By RamonRamon is the creator of Traveling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further.
Trekking to Machu Picchu Trip Report
Trekking to Machu Picchu Overview American Airlines MIA-LIM A321 Neo First Class Review Westin Lima Hotel Review Exploring Lima Palacio del Inka Hotel Review Exploring Cusco Tambo del Inka Hotel Review Trekking to Machu Picchu JW Marriott Lima Hotel Review American Airlines LIM A321 NEO First Class Review
Flight Overview
This was one of the best American Airlines flights I have experienced with a solid dining experience, good service, and the ability to use the strong Centurion Lounge in Miami as a part of the connection. However, the narrow body experience on a nearly 6 hour flight meant that I would likely choose a wide body plane on another airlines for my next flight to Lima. Pros- Centurion Lounge Miami, Quick Boarding, Solid Main Course, Good Service Cons- No seat back in-flight entertainment, Spotty Wifi, narrow body medium-haul flight international flight, no lie flat seating 
American Airlines A321 Neo
Centurion Lounge Miami
After landing from our Washington D.C. Regan National Airport (DCA) flight we headed to the American Express Centurion Lounge Miami which we had access to as Amex Platinum authorized users. The last time we were here the lounge was super crowded. This time it was also most as crowded with no seats available with views of the tarmac. During this time the lounge was also enforcing social distancing and we sat in the overflow seating which is off of the entrance. As the lounge grew more full people became more frustrated and started removing signs to sit where there was supposed to be social distancing. Christina’s suggested this was frustrating and may have been alleviated if they walked guests to seats like they do in the Phoenix Centurion Lounge. When the lounge hit its capacity limits it stopped accepting guests
Lounge Overflow Seating
The hot meal options included scrambled eggs, shakshuka, balsamic roasted sausage hash, old fashioned oats, and blueberry lemon pancakes. I tried the eggs, shaskuka, and lemon pancakes. I am a pancake lover but didn’t like these pancakes. I only like pancakes that are sweet not savory. I liked the scrambled eggs and loved the shakshuka which is something I have never tried before.
I really like the Centurion lounges but the biggest problem with them which remains today even after the end of social distancing is the overcrowding. No matter how many or added or any expansions the lounges don't see to have space. We passed through Miami several additional trips but have been unable to use the Centurion lounge Miami because of really long waits. Because of this we are considering cancelling our American Express Platinum cards because of limited ability to use the lounge access benefits.
Boarding Gate
Boarding
We headed from the lounge to our boarding gate D50. The flight boarding started at 11:23 about 50 minutes before departure. The A321 plane had 20 Business Class seats and initially five were empty but right before boarding four of the empty seats were filled by flights attendants heading to Lima. The economy cabin was only about half full and it was a quick boarding process.
Plane and Seat
I found the A321 NEO to be an improved 737 Max but still not great for a medium-haul international business class flight. The biggest advantage was that the seats had more pitch and better legroom than the 737 Max. The better legroom was driven by better position of the bars holding up the seats in front. Also, the seat unlike the Max had a built in tablet holder in the front, since our flight these have been added to the vast majority of American Airlines planes that don't have seat back in-flight entertainment. The seat also had power in the armrest with space to store a tablet. Another positive feature was a USB charger on the right side of the seat. Overall, the seat was more comfortable overalls than 737 Max on American Airlines. Our flight departed at 12:18 five minutes early. Because there was no seat back in-flight entertainment we relied on the Wifi and American Airlines streaming movies and television shows However, it was frustrating because we lost Wifi coverage at 3:44 PM with 2:29 to go in the flight. I hope the transition to newer satellite based coverage at many U.S. airlines including American Airlines will allow for there to be very limited Wifi downtime. 
Botteg Brut 2020 Champagne
Food and Drinks
The dining service started off with a drink order at about 1 pm. We ordered champagne which came in a mini-bottles and was average. It was Bottega Brut 2020, so not all a vintage champagne, and was served with pecans. Then came food service which went from front to back just like drink orders. No one was able to preorder which was frustrating thankfully we were still able to get our first choices. Raviolli or ribs with potatoes were the options and I ordered the ribs and Christina ordered the ravioli. Everything was served on one tray which is the Covid-19 pandemic standard of service. My meal came with ribs, potato, shrimp, salad, bread with butter, and cheesecake. The ribs were above average though I would say I preferred the short ribs I had on my DFW-DCA flight over the ribs on this flight.
The shrimp salad and the cheesecake were good which is something coming from someone who isn’t a fan of shrimp salad or cheesecake. The bread though was bad because it was dry and hard. Christina actually liked her ravioli which was the best entree either of us have had American Airlines though that is a low bar. Christina did not like the bread or broccoli salad she was severed though she did like the cheesecake. We then ordered red wine which I thought was mediocre but Christina strongly disliked. Then we tried the white wine which was above average. At 1:55 pm finished eating with 4 hours and 22 minutes to go in the flight. Then around 5 pm the flight attendant came around with a snack basket this offer chips, peanuts, and two seat treats. We tried the two sweet treats (sweet and savory). They were both low-calorie organic snacks and I didn’t like them. Overall, this was one of the best dining experiences we have had on American Airlines though that is a low bar. While the drinks and snacks left a lot to be desired the main dishes were solid.
