FlyerTalk Forums - First Trip Report

This is my first TR so bear with me ...
LA Trip Report

$50 pp round trip business from JFK on Delta with the glitch
Cab to and from airport - free with Uber promotions
Night 1: Embassy Suites in Oxnard paid cash
Night 2: W Los Angeles using points
Night 3: JW Marriot on glitch price

All together less than $500 for 4 day trip! We spent most of the trip just relaxing and enjoying the weather - it was below freezing in NYC at that time.

Flights there were on business and flights back were business elite. Had I known the difference I would have made sure to fly business elite both ways! The stewardess had to pry me off the seat I was so comfortable!
We booked a rental car through one of our credit cards, the basic model. We asked nicely when we got there and were upgraded to a convertible. It made the entire trip so much more enjoyable!

The Embassy Suites was nothing special, we had a nice room that opened onto the beach. We chose to stay there because of its proximity to the Herzog winery where we had dinner reservations and a wine tasting courtesy of groupon.
Driving down the pacific coast highway the next day was amazing, and the fish on the pacific there is so amazing that I feel like I can't eat fish on the east coast again! The W was the best hotel of the three, it was spacious and beautifully designed. We went hiking in the Santa Monica mountains.
I was not at all impressed with the JW Marriot, the rooms were outdated and offered no special amenities. Had I paid full price I would have been very upset!