Item: SpringHill Suites by Marriott Pensacola Beach
Rating: 8
Author: Jean-Maximilien Voisine

After several days in New Orleans, we arrived at the Springhill Suites by Marriott Pensacola Beach hotel, for which we used Marriott Bonvoy points.

Booking with Marriott Bonvoy points

We were in Pensacola Beach during the week of the 4th of July. This is one of the busiest times of the year: any hotel was selling for more than 250 US$ per night. On the Airbnb side, it was the same thing with a low price of 400 US$ / night!

Having taken it at the last minute for this trip, I was lucky to get the last available room with points… and for 5 consecutive nights!

The Springhill Suites by Marriott Pensacola Beach hotel is rated as a Category 8 as of July 2018: so it costs 40,000 points/night (instead of US$320 + tax) or 160,000 points for 5 nights (instead of US$1,600 + tax).

springhill pensacola beach rate — Rate in points

Cards to earn Marriott Bonvoy points

In Canada, there are various credit cards available to earn Marriott Bonvoy points, either directly or indirectly.

In a direct way

In August 2018, American Express will launch new offers on its cards related to the Marriott Bonvoy / Marriott Bonvoy program:

These cards earn Marriott points directly.

Indirectly

American Express offers 6 cards that transfer Membership Rewards points to Marriott points at a rate of 1000:1200.

American Express Cobalt^® Card
the Platinum Card^MD from American Express
American Express Business Platinum Card
American Express Gold Rewards Card
American Express^® Business Gold Rewards Card
American Express Business Edge^MD Card

Our favorite in terms of accumulation remains the American Express Cobalt Card because it allows you to accumulate 5 Membership Rewards points / dollar in grocery stores, restaurants, bars, convenience stores (read: gift cards). Read our detailed review of this card here.

Since these points can be transferred at a rate of 1000:1200, it’s as if every spend in these categories earns you 6 Marriott points / dollar! No card in Canada reaches this level of performance to earn Marriott points!

Compare

American Express Cobalt^® Card

American Express Amex Membership Rewards

Annual fee: $191.88
Our valuation: $255Milesopedia first-year estimate First-year valueWelcome bonus$255Total$255Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.; Milesopedia first-year estimateFirst-year valueWelcome bonus$255Total$255Rewards on your spending are not included. The calculator that adds them from your own profile is on the card's page.
Welcome offer: Up to 15,000 points

Apply Now

on American Express's website

Apply with confidence — no impact on your credit scoreApply with confidenceCheck whether your application will be approved before you submit it, with no impact on your credit score*When you apply for a personal American Express Credit Card, we will tell you whether you are eligible without affecting your credit score. So you can apply with confidence.*Instant decisions are only available for consumer Card applications (also called “personal Cards”).

The American Express Cobalt^® Card is the best credit card from American Express, whether you want points for travel or cash back.

American Express Cobalt^® Card welcome offer

The welcome bonus is paid out monthly over your first 12 months. You earn 1,250 Membership Rewards points for each monthly billing period in which you charge $750 in net purchases to your card, in any category (1X, 2X, 3X or 5X). That adds up to 15,000 Membership Rewards points over the year, a welcome offer we value at $255.

Earning the full bonus means $9,000 in net purchases spread across 12 monthly billing periods. This offer rewards steady monthly spending rather than one large purchase.

You can use these points as statement credits on everyday or travel purchases, at the same rate either way: 1,000 points = $10.

You can also transfer them to Aeroplan, Avios (British Airways and Qatar Airways), Flying Blue, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors. With the full welcome bonus, that is a choice between:

15,000 Aeroplan points
15,000 Avios points
15,000 Flying Blue Miles
18,000 Marriott Bonvoy points

If hotel points are what you are after, our ultimate guide to Marriott Bonvoy and our complete map of Marriott Bonvoy hotels by category show what those points can actually buy.

American Express Cobalt^® Card benefits

Here is what the card gives you, starting with the benefits cardholders use most.

5X points on eligible eats and drinks in Canada: groceries, restaurants and bars, home food delivery and convenience stores. A spend cap applies.
3X points on eligible streaming subscriptions in Canada.
2X points on eligible gas, public transit and ride sharing purchases in Canada.
1 additional point on eligible hotel and car rental bookings made through American Express Travel Online.
1X point per dollar on everything else, with no category restrictions.
Points that hold the same value either way: 1,000 points = $10 as a statement credit, or a 1:1 transfer to several airline and hotel loyalty programs.
No minimum income requirement, as with every American Express Canada card.
Additional cards at no extra cost: the first and every other supplementary card is $0.
The Hotel Collection: a room upgrade when available, 12pm check-in and late check-out when available, and up to $100 USD in hotel credit on amenities charged to the room for a stay of two or more consecutive nights, booked through American Express Travel.
Front Of The Line^® presale and reserved tickets for concerts and theatre performances, plus offers and events curated for cardmembers through Amex Experiences.
A soft credit check before you apply: you can see whether you will be approved with no impact to your credit score. This applies to American Express personal card applications.

