Kimpton Hotels offer winter freebies

by Annie Scott on

Kimpton Hotels is offering all sorts of winter freebies at nearly 50 North American properties through March 31, 2010.

When you make your reservation, ask if your hotel has the “Spark Winter Fun” package. If so, there are extra bells and whistles you should know about! First of all, when you check in at a participating hotel, ask to play “Light Me Up.” The hotel associate will ask you a trivia question, and if you answer correctly, you’ll get a free upgrade (subject to availability). Then, when 2:00 PM rolls around, head to the lobby for free hot chocolate with marshmallows and hot apple cider. The hotel’s Wine Hour (free wine) will feature complimentary hot roasted hazelnuts and other seasonal bites, as well as wintry Wii games and Trivial Pursuit.

That’s just what’s going on at participating hotels. If you choose to book the “Spark Winter Fun” package, you’ll get a complimentary in-room movie and popcorn and a $25 food and beverage credit. If you’re booking online, enter SPARK in the rate code box and fight those winter doldrums. We love it when hotels throw in a little something extra — it makes for an even easier excuse to get away.

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“Save the date” now and save at Leading Hotels of the World

by Katie Hammel on

The Leading Hotels of the World group represents hundreds of properties, on every continent, in over 75 countries. 70 of these hotels are participating in the group’s “Save the Date” promotion, going on now through December 31. Book a stay before that date for travel from January 1 to March 31, 2010 and you’ll save 30-50%. The discount varies per hotel and minimum stay requirements apply.

Relax at the Encantado, a boutique hotel set on 57 acres in Santa Fa, watch the sun set from your terrace at Shutters on the Beach in Los Angeles, drink Guinness in Dublin and then retire to your room at the Westbury, or take in the sights of Tokyo from your room with a view at the Imperial Hotel.

The website lists several other current deals, most of which are valid through the end of the year. The “One More Night” promo will get you three nights for the price of two, four for the price of three, or seven for the price of five. Other deals will get you 30-50% off certain properties, a $100 spa credit, or a free round of golf.

Hawaii’s on sale with cheap flights from United and Hawaiian Airlines

by Katie Hammel on

Winter may not have officially started yet, but it certainly feels like it has. With temps in the double, and even single, digits and snowstorms covering the country, there’s no denying that a tropical vacation sounds pretty darn good right about now. Luckily escaping to the warmth of Hawaii this winter will be surprisingly cheap thanks to two great airfare sales.

Book a ticket through the Hawaiian Airlines sale by December 16 for travel January 5 to March 11 and April 6 to June 10 and you could fly for as little as $288 round trip (plus taxes). Seattle or Portland to Honolulu, and Portland to Maui are the cheapest routes at $288 round trip. Los Angeles and San Francisco to Honolulu are $368 and Seattle to Maui is $318.

Rates are even lower through United’s sale, which ends a day earlier on Dec 15. The travel dates are more limited – just January 12 to March 4 – but there is a wider variety of cities to choose from. For example, Chicago to Maui is $302, LA to Honolulu is $261, San Francisco to Kona is $265, and Denver to Maui is $285.
And if you need a reason to go to Hawaii this winter (other than “it’s warm there!”) Hawaiian Airlines offers a few more. January to April is whale watching season, now is the perfect time for surfers to catch huge waves formed by storms, and in February there are several Chinese New Year celebrations and the Big Island’s Waimea Cherry Blossom Festival. Plus, did I mention, it’s warm there?

If you can’t afford the flight, check out Portland International Airport’s website by January 2 and enter to win a pair of tickets from Portland to Maui. Okay, actually you can choose Maui or Chicago, but let’s be real – you’ll choose Maui.

Free hostels in Europe for children of the 80s

by Annie Scott on


Is your name Lauren? Michael? You (and some others) can get a free stay at A&O Hotels and Hostels next month (January 2010). Here’s the rundown of names and dates:

  • Michael & Sarah: 1/04/2010 – 1/10/2010
  • Christopher & Jennifer: 1/11/2010 – 1/17/2010
  • Matthew & Lauren: 1/18/2010 – 1/24/2010
  • Joshua & Amanda: 1/25/2010 – 1/31/2010

Give your name when you’re booking your hostel or hotel in Berlin, Dresden, Duesseldorf, Hamburg, Leipzig, Munich, Prague or Vienna and stay free for up to one whole week! You can only stay in dorm-style accommodation of course, and the stay must be booked through their US Service Center by December 31, but it’s hard to argue with “free.”

These names were chosen because they were the most popular baby names in 1989. If you’re now just turning 21, it’s a great year for you to go explore Europe — and these dates coincide with plenty of college winter vacations. Send it to your friends; anyone you know with these names. It’s like The Bob Club for backpackers.

More information here. There are previews of all the A&O Hotels and Hostels on their YouTube channel; that should help you pick where to go! One of their Berlin properties is shown above — it looks like a lot of fun!

jetBlue to bring back “All-You-Can-Jet” pass?

by Katie Hammel on

This year, airline jetBlue allowed a few lucky people to take “frequent flying” to the next level. The carrier offered an “All-You-Can-Jet” pass for 30 days (September 8 to October 8) for one low price of $599. While the pass may not have been the best deal for the occasional flyer, it would have saved anyone with multiple longer flights some serious cash.

A few folks went beyond flying to business meetings or off to visit the in-laws though, and decided to see just how much they could fly in one month. According to Jaunted, these super-jetters were invited to the jetBlue corporate retreat on Wednesday, to talk about their experiences using the pass. There, jetBlue execs apparently promised that they would be bringing back the pass next year.

Could it be? Nothing has been confirmed and no dates have been released yet, but I’ll agree with Jaunted that fall seems a likely time to run the promo again. So clear your calendars, start wishlisting locations, and cross your fingers that the news is true.

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