Posted: Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:56 PM - 19,708 Readers
By: Carol Kopp
Are your work weeks feeling nasty, brutish, but not short? We know just how you feel....
So, we went in search of quick cures, in the form of short vacations that heal mind and body. And since this column is all about cheap thrills, we’re looking for a lot of luxury for a big discount.
The only other requirement: It must be soon. It must be available from right this minute until, maybe, the end of 2009.
Here’s what we found.
Note: Some of the specific offers in this column may be booked by the time you click, but the links will help you find as good a deal, or better. All the prices quoted are “per person, based on double occupancy” unless otherwise noted.
Spa and ResortIf you’d like to combine autumn leaf-viewing and spa-wallowing in one short break, you might try the two-night package at the
Essex Resort & Spa near Burlington, Vermont. The deal, at $459 for two people, includes two nights in an upgraded room with a fireplace, plus continental breakfast and your choice of extras, including a Swedish massage or a cooking class. If that seems like a peculiar choice, you should know that the resort is affiliated with the New England Culinary Institute. The special is available on weekdays into late November.
Farther south, the Doral Golf Resort & Spa, a Marriott (MAR) property in Miami, is offering a special price of about $200 a night for a garden view room, including breakfast and unlimited golf. The “spa master suite” goes for about the same price, but you pay your own way at the buffet and on the links. The lower prices are available on many weekday and weekend dates until mid-December in the
Hotels.com "Deals" section.
If you want to take your whole office along, you can get 40% off the regular price at the
Lake Austin Spa Resort in Texas. The special is available for groups of six or more, but they have other discounts tailored for couples.
The Sandals all-inclusive Caribbean resorts for couples have savings ranging from 55% to 65% if you book at least three nights. There are many accommodation options but, as one example, you can get a two-story villa with a pool at the Sandals Regency St. Lucia for $371 a night. The current deals are for bookings made by September 30, and available dates extend to year’s end.
Way Out of TownIf you want to get as far away as possible for a break, you might try a short-term cruise. One good deal available right now is the luxury
Norwegian Cruise Line’s three- or four-day round-trip from Miami to the Bahamas aboard the Norwegian Sky. You can get a balcony suite on the three-day cruise for $249 to $429 per person through the end of the year, except for Christmas week, which is a bit higher. Prices for the four-day cruise range from $279 to $439.
The Bermuda Music Festival, starring Quincy Jones & Friends (including Wyclef Jean and John Legend) is coming up October 29-31. The
Bermuda tourism site lists hotels with packages related to the festival, including one at the Fairmount Southampton or the Fairmount Hamilton Princess for about $1,000 for a three-night stay and festival tickets.
Big-City WeekendsThis is a test of the time-worn principle that the best hotel deals are for weekends in the big cities. We searched some of the travel sites for good rates on four- and five-star hotels in three popular destination cities: New York, San Francisco, and San Diego.
The dates entered were October 2-4, but we confirmed that these rates were available on other weekends through the end of 2009.
In New York: On most weekends through the end of November, you can stay at the Ritz Carlton Battery Park for $395 a night, through
Expedia.com (EXPE) is at the Millennium, just across from the World Trade Center rebuilding site, for $259.
A notable uptown New York weekend special is offered by The Algonquin, near Times Square, for $259. This is an older hotel, recently restored to its 1920s swankiness.
In San Francisco: If you book two weeks in advance, you can spend the weekend at the Omni San Francisco for $224 a night instead of the usual $274 rate. The Hyatt Regency on the Embarcadero has bay view rooms for $188-$235, or about 20% off. Both rates were found on Travelocity. On Expedia, you can find the Hotel Nikko in Union Square, discounted to about $214 a night from $284-$327; or the Parc Fifty-Five off Market Street for an average $227, usually $250 to $400 a night.
In San Diego: The landmark US Grant, in downtown San Diego, cuts its rates on weekends to about $185 from about $246. The W San Diego, also downtown, has a half-off weekend deal, for about $109-$127 per night. Similar rates are available through year’s end on Travelocity.com. The Lodge at Torrey Pines, a golf resort in La Jolla, shows up on Expedia.com for half price, at $188.
Your contributions are greatly appreciated here. Please add a “comment” about your favorite places and destinations if you know about good deals to be found.