To see how it compares with the rest of the line-up, read our round-up of the best credit cards from American Express in Canada.

The 5X categories and where they apply

The 5X rate is the reason most people carry this card. In Canada it covers four kinds of merchants:

Groceries: Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, Safeway, Whole Foods.
Restaurants and bars: sit-down meals, takeout and drinks.
Home food delivery.
Convenience stores: Couche-Tard, 7-Eleven.

The 2X rate covers gas stations such as Esso, Shell and Petro-Canada, along with public transit and ride sharing.

With the American Express Cobalt^® Card, you earn between 1 and 5 points per dollar:

Category	Points per dollar
Grocery (Metro, IGA, Sobeys, Super C, etc.)	5
Home food delivery	5
Restaurants and bars	5
Convenience stores	5
Streaming services	3
Service station	2
Transport	2
Travel	1
Other	1

That works out to a 1 to 5% return on those purchases. For example, if you spend $1,000 per month across groceries, restaurants and food delivery, you earn $50 back per month, or $600 per year from that category alone. Transfer the points to a program such as Aeroplan instead and the return can be higher.

You can also stack these categories with the hundreds of stores that offer 5x points.

American Express Cobalt^® Card insurance coverage

The card comes with a broad insurance package. The amounts below are the coverage limits; conditions, age limits and exclusions are set out in the certificate of insurance linked in the Insurance section above.

Travel insurance

Emergency medical: up to $5,000,000 for the first 15 days of a trip.
Travel accident: accidental death and dismemberment of up to $250,000 for you, your spouse and dependent children under age 23 when travelling on a common carrier (plane, train, bus or ship) and the tickets are charged to your card. Supplementary cardholders and their families are covered too.
Flight delay: up to $500 for necessary hotel, meal and sundry expenses bought within 48 hours when you are delayed or denied boarding for four hours or more and no other transportation is available. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and delayed baggage coverage.
Delayed baggage: up to $500 for essential clothing and sundries bought within four days when your outbound luggage is delayed six hours or more. This $500 is an aggregate limit per occurrence, shared with missed connection and flight delay coverage.
Lost or stolen baggage: up to $500 per occurrence for all insured persons combined, for checked or carry-on baggage and personal effects in transit, when the airline tickets are charged to your card. Within that limit, jewellery is capped at $300 per occurrence and golf clubs, including golf bags, at $250 per occurrence.
Hotel and motel burglary: up to $500 against the loss of most personal items if your hotel or motel is burglarized, when the stay is charged to your card.

Rental car insurance

Theft and damage coverage is included for a rental car with an MSRP, for its model year, of up to $85,000 excluding all taxes, for rentals of up to 48 days. To use it, decline the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) or any similar option from the rental company and charge the full rental to your card. There is no cost for this coverage, and it replaces the daily insurance the rental company charges, usually $16 to $23 per day.

Mobile device insurance

Your device is covered for up to $1,000 per occurrence when it is charged to the card, for up to two years from the date of purchase. The payout is based on the depreciated value of the device, which falls by 2% of the purchase price for every completed month, less a 10% deductible. Theft and accidental damage coverage starts on the 91st day after purchase, because the first 90 days are covered by purchase protection.

Purchase protection and extended warranty

Eligible items charged to your card are insured against accidental physical damage or theft for 90 days from the purchase date, up to $1,000 per occurrence for all items combined. The card also extends the original manufacturer’s warranty by up to one additional year on eligible items, with indemnification limited to $10,000 per insured item and $25,000 per Cardmember per policy year for all items combined.

American Express Cobalt^® Card fees

Card fee: $15.99 per month, which equals $191.88 per year, for residents outside Quebec. Quebec residents are billed $191.88 per year.
Additional cards: $0.
Purchase interest rate: 21.99%.
Cash advance interest rate: 21.99%.
Foreign transaction fee: 2.5%.
Minimum income required: none.

Because the fee is billed monthly rather than in one annual charge, you can stop and restart the cost in step with how much you are actually using the card.

Legal

American Express is not responsible for maintaining or monitoring the accuracy of information on this website. For full details and current product information, click the Apply Now link. If you apply and get approved for an American Express Card, we may receive compensation from American Express, which can be in the form of monetary payment.

