With advance planning and careful timing, it's even possible
to retreat to far-off islands and European capitals. Here's a sampling
of budget-minded strategies that give you luxe for less (packages and
prices are subject to change):
1. Package Deals from Hotels and Resorts:
Short-stay, off-season packages from upscale hotels and resorts,
many with spas, let even the budget-conscious sample luxury venues
at top destinations.
Room savings range from 20% to 50%; amenities include free meals
and liquor; parking; golf, tennis, and other sports/activities;
massages and spa treatments; heavy discounts on additional nights;
and free or discounted entertainment.
Tips: Check the lowest room rates. If you won't
use the package extras, you may save more by booking a room at
a lower rate. Ask about add-on nights; some properties throw in
a free night if you meet a minimum-booking requirement.
Notable Packages:
- For a little over $1,300, "Suite Romance" gives you three nights
nestled in red-rock rimmed Boynton Canyon at Enchantment (Sedona,
Arizona) plus dinner and spa treatments;
- Ritz-Carlton Reynolds Plantation (Georgia) "Sticks and Stones," from
$295 (pp);
- Washington: Friday Harbor House "Renew Your Spirit Spa Spectacular," from
$360;
- Mirbeau Inn and Spa (Skaneateles, Finger Lakes, New York) "Weekend
Overnight", "Escape," and "Deluxe" from $535;
- Bacara (Santa Barbara) "Sweetheart," from $690;
- Bishop's Lodge (Santa Fe) Spa package, from $430;
- Florida's Boca Raton Resort & Club's "Romance" from $912;
- Mexico: JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa "Mayan Essentials" from
$235 a day; Hosteria Las Quintas Spa packages, from under $700; "Renewal," "Aquatic
Adventure," and "Quintessential Mayan Escape" at Maroma (the
Mayan Riviera) from $1,000;
- Hawaii: Outrigger Wailea Resort (Maui) offers "Romance Wailea
Style" starting at $999 per couple.
2. Foreign Land/Air Tours:
Established tour operators and global travel specialists offer
terrific - and legit - values via land/air packages (with some
including taxes, airport transfers, and select meals) to popular
destinations such as Italy, Hawaii, Mexico, the South Pacific (most
notably Fiji), and the Caribbean. (Prices noted here vary by departure
city and accommodations and are per person, double occupancy.)
Inventory and prices are subject to change but here's a taste
of what's available: Tahiti Vacations (800-553-3477): 5-day packages
to Moorea from Los Angeles from under $700. Pacific Delight
Tours (800-221-7179): 8-nite Fiji air/land package for under $1,200.
Iberian specialist PetraBax features six-night Lisbon and Portugal
packages from $569. Tour Crafters (800-482-5995) offers rock-bottom
prices to romantic Venice starting at $399 (No, that's not a typographical
error.)
Note: Some packages are available only through travel agents.
3. City Hotel Escapes:
Hotels of every type offer discounted room rates and weekend and
special packages. Some, like San Francisco's Huntington, offer
deeper discounts to area residents. Deals include on- and off-site
dining, liquor, and entertainment options (hard-to-get museum,
sporting events, and theater tickets, for example); local transportation;
parking; spa treatments; and other goodies.
Tips: You can also save with air/land packages
for weekend getaways from hotel chains. Starwood offers "Weekend
Escapes" that include stays at its Westin, Sheraton, W, and St.
Regis properties starting at under $200 (some include a rental
car). Don't overlook seasonal discounts at boutique hotels. Kimpton
and Joie de Vivre have packages as diverse - and interesting -
as their properties. Check out new hotels; many feature introductory
rates and packages that offer exceptional value.
City Deals Sampler:
- New York: The Roosevelt Hotel's 3-night, "Turn Back the Clock" package,
from $960;
- Portland: Avalon Hotel & Spa "Romance and Rejuvenation," from
$470;
- San Francisco: The Huntington's "Romance & Relaxation," from
$530;
- Vancouver, BC: Pacific Palisades "Escents-ial Romance," from
$195US, per person.
4. All-Inclusive Resorts:
Despite the moniker, everything you want (or expect) may not be
included in the per-diem rate (which can be as low as $110 per
person at popular venues). Some resorts are more all-inclusive
than others with some excluding items such as premium liquor; popular
foods; 24-hour food or room service; sports instruction and equipment
usage; hotel taxes; transfers; tips; entertainment; and greens
fees from the daily rates. Be sure to double-check what's included-or
be prepared for a nasty surprise when you check out.
Couples, Sandals, and SuperClub locations in Jamaica are perennial
favorites, with travel agents praising the Dominican Republic's
Barcelo Bavaro Palace in Punta Cana.
You can save even more with special promotions that reduce already
low prices by as much as 40 percent. The catch? The resort chooses
the property and you won't be notified of your specific destination
till a week before departure.
5. Cruises:
If you can get a good airfare to port cities on the East and West
coasts, short cruises to Mexico and the Caribbean can be an inexpensive
and appealing option. But beware the trade-offs: If you can't be
comfy in the close quarters of the least-expensive small and inner
cabins, rethink cruising.
Some rates include airfare as well as meals, entertainment, and
activities. Budget for extras (port fees, taxes, tips, drinks,
shore excursions).
Well-known lines such as Carnival, Norwegian, Celebrity, Princes,
and Royal Caribbean have more inventory and are more likely to
offer deals such as 7-night Caribbean cruises for under $600 per
person and 4-nights beginning around $200 or less. SeaSavers.com
and Cruise411.com are two sites that feature timely deals and e-mail
alerts. (An early fall last-minute deal: $149 per person for a
4-night, Caribbean cruise from Miami.)
Tips: Cruise lines make limited promotions available
via travel agents. There are also one-day sales on specific lines
that can net you outside cabins at inside-cabin prices. When reviewing
costs, estimate the actual per diem rate (add airfare and all cruise
costs). Anything at $200 or less is a bargain.
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