Service
When we came onboard we were handed a wipe but did not have any sort of special greeting which is sadly typical of American Airlines customer service. However, before landing the flight attend came by to thank us for flying with American Airlines. Also during our dining the servicing was good and attentive. One area where we were impressed was that the flight attendants did a great job reminding everyone to wear masks and we thought it was because there are Lima based. Service on this flight overall was solid and good by American Airlines standard. If fact it was much better than the vast majority of American Airlines flights we have taken and this may because the crew was international or that American Airlines send there best crew to staff international flights. 
Outside Aeropuerto Internacional Jorge Chávez
Arrival
As we started our decent there was major fog so we couldn't see much of the city of Lima. Also there an announcement made that the Lima airport requires either two masks or a mask and face shield. The requirements for Covid-19 in Peru were interesting including requiring two face covering in all crowded indoors spaces. I found this particularly interesting because in the many people wouldn't even wear one mask and the theme of Peru taking public health particularly Covid-19 seriously throughout our trip would continue throughout our trip and really impressed us. We landed in Lima at 6:03 pm.
Take Away
Overall this was one of the best flight experiences we have had with American Airlines though I will admit that is a low bar. As usual the American Express lounges are impressive if you can actually get into one because of the overcrowding. The boarding process was speedy, the main coursed were solid, and the service was good. The A321 Neo was definitely a better experience than the 737 Max but still left a lot to be desired including no seat back entertainment, spotty Wifi, an no lie-flat seats on this narrow body plane all of which were annoying on this nearly 6 hour flight. While I would consider flying American Airlines again on this route I would probably try to fly a wide body plane on another airlines like Delta or its partner LATAM.
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By RamonRamon is the creator of Traveling Companion. He focuses on flight review, hotel reviews, and helping stretch your travel dollars, miles, and points further. JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort and Spa Overview Our first stay after getting the COVID-19 vaccine was impressive. Christina got great elite recognition with an upgrade to a junior suite and enjoyed the impressive resort amenities at what ended up being the best resort we have stayed in within the United States. Pros- Amenity Rich Urban Resort, Strong Elite Recognition, Great Points Redemption, Spanish Style Architecture, Large Junior Suites, Quick and Friendly Service Cons- Mediocre Buffet Breakfast  JW Marriott Turnberry Entrance Booking For the first trip after we received our COVID-19 vaccines we went to the Miami area to attend a family wedding in May 2021. We decided to stay at a resort we have never stayed at the JW Marriott Turnberry in Aventura, Florida just north of Miami. In part because of all of the amenities this resort offered including an adult pool and a water park. For our five night stay in for a Golf View King we paid 200,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, with the fifth night free, which was a great value for our room which would have cost $2,672. However, we still had to pay a $50 per night resort fee which is a frustrating part of redeeming Marriott Bonvoy points. However, this was still a great deal with a value of 1.34 cents per point excluding the resort fee. This great value was in part driven by the Marriott Bonvoy Stay for 5 Pay for 4 program which gives you the lowest cost night free on five night award stays. This makes the Marriott Bonvoy points a solid redemption for longer stays. This stay was one of the best values I had gotten with Marriott Bonvoy points which I typically value closer to 0.5 cents.  Check-In Desk Check-In Four days before our stay the resort reached out with a pleasant email. At check-in that same friendliness continued. When we booked the hotel I was disappointed that they didn't allow Christina who was a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum member to redeem her Suite Night Upgrade despite it being allowed for JW Marriott brand hotels. However, that disappointment went away quickly when the morning prior to our check-in the hotel upgraded us to a Junior Suite.  JW Marriott Turnberry Entrance As we pulled up to the hotel in our Uber we were already got the sense that this hotel was Miami luxury as a number of luxury cars were parked out front including a Lamborghini.  JW Marriott Turnberry Lobby At check-in we got a friendly welcome to what was a beautiful lobby. At check-in they gave us wrists band for the water park that had to be exchanged each time of a new one and we were warned that it would cost $100 if lost. We were also told that we would get free breakfast at the restaurant Corsair. As we left the check-in area we also got a sneak peek at the hotel's beautiful lobby bar called Soff's Lobby Lounge.  Soff's Lobby Lounge Junior King Suite As we walked through the property we loved the Spanish style buildings and thought this property didn't look like the typical Marriott.  Junior King Suite The Junior King Suite was quite stylish reflecting a tropical luxury vibe appropriate for Miami. The room had a comfortable king bed at its center with a bench at the foot of the bed to put on and take off shoes, something I always appreciate. The room also had an arm chair, sofa, dressers, television, and a table with another chair.  