedroom per night: You cannot book these with Wyndham points.
- In most cases, there are no other taxes or fees to pay (but in certain situations you may be charged a pet fee or resort fee).
Since the Wyndham/Vacasa partnership started, we’ve wondered how long it would last, but hoped that the significant re-jiggering of pricing might indicate a more stable union. Hopefully, that’s not impacted by this Casago merger.
On the face of it, it’s good news. Vacasa has a much larger portfolio, managing ~44,000 properties in comparison to Casago’s ~5,000. Casago does seem to have a larger proportion of its footprint located in Mexico and the Caribbean and the additional choices would be welcome if they become bookable via Wyndham as well at the current pricing structure.
Given the fact that Casago is so much smaller than Vacasa, my assumption is that Vacasa will be calling the shots and there won’t be much, if any, near-term change in the partnership with Wyndham. We have reached out to Vacasa and will update this post with any news that we hear.
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Vacasa won’t be calling any shots. They were in financial trouble and are being acquired. Vacasa will no longer exist. They are calling it a merger but it’s an acquisition — vacasa shareholders are being bought out and the only company that will be left is casago.
This is true. But, of course, Vacasa is the much bigger company. I would assume the Casago people will take a look at Vacasa’s business arrangements and keep the ones that they think are (or can become) profitable. Impossible for outsiders to know the terms of the Wyndham-Vacasa deal, but hopefully it makes sense to the new owners.
Agree
Question to book thru Vacasa for trip in March? Makes me leary?
Sale won’t close till Q1 or Q2. You’re fine.
Right. And I would think Wyndham reservations would be honored even if the relationship ends, but you can never be 100% sure. I suppose there’s a tiny risk booking for summer. I would still do it, unless the specific rental was absolutely critical.