Item: The Westin Jekyll Island
Rating: 9.6
Author: Jean-Maximilien Voisine

Continuation of our stay in the southeastern United States. After a night at the Sheraton Bay Point Resort Panama Beach and a long 6-hour drive, we arrived at The Westin Jekyll Island, also booked with our points.

the westin jekyll island 57 — The Westin Jekyll Island

The reservation of our room with points

Our destination being Savannah / Hilton Head Island, we were looking for a hotel along the way to « cut the journey » in half and where we could stay the next day to enjoy the facilities / beach. The Westin Jekyll Island was perfectly situated for this… and was available with points! We booked this hotel the day we arrived.

This hotel was available on the Marriott Bonvoy website for 10,000 starpoints per night (equivalent to 30,000 Marriott Bonvoy points) instead of CA$319 (+taxes). Now, in Marriott’s new rate structure, it costs 35,000 points per night.

To get 10,000 starpoints, I converted 20,000 Select Membership Rewards points from my American Express Cobalt Card. As of August 2018, Membership Rewards/Select Membership Rewards points transfer to Marriott is at the 1,000:1,200 rate.

With the change in hotel category, it now takes 29,167 Membership Rewards points to earn the 35,000 Marriott points needed for one night. To be compared with the public rate then!

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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.

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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

Arrival at the hotel

We arrive at the hotel around midnight (having wished to make the 5-6 hours of road at the end of the day so that the children sleep in the car). While Audrey stays in the car with the sleeping children, I take care of the suitcases and the registration.

the westin jekyll island 68 — The Westin Jekyll Island

As a Platinum member, I learned that I had been upgraded to an oceanfront suite, the highest category level (upgrade of 4 room types!). As a Platinum member, I choose the complimentary breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant: Reserve (or coffee shop, as desired).

the westin jekyll island 29 — The Westin Jekyll Island

Overview of the reception during the day:

Tables allow you to work while enjoying the outside light:

The arrival in our suite

Our suite – #400 – is located at the end of the hallway: the view of the ocean has to be earned!

the westin jekyll island 22 — Room access

the westin jekyll island 23 — Access more

The entrance is composed of a wooden wall serving as a separator with the living room:

the westin jekyll island 21 — Entrance to the suite

In the entrance, a large closet…

the westin jekyll island 18 — Entrance to the suite

… in which there is a refrigerator, coffee machine and bottles of water (free).

the westin jekyll island 19 — Entrance to the suite

The children’s lounge

the westin jekyll island 17 — Salon de la suite

the westin jekyll island 16 — Salon de la suite

With a sofa bed for children:

the westin jekyll island 15 — Salon de la suite

the westin jekyll island 14 — Salon de la suite

the westin jekyll island 13 — Salon de la suite

The parents’ room

With a closet identical to the one in the entrance:

the westin jekyll island 11 — TV cabinet

The bathroom

A very nice bathroom with a bathtub and a large shower.

With bath products common to all Westins.

The view from our suite

We had to wait until the next morning to discover the view from our suite… and what a view!

the westin jekyll island 27 — View of our room

The balcony – of a large size – is composed of two armchairs and a coffee table.

the westin jekyll island 24 — Terrace of the room

Alexandra only has eyes for the pool!

the westin jekyll island 28 — Terrace of the room

Breakfast

We will meet in the hotel’s restaurant to have our breakfast.

We choose the buffet option.

the westin jekyll island 42 — Lunch room

Here are the details:

The buffet offers fresh and quality products but the choice is not really varied. However, we appreciate the « Omelet Station »! And the children… are happy:

The beach

The Westin Jekyll Island offers direct access to the beach and we enjoy the « wild » and « natural » feel of Jekyll Island.

the westin jekyll island 60 — Beach access

Turning around, we can see our suite which is on the top floor on the left (balcony + window)

the westin jekyll island 62 — Outdoor design

Exterior and interior spaces

I must say that the outdoor spaces are impeccable! It is pleasant to walk along the hotel with its gardens.

the westin jekyll island 48 — Outdoor design

the westin jekyll island 47 — Outdoor design

A wood-burning fireplace, pleasant in the evening!

the westin jekyll island 46 — Outdoor design

the westin jekyll island 45 — Outdoor design

We then go to the pool.

the westin jekyll island 49 — Pool access

This one is expected to be expanded in spring 2019:

Very pleasant for children (with a gentle slope)! Alexandra is having a blast!

A small tour of the gym that will interest the most athletic:

the westin jekyll island 55 — Sports hall

the westin jekyll island 54 — Sports hall

the westin jekyll island 53 — Sports hall

the westin jekyll island 52 — Sports hall

Bottom Line

A very good stay in The Westin Jekyll Island that we highly recommend if you are in the area. In our opinion, this is a place that deserves a 5 night stay to enjoy Jekyll Island!