Double Closet The junior suite also had a large double closet which was bigger than the one at our then home. Next to the closet was a Kureig coffee maker, coffee mugs, and two glasses. The room also had two Biscoff cookies and two complimentary bottles of Aquafina. We called and the hotel was kind enough to bring us a small complimentary fridge.  Cups and Pods The bathroom in the junior suite was huge and impressive. The bathroom and marble tiling that we would have loved in our home. It also had both a soaking tub and shower.  Bathroom Another stand out feature of the room was a private balcony with nice views of the Aventura area. On the balcony were a wicker table and chairs  Balcony This was definitely one of the nicest rooms I have seen in a United States hotel and I could only imagine how much nice the full sized suite would have been. Amenities and Activities Golf Courses The resort offers two golf courses, has a country club, and in the past has hosted multiple PGA tournaments. As a part of the resort fee guests had access to the driving range. Christina and I didn't use the driving range since her ankle was hurting.  Golf Course Adult Pool We went to the adult pool on two different occasions because we really enjoyed the peace and quiet of the pool. The pool was located just outside the lobby but felt much more secluded because the parents with kids went to the Tidal Cover Waterpark.The pool was never full and had plenty of space for social distancing. As soon as we came over a pool attendant came over to set up towels.  Adult Pool The first day the same person took orders, however during our second visit to the pool there was separate person who taking drink orders. The seat either had an umbrella or shade from palm trees which actually grow coconuts but not sure what they do with them. Another tree on the property grew mangoes and in a funny incident we saw a guest tried to get some to eat. As with the Tidal Cove Waterpark service at the pool included a mandatory 18% service charge. Tidal Cove Waterpark Also included in the resort fee was access to Tidal Cove Waterpark which was the standout amenity of the resort. The water park is also open to outside guest and because it was Memorial Day weekend it was packed and made it hard to socially distance. However, we spent most of the time in the pool and enjoyed our time at the waterpark. Included in the park entrance were lounge chairs and towels set up at each chair. The park was large for a hotel waterpark. It had three pools, a lazy river, and various water rides. These rides included a surfing ride and multiple water slides. We loved the lazy river and spent a lot of time on it. It was my first time using a lazy river and it was very relaxing. This wasn't the largest lazy river in the world but it was fun! The lazy river had two options for tubes single ones which were black and dual tubes which were blue. Because of Christina’s ankle we took single tubes. While at the pool we ordered two frozen drinks. My frozen strawberry daiquiri which was good and Christina’s frozen drink which was pretty bad. Overall, we really loved having access to the water park and it was a great resort feature.  Dining Corsair Restaurant The inside of the Corsair restaurant had very modern decorations and a large wine fridge. We sat outside and really enjoyed the view of the golf course. The only thing we would have appreciated was more shade. The elite breakfast includes access to the buffet which was served by hotel staff. The options included scrambled (powdered) eggs, bacon, mini- pancakes, french toast. These dishes were all average. I liked the pancake the best but it wasn’t anything amazing. The buffet also offered fruit including watermelon, pineapple, bananas they were all average at best. I also had the chocolate croissant and it was bad tasted stale. I ordered apple juice and Christina had iced coffee which were also average. Overall experience was mediocre. We went back for a second day had worse service and still were not impressed by the buffet. Overall, the best part of this restraint was the view of the golf course. We ended up dup skipping for breakfast on Day 3 or 4 since we were not impressed. In-Room Dining In-room dining was available at the resort with the actual meals coming from the restaurant/bar by the Tidal Cove Waterpark with a slightly expanded menu offered after 8 pm. We ordered a large cheese pizza and a salad with beans and chicken and we were surprised that the order came very quickly in about 15 minutes. The pizza was huge big enough to feed a whole family and tasted good. The salad was also good and tasted like Chipotle. The in-room dining came with 20% gratuity and a $4 service fee. Overall the in-room dining was no frills but yummy. One additional dining experience we appreciated was the complimentary cookies and lemonade offered by the resort each afternoon in the lobby. We liked the cookies and appreciated the additional touch. Service With the exception of the Corsair restaurant, where service was slow, service was quick and friendly at this resort. While we were at the Tidal Waterpark the servers were busy but did their best to be attentive. The speed of the in-room dining delivery in particular stood out. Overall, I would say the service at this resort was solid. Take Away The JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa Showed why JW Marriott is my favorite Marriott luxury brand. The resort did a great job recognizing Christina's Marriott Platinum status with an upgrade to a Junior Suite and free buffet breakfast. The resort itself impressed with a wide-array of amenities including the standout waterpark in an urban setting. This was a great stay and I would say the best stay I have had at a resort within the United States. If I found myself in the Aventura, Florida area again I would definitely stay here again. |
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