Here we are a year later, and with greatly renewed optimism that baseball would actually, finally, be a thing in Florida we headed south once again. After last year’s grind through far too many hotels we lengthened some stays, as well as picking some (hopefully) nicer hotels along the way. We also added the Amex Hilton Aspire card this year to give us some extra flexibility at a couple of locations.

So off we go, with a whirlwind tour of 9 Marriotts, 3 Hiltons, a Ritz and a Waldorf over a couple of months in early 2023…


Hampton Inn & Suites, Jamestown, ND. 1 night, cash rate. First ever stay at a Hampton, everything was fine, breakfast was standard fare. Nothing memorable.

The Farnam Autograph Collection, Omaha, NE. 1 night, points. We were upgraded to a visionary suite at check in, very nice room (and hotel). Valet somehow managed to snap a key dangler off the car key fob and then hid the evidence in a cup holder when we left, probably should’ve gone back to get his tip and my key dangler back. Had to ask about breakfast in the morning and was given 2x $14 coupons for grab and go items in a little coffee shop behind the lobby. Nice place to visit, probably won’t go back as it’s downtown and a bit off our beaten path.

Marriott’s Willow Ridge Lodge, Branson, MO. 3 nights, cash. A Vacation Club property that we stopped at for a couple of days to have a look around the area. One bedroom suites were quite affordable at just over $100/night in the (very) off season. Nice property and would go back if we’re feeling touristy in the future.

Fairfield Inn & Suites, Jackson Airport, Pearl, MS. 1 night, cash. Standard fare, very good overall, nothing memorable.

Springhill Suites, Pensacola Beach, FL. 2 nights, cash. Upgraded to a large gulf view suite (with bunk beds! I didn’t know bunk beds were a thing at hotels) at check in, very spacious and quite nice. Pools were clean and warm, property is great overall and right on the beach. Good standard breakfast and there was coffee available all day. Still unable to see the US Naval Aviation Museum so we’ll be back here when it’s open to the public again.

Embassy Suites, Brandon, FL. 2 nights, cash. Stayed here to see some friends that live nearby. Very nice, excellent location, breakfast was great and the staff were fantastic. Will be back for sure.

Marriott’s Cypress Harbour Villas, Orlando, FL. 30 nights, cash. Somewhat difficult to book a large block of nights as a non-owner, annoying timeshare presentation and rates keep going up but having a fully equipped 2 bedroom on a great property for a month is well worth it for us.

Hampton Inn, Hollywood/Aventura, FL. 1 night, cash. Went to see Def Leppard & Motley Crüe and stayed here because of the 9.2 rating. No way this should be a 9.2 rated hotel. It isn’t bad, just not that good. Very strong and lingering cleaning product smell that will make your eyes water.

Fenway Autograph Collection, Dunedin, FL. 6 nights, points. Upgraded to a one bedroom suite overlooking the pool at check in. Great hotel, great staff, great live music, great ambiance and most importantly it’s within an easy walk of the Blue Jays’ TD Ballpark. Already booked next year’s stay here. The room could use some updating but was perfectly serviceable. The HiFi rooftop bar was always busy, and the sunset ceremony was fun. Only oddity was we received a voucher for $20 off the menu items or a complimentary French breakfast, but had to pay $1.40 tax for the “free” breakfast. Somewhat strange I thought.

Waldorf Astoria, Atlanta, GA. 1 night, FNA. Stayed here using the FNA from the Aspire card, we were upgraded to a high floor Premium King Room in the app prior to check in. Very very nice but still a bit out of our comfort zone, although we’re slowly adapting. Will keep going back if we continue to hold the Aspire.

Courtyard Inn, Pigeon Forge, TN. 3 nights, cash. We were upgraded to a nice 1 bedroom suite at check in. Wanted to see a few more things in the Gatlinburg area so stayed here again. Nice property, people were great, breakfast sandwich was excellent, Cobb salad was very good. Will return here again if we venture back to the area.

Marriott at the University of Dayton, OH. 2 nights, cash. Booked a Parlour Suite, oddest layout of any hotel room I’ve ever seen…huge mostly empty main room with a long (and I mean loooong) mostly empty hallway leading to a tiny vanity with sink and then a shower/toilet room that was cramped enough that you had to stand in the shower to close the door behind you. Also had a postage stamp balcony looking over a large courtyard…being able to open a window/door was nice. Room was good though, but the main hallway carpeting had tall enough ripples to trip over. Lounge was decent, food was ok, staff were fantastic.

Ritz Carlton, St Louis, MO. 5 nights, points. Pretty…errr…ritzy for a dirt farmer. Upgraded at check in to a 15th floor larger premium room with a little balcony and a view of the Arch. Nice place, very nice people, reasonable drive to the ballpark for opening week Cardinals vs Blue Jays. Still having trouble reconciling $27 for a Caesar salad with some chicken in it or $26 for a couple of scrambled eggs. Really, lettuce is lettuce and eggs are eggs, made the $18 ballpark hotdog look almost economical. Anyhoo, beautiful and comfortable room and a great time.

JW Marriott, Mall of America, Bloomington, MN. 4 nights, points and a FNA. Tried to use SNA’s here but they failed for some reason, however on check in we were upgraded to a one bedroom suite which we think was nicer than the executive suite we had last year. The lounge was open, lots of tasty bite sized options in the evening and breakfast was very good also. Will be back every year without a doubt.

And finally the trusty Country Inn & Suites in Minot, ND before arriving home. It’s getting a little bit worn since our first stay years ago, but it is comfortable and hopefully it’ll get a reno someday.

So after over 11,000 kilometres of driving and many stops we’re back in SK. Was a great trip with a few more brands sampled, and we received some pretty good upgrades along the way. Only a couple of disappointments that were more than offset by the rest, and we’re starting to get more of a feel of what the different brands have to offer and what we want/expect from a stay. Already looking forward to seeing what the next trip will bring for new experiences.

Oh, as an added bonus this year we rubbed shoulders with some baseball royalty…Mark Shapiro (president and CEO of the Blue Jays) at the Fenway, and Joe Torre (formerly of the Cardinals and Yankees) at the Ritz. Fun stuff.