Ski for free at Stowe when you stay at Topnotch Resort

by Katie Hammel on

Ski season is in full swing at resorts throughout the US, and now through April 10, you can “ski for free” at Topnotch Resort in Stowe, Vermont. The resort sits at the base of Mount Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak, which reaches nearly 5,000 feet. It offers luxury accommodations on 120 acres, 40 minutes from Burlington Airport. .

This season, included in accommodations rates, you’ll also receive two adult lifts tickets to Stowe Mountain delivered by the resort’s “Ski Concierge”, shuttle service to and from the mountain, and overnight ski storage. Rentals are available from the resort’s Nordic Barn. In addition to skiing, the resort offers tennis, a spa, and horseback trail rides.

Rates start at $250 (plus tax) for weekdays and $350 for weekends. Blackout dates include January 28-30, February 7-20, February 25-27, and March 21-23. Rate outside of the promotion start at $300 per night, and lift tickets at Stowe can cost $84 per day per person, so this deal would save you around $200 per day for two skiers….which means more money for apres ski fun and hot toddies by the fire.

Stay at a Sage hotel, donate to Haiti relief

by Katie Hammel on

There are countless ways you can donate money and supplies to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake. Here’s one more way you can help, just by going about your travels. Stay at a Sage Hospitality Group hotel, now through the end of January, and the company will give $10 per room, per night to the Red Cross.

54 Sage hotels throughout the US are participating in the promotion. Guests do need to book the special “Help Haiti” rate, which has limited availability, in order to make the donation.

The Sage group is offering a few other promotions that benefit victims of the disaster. Coco Key Water Resorts, a division of the hotel group, will offer 1% of all food and beverage purchases to the Red Cross, and will offer a $5 pass on January 26, with all proceeds going to the Red Cross.

Sage has a history of offering great rates and promotions to help others. In the past, they’ve offered free nights to volunteers, service-people, and teachers.

Celebrate romance in the UK with Red Carnation

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The Red Carnation hotel group is rolling out the red carpet for Valentine’s Day. At all its UK properties, romance will be shaped by luxury, leaving you to focus on the person with you. You’ll be greeted with a bottle of pink champagne, and every evening will be punctuated with a unique romantic turndown service. Enjoy chocolate covered strawberries at any time in your room, and dine on culinary creations tailored to your taste. You can even arrange for a midnight lover’s feast and sleep it off with a late checkout on Sunday. Oh, and you don’t need to use that time sleeping off a food coma … I’m sure you can find other ways to put that bed to good use!

Whether you prefer the quiet intimacy of The Egerton House Hotel in Knightsbridge or the Summer Lodge Country House Hotel, Restaurant and Spa or any of the other properties in the Red Carnation portfolio, you’ll be sure to have a luxurious stay that will make your significant other the envy of all who hear the appropriately edited stories from your getaway.

A full list of properties at which the Valentine’s Day package is available can be found here.

Hilton January: buy now save all year

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The end of the holiday season doesn’t mean all the discounts are gone. So, while the big box retailers begin to reset their prices to “normal,” Hilton is extending Christmas cheer through the end of January. The hotel chain is offering cuts of up to 33 percent on weekend rates in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and South America. The brands included are Hilton, Doubletree, Embassy Suites, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites (keep in mind that not all properties are participating, though).

As long as you book by the end of the month, you can secure the discounted pricing for any Friday, Saturday or Sunday stay throughout the rest of the year. So, instead of scrambling at the last minute for Valentine’s Day, birthday or anniversary presents, get it all out of the way now. This could really take the headache out of gift-giving this year.

[Photo by Sue E via Flickr]

Joie de Vivre hotel wishes you a happy birthday with $100 off your hotel tab

by Melanie Nayer on

It’s always nice getting cash for your birthday, especially when it comes in the form of a reimbursement. Here’s a birthday gift worth talking about: California’s trendy Joie de Vivre Hotels group is hosting a promotion that gives birthday guests $100 off their two-night hotel bill.

The “Birthday Bucks” promo is good at any of Joie de Vivre’s hotels for any birthday. The best part? You can celebrate through 2011. The promo is good for one year starting Feb. 1 and extends through Jan. 31, 2011. Here’s how it works:

  • Guests who stay two nights or more within seven days of their birthdays will receive $100 off their total bill.
  • The $100 credit is applied at checkout to the guest’s total hotel bill – including hotel dining and spa services.
  • Some hotels will give you a surprise birthday present (the type of present isn’t declared on the hotel group’s website, but that’s all part of the fun)
  • Everyone is eligible for the Birthday Bucks credit, even children under 18 if accompanied by a parent.

Of course, there are a few restrictions, but they are pretty standard: you must show proof of age and birthday upon check-in, your birthday must be within seven days of your stay, and you must book in advance on the hotel’s website.

Joie de Vivre runs 40 hotels, 20 restaurants and four spas so your options for a birthday celebration are endless. And, since you’re bound to have a birthday this year, why not celebrate at a swanky San Francisco hotel?%Gallery-73514%
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