This post is sponsored by American Express, but all opinions are my own.
Last weekend, my husband and I were blessed to enjoy a couples-only getaway to one of our favorite places in the U.S., San Diego, by using one of my favorite travel cards, the Starwood Preferred Guest® American Express Card.
Please note: This card is no longer available since Marriott purchased Starwood.
I hold both the personal and business version of the Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Cards and in the past my family has used points earned through these cards to attend a Chicago Cubs game in a suite at Wrigley Field and score second row seats to “School of Rock” on Broadway.
I love these cards both for their opportunities to earn points to book free hotel rooms, as well as amazing experiences and this San Diego getaway had some of both :).
Booking Our San Diego Hotel
We booked our San Diego hotel using points provided to us by Starwood Preferred Guest and American Express with a few of our own for a three-night stay at Hotel Republic in downtown San Diego, part of the Autograph Collection.
It was 60,000 points per night to stay at the boutique hotel, which was intimate and had large rooms with window seats (my favorite!) and mini-fridges. Holders of the SPG American Express Luxury Card also receive free Premium internet access at Marriott hotels.
We love downtown San Diego, and this hotel put us right between two of our favorite spots: the trendy, busting Gaslamp Quarter and Little Italy with its amazing dining and charming atmosphere.
We enjoyed dining at yummy restaurants each night and headed over to see a comedian at the American Comedy Company in the Gaslamp Quarter, too. It was hard to believe we were sitting in what felt like a balmy 63 degrees for dinner after leaving 20-degree Indiana earlier in the day!
Flying to San Diego
We chose to fly Southwest, my favorite airline :). Because Southwest flies to San Diego, you can use the Southwest Companion Pass, if you hold one, to bring one person free with you!
If you choose to book your flight with the Starwood Preferred Guest American Express Card, you can earn 3X points when you book directly with the airline.
Electric Bike Tour Booked Through Marriott Moments
One of my favorite ways to use Marriott and Starpoints is to book experiences. Marriott has a long list of “Moments” that you can book with points, ranging from sporting events and cooking classes to concerts and festival tickets.
But… you can also discover amazing local things to do in your destination which you can pay for in cash versus points and then earn additional Marriott rewards points on your spend.
We were able to enjoy a premium experience that we booked using Marriott Moments: an electric bike tour of a gorgeous coastal area of San Diego called La Jolla. I had never ridden an electric bike and wanted to try it out!
The tour cost $99 per person and we earned 1980 points for our spend. The points arrive in our account in two to three weeks.
The tour, with San Diego Fly Rides, was fantastic and the electric bikes were amazing with hills! The tour took us through La Jolla Cove where we could visit with sea lions, see the famous “Lorax tree” (Theodor Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss lived in La Jolla and was inspired by its trees and wildlife) and learn about marine habitat in the area.
At the top of Mount Soledad in San Diego
We then pedaled by some jaw-dropping homes in an area with some of the most expensive real estate in the country and made our way up the very steep Mt. Soledad in less than 10 minutes thanks to the power from our bikes for amazing 360-degree views of San Diego. It was so clear that we could see all the way to Mexico to the south and snowy mountains in the north!
Dining in San Diego
One of our favorite things to do in San Diego is eat! The city has such great restaurants, especially in the Little Italy neighborhood, which has many authentic Italian eateries.
When you use the Starwood Preferred Guest American Express luxury card, you can earn 3 points per dollar on all dining expenditures, helping encourage you to take further advantage of all the great food.
Our favorites include Buon Appetito in Little Italy, as well as barleymash and Osteria Panevino in the Gaslamp Quarter.
We had an amazing weekend just the two of us, exploring one of our favorite cities thanks to our SPG American Express Card!
Want more tips for what to do in this gorgeous city by the sea? Check out my family’s top 35 things to do in San Diego.
Read More:
- 21 Stunning Things to Do in Santa Barbara
- 5 Not-to-Miss San Diego Activities From a Local
- 7 Amazing San Diego Beaches to Discover
- 35 Sun-tastic Things to Do in San Diego
- 8 Reasons to Consider Hotel Del Coronado for Your San Diego Vacation
