We just returned from the most amazing trip to Israel. For the first time, I let go of the reins and had another person plan our itinerary. I had some safety concerns so I did not feel comfortable making our family plans alone. We used Susan Loves Israel. You can read our testimonial about Susan here and our trip advisor review about our tour guide here.
However, where I could, I did use points for this trip. For example, read here about how we flew to Israel for free on Matmid points by taking advantage of an American Express Membership Rewards point transfer.
Another place I was able to use points, was at the Sheraton Tel Aviv Hotel (SPG Category 5). Sheratons are Starwood resorts, so we used Starwood points for this stay We stayed in 2 rooms for 3 nights. Each room would have been about $250 per night or $750 for the stay. We saved $1,500 using points!
The hotel was part of a long strip of hotels right on the beach in Tel Aviv. It was nice, clean and spacious. The buffet breakfast was our favorite one. We thought it was even better than the one at the King David in Jerusalem, the most fancy hotel we stayed in, and needless to say not on points. 🙁