Annual fee

Primary card$191.88

Additional card$0

Annual income required

Individual$0

Household$0

Conversion fees

2.5%

Earning rate

5xRestaurants
5xGroceries
5xConvenience
3xStreaming
2xTransit
2xGas & EV
1xAll spending

Value

1st Year Value$1,828

2nd Year Value$799

Transfer partners

AeroplanAirline
British Airways ClubAirline
Cathay Asia MilesAirline
Etihad GuestAirline
Flying BlueAirline
Hilton HonorsHotel
Marriott BonvoyHotel

Travel insurance

Travel medical (under 55)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days

Travel medical (55-64)Up to $5,000,000 / 15 days

Delayed BaggageUp to $500

Lost BaggageUp to $500

Flight DelayUp to $500

Hotel BurglaryUp to $500

Travel AccidentUp to $250,000

Purchase protection

Purchase ProtectionUp to $1,000 / 90 days

Extended Warranty+1 years

Mobile DeviceUp to $1,000 / 2 years

Auto Rental Collision (primary)Up to $85,000 / 48 days

Springhill Suites by Marriott Pensacola Beach

The hotel is ideally located on the beach unlike most other hotels where the road cuts off access to the beach.

Arrival at the hotel

Parking reflects the level of occupancy of the hotel. We leave the car in front of the hotel entrance, the time to check in and take our luggage to the room.

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 28 — SpringHill Suites by Marriott Pensacola Beach

Tip if you stay at this hotel: there is an underground parking lot (included in your room rate by presenting your room card) that allows you to keep the car in the shade… and to store the various beach stuff since the parking lot directly overlooks the pool/beach!). We always found room there… even though the outside parking lot was full!

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 27 — SpringHill Suites by Marriott Pensacola Beach

The reception is very “beach hotel”.

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 47 — Reception

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 48 — reception room

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 53 — Reception Hall

Of course, the national holiday is not forgotten here in the decorations!

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 56 — Reception

And the hotel has little attentions for the (big) children!

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 49 — national holiday

When I booked, I didn’t really have a choice of room (parking side). But at check-in, thanks to Marriott Platinum status, I got an upgrade to a sea/pool view room. (The best ones are with sea view only).

I also got a welcome gift: choose 1 item from the hotel convenience store.

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 51 — SpringHill Suites by Marriott Pensacola Beach

We are also given bracelets to wear throughout our stay to be identified at the pool as hotel residents.

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 20 — SpringHill Suites by Marriott Pensacola Beach

Next to the reception is a small business center, convenient for printing documents.

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 52 — SpringHill Suites by Marriott Pensacola Beach

The room

We go to our room on the 4th floor (out of 5),

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 21 — Access to the room

The room is standard SpringHill Suites: we chose a king bed and a sofa bed (our children being too small for a queen bed). The mattress of the sofa bed will be placed on the ground.

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 13 — Room

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 09 — Room

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 07 — Room

Across from the bed is a “connected” TV, handy for Netflix.

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 08 — Room

The room is of a beautiful surface, our son Arthur could exercise his first steps of walk:

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 19 — Room

On the living room side, there is also a television, as well as all the necessary equipment: coffee machine, microwave (practical for baby bottles), refrigerator, ironing board, safe…)

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 02 — Coffee corner

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 04 — Microwave corner

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 03 — Coffee corner

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 01 — Coffee corner and closet

Between the living room and the bedroom is the bathroom. Instead of a bathtub, a large shower.

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 15 — Bathroom

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 14 — Bathroom

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 16 — Bathroom

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 17 — Bathroom

A little tour on the balcony which has 2 chairs and a small table, with a view on the pool and the sea: Alexandra could dream about her future dives!

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 10 — Terrace

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 29 — Terrace

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 11 — View from our terrace

Breakfast

At this SpringHill Suites, breakfast is included for all. And there are many, many people.

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 34 — Lunch

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 45 — Lunch

Despite this, the buffet will always be well served, and even the hotel manager goes out of his way to make sure everything stays clean.

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 43 — Buffet

The breakfast buffet is very “American”: scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon, waffles, pancakes, cereals, coffee…

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 42 — Buffet

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 38 — Buffet

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 39 — Buffet

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 40 — Buffet

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 41 — Buffet

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 36 — Buffet

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 37 — Buffet

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 35 — Buffet

Nothing exceptional, but quite enough for us and our children!

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 44 — Lunch

Swimming pools, beach and gym

The main attraction of this hotel is of course the direct access to Pensacola Beach and its 3 pools including one for children.

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 61 — Children’s pool

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 60 — SpringHill Suites by Marriott Pensacola Beach

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 58 — Pool

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 57 — Pool

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 33 — Pool

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 30 — Pool

Our children were very happy with our stay here!

This is the beach side:

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 25 — Pensacola Beach

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 24 — Beach

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 23 — Beach

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 22 — Beach

springhill suites by marriott pensacola beach 26 — SpringHill Suites by Marriott Pensacola Beach

Bottom Line

A perfect 5 night stay in this hotel. Although we were there in the middle of a busy period, the immensity of the beach meant that we did not feel like we were “on top of each other”. And the 3 pools allowed for a good spread of hotel residents.

So we recommend the SpringHill Suites by Marriott Pensacola Beach if you’re visiting the area!