We just returned from a once in a life time trip to Israel. My kids did not do the traditional path of hebrew school, bar mitzvah, party, etc. We used the $ we saved to do this trip instead. We had a small special ceremonial service at the top of Masada. We did it for all three, despite the fact that none of them are even yet 13. 🙂
Even though we flew to Israel for free and we used points for the hotel in Tel Aviv, we still paid for a large portion of this trip. The tour, booked through Susan Loves Israel, which included hotels, was paid for with none other than my Chase Sapphire Preferred card. We used the Sapphire Preferred card because the payment was to a travel agency and travel agencies are a merchant in the Chase travel category enabling me to earn 2x Chase Ultimate Rewards miles per $ spent.
Besides our stay in Tel Aviv, we also traveled to Tiberias in the North (unbelievably gorgeous!) Here, we stayed at The Scots Hotel. This hotel was one of the nicest places I have ever stayed in. The property was so pretty and intimate. Our rooms had such high ceilings and walls of stone. It was like staying in a castle. The hotel sits on the Sea of Galilee. The view was unbelievable! As was the food! Every morning there was an amazing buffet. We also had dinner there one night as well. Also a buffet (which I am usually not so into), but this one was one of the best dinner buffets I ever went to. Classy and delicious!
I should note however, although Rob agrees with my above “review”, the gym did not open till 10 am (ahhhh) and there was no place to get coffee early in the morning. He was beside himself. 🙂
We ended our trip in Jerusalem with a stay at the very famous King David Hotel. It was also an amazing stay. The staff was so unbelievably helpful and friendly, the rooms, (although not huge) were very nice and modern, and the lobby was always bustling with tons of people–so great for people watching! Let’s talk about a breakfast buffet. I dare one to rival the one at the King David. The types and amount of food on the buffet was endless! Almost overwhelming but we managed. 🙂 The location was about a 10 minute easy walk to the Old City.
Upon checking out of our hotels, for our incidental charges, we also used our Chase Sapphire Preferred card as we get 2x Ultimate Rewards points on these hotel charges. In addition, we used our card for all of our meals in Israel, as we also earned 2x Ultimate Rewards points spent on dining.
Lastly, we used our Chase Sapphire Preferred card on everything else there. There are no foreign transaction fees when you use your card on purchases made outside the United States!
I love my Chase Sapphire Preferred!!!!!