Put some romance into your life this spring. If you head out to St. Martin by the end of May, check out Le Domaine de Lonvilliers. The property’s new “Special Romance Package” will get you a free night when you book four. Along the way, you’ll score a free breakfast every day, a romantic dinner and airport transfers. After spending all that time relaxing the sun, you’ll definitely need the free massage that’s being kicked in. At $390 a night, through May 31, 2010, this is a fantastic deal. The intimate hotel has only 141 rooms, so you won’t need to worry about tripping over the other guests, and dinner at “La Table du Marche” is a must – the craftsmanship of chef Christophe Leroy shouldn’t be missed!
Bermuda resort gives the lazy an extra month to book
Sometimes, procrastinating doesn’t come with any consequences. It doesn’t happen often. We’re taught from a young age that early birds get to kill and chomp on the best worms, not to put off to tomorrow the stuff we can do today (even if we don’t feel like it) and to seize the day. If you don’t, then opportunity may disappear before you get a taste. Well, Cambridge Beaches Resort & Spa is rewarding the lazy next month: the resort is extending its “fourth night free” deal for travelers booking at least a four-night stay by April 26, 2010. But, you have to travel stay by April 30, 2010.
In addition to scoring your fourth night free, you’ll pick up complimentary breakfast and afternoon tea every day. To participate in this steal you’ll need to use promotional code CBBDA4.
Four hot, sticky and sweet deals in New England this spring
Now that the freeze that grips New England is easing up, the region’s becoming dirty, sticky and sweet. “Mud and maple season” is upon us says the New England Inn and Resorts Association, and its members are offering some delectable deals to lure you up to its small corner of the country. NEIRA boasts more than 250 member properties, but I just don’t have the stamina to poll all of them to find out their deals for spring. So for now, at least, let’s stick with the top four.
1. Mud Season Getaway: Three Stallion Inn, Randolph, VT
Spend your time hiking on 35 km of trails … after having started your day with a Vermont breakfast cooked to order. At night, enjoy a gourmet dinner, served with mudslide drinks and mini-mud pies for dessert. You can get all this for $242 per couple per night through April 30, 2010.
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2. Maple Sugaring Weekend Getaway: Rabbit Hill Inn, Lower Waterford, VT
Pick up two nights, an intimate dinner for two and breakfast every day with this package. You’ll also be invited to afternoon tea and take home a gift of maple syrup and maple candy. While you’re up in Lower Waterford, take advantage of two free passes to the Rocks Estate Maple Experience. Rates start at $500 a couple.
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3. March Maple Tree Hugger Package: Centennial Inn Hotel, Farmington, CT
Any deal that involves a jug of maple syrup is bound to get my attention! In addition to that gift, you’ll score a night in a studio suite, breakfast and maps to sugar houses. Also, for every booking, which starts at a mere $135, the Centennial will donate $10 to the ARBOR Foundation. This deal’s only good through the end of March.
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4. Celebrating Maine Mud Package: Inn by the Sea, Cape Elizabeth, ME
With your two nights in a single-bedroom accommodation, settle in and enjoy a Peppermint Maine Mud™ with chocolate chip cookie amenity, two mudslide cocktails by the fireplace and two pairs of L.L. Bean signature boots for walking in the mud. At $687.98 per couple, this is a bargain. You’ll have to stay by April 30, 2010.
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Mixed bag for spring break travel
For spring breakers, the news this year is mixed. According to data from Bing Travel and Travelocity, USA Today reports, airfares are up, but hotel rates are down. The result, of course, is a variation on the adage that there’s no free lunch. You may get a deal on one part of your trip, but you’ll inevitably pay elsewhere.
Airfares, on average, are up 9 percent relative to last year, Travelocity found, with the average domestic ticket costing around $351. Hotel prices, on the other hand, are off 3 percent year-over-year, down to $156 a night. According to Bing Travel, the most expensive travel day this spring break season is March 22 – it’s also the costliest travel day between early winter and the end of April. To pick up a deal, go with Tuesday-to-Tuesday or Wednesday-to-Wednesday plans.
Despite the averages, of course, destination does make a difference. Cancun fares are up 23 percent from last year, from $346 to $427. Hotels are cheaper down there, however, falling from $220 a night to $198. The average cost of a trip for two to Cancun for seven nights ticked up slightly from last year, from $2,231 to $2,243.
Get $100 in Birthday Bucks from Joie de Vivre
Joie de Vivre, a chain of 35 boutique hotels in California, is making it a little easier to justify planning a birthday getaway this year. The Birthday Bucks deal knocks $100 off a two-night stay on or within seven days of your birthday. At the Galleria Park Hotel in San Francisco, for example, weekend rates start at $109. With this b-day discount, it’s almost like getting the second night free.
The credit, which is taken off your total bill when you check out, can also be used to offset room service, dinner at the hotel restaurant, or spa treatments. To sweeten the deal, the hotel staff may also surprise you with a gift, such as a cupcake, dinner appetizer, or glass of wine. Even kids under 18, if accompanied by a parent, can redeem the $100 Birthday Bucks.
But there’s a catch: the discount is per room per stay, not per birthday per stay. So twins who share a room would have to content themselves with one $100 discount, unless of course they booked separate rooms.
Details: Book by Jan. 31, 2011 with the promo code BUCKS. Travel between Feb. 1, 2010 and Jan. 31, 2011. For a list of the 35 properties, check out jdvhotels.com.
Looks like it’s never too early to start dropping hints about your birthday.