San Diego: Deal on hotel room with views of America’s Cup

Get ready for the World Series -- of sailing, not baseball. San Diego Bay will be transformed into a race course in mid-November when high-speed catamarans fly through the water in the first America’s Cup World Series. Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina has front-row seats, so to speak, and is offering rooms starting at $159 a night.

The deal: The America’s Cup Package includes a bay-facing room, a bottle of wine and a cheese platter. Room rates start at $159 a night plus tax. So what’s there to see?

San Diego will be the third stop on the series that began in August in Cascals, Portugal. Cup races feature AC45 and AC72 wing-sailed catamarans, deemed the fastest boats in the world, according to the America’s Cup website, and will compete just a few feet from shore to ratchet up the excitement factor for spectators. The America’s Cup heralds the World Series as the new face of the 160-year-old event.

When: The deal is good for stays Nov. 12 to 20.

Tested: I went to the hotel’s website to test availability and found rooms at the package rate on Nov. 12 and Nov. 18 to 20. Without the package, best available rates for the same dates cost $179 a night plus tax.

One tip: If the package isn’t available on the date you want but you still want to see the race, check the prepaid room rates; they too are cheaper than the best available but come with more restrictions. Or take a look at the course map and stake out a spot.

Contact: Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina, (866) 716-8134