Save half at Le Domaine de Lonvilliers this summer

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Dash off to St. Martin for a few days this summer, and you won’t be disappointed. You can pick up four nights at Le Domaine de Lonvillies for a mere $210 – the normal price is cut in half. As long as you head down there before August 31, 2010, you’ll pick up breakfast every day, free wi-fi and dinner every night a La Table du Marche.

And make no mistake: dinner is the interesting part. Le Domaine de Lonvilliers features the creations of Christophe Leroy, who has demonstrated his culinary prowess in St. Tropez and Marrakech. Dine (and relax) while surrounded by Creole buildings and 150 acres of bliss.

Off & Away goes international

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Off & Away the recently launched luxury travel auction site is offering up its first international destination. On June 7, 2010, the site will send a stay at La Amada in Cancun under the virtual gavel. Other upcoming auctions include the Andaz in New York (June 9, 2010), Turtle Bay in Hawaii (June 9, 2010) and the Alexis in Seattle (June 10, 2010).

The greatest concentration of luxury deals on Off & Away so far appears to be in New York, so if you’re looking to take a trip out here, putting in a bid might not be a bad idea.

NY is being auctioned off right now. Only 1 hour left. Did you know that we’ve had auctions go for as little as $20? http://bit.ly/OAendless than a minute ago via HootSuiteOff & Away
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Strangely, Off & Away rewards valiant losing efforts. According to the rules:

  • If you’re outbid, apply up to 110% of your used bids towards another room
  • Select from any of our 50,000 partner hotels at the Web’s best published rates

What is a Mattress Run, and how can it get you free hotel nights?

by Scott Carmichael on

In the world of frequent travel, the mattress run is to hotels as the mileage run is for air travel – a trip with the sole purpose of getting hotel points or taking advantage of a promotion.

With a mattress run, you book a cheap hotel night, and in return you’ll earn something far more valuable. This summer, I’m taking advantage of a promotion by Hyatt, where I’ll earn one free night for every two nights I stay at their properties.

This may not appear to be a very efficient way to use my time, but the rewards are very much worth it – I can stay 2 nights at a local Hyatt hotel for around $60/night, and in return I’ll earn a free night at any property. Take for example the Park Hyatt in Chicago – as one of the most luxurious properties in the Hyatt chain, this hotel usually goes for around $450 a night during the summer months.

So – for an investment of just $120, I get two nights at a nice Hyatt property and one free night at a really nice one. Best of all, most promotions like this don’t have any limits – so I can earn quite a few free nights with a fairly minimal investment. Of course, my daughter thinks the promotion is really nice, because once a week she gets to go to a hotel and play in the pool.Many hotel chains have their own promotions once or more a year – so pay close attention to those emails they send you. You’ll need to sign up for their frequent guest program, but that won’t cost you a penny.

Some of the more popular promotions this summer season:

  • Hyatt – The Big Welcome Back (stay 2, get 1. Promotion lasts till June 30, free nights must be redeemed by August 31)
  • Hilton – Fast Ways to Free Stays (stay 4, get 1. Promotion lasts till June 30, Free nights must be redeemed within 1 year.
  • Marriott – Marriot Rewards Global Promotion (stay 3, get 1 + $50 off Hertz rental. Promotion lasts till August 31, free nights must be redeemed by December 31)
  • Starwood – SPG Free Weekends (stay 3, get 1 free weekend stay. Promotion lasts till July 31, free nights must be redeemed by December 19)

There are some disadvantages to these promotions – the most important one being a lack of availability when you want it. Award stays may not always have blackout dates, but there are only a limited number of award rooms available on each day, so you may need to settle for dates you didn’t originally want.

Also, hotels usually count two nights as one stay, so to get 2 stays, you’ll actually need two different hotels – which means packing and unpacking twice.

Naples celebrates national pride at the Romeo Hotel

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Will you be one of the thousands of people to hit the National Pride Festival in Italy this year? Naples is hosting the event this time around, and the Romeo Hotel wants you to check in. Whether you’re drawn to tradition or contemporary fun, the Napoli Pride Package will have something to turn you on.

Stay at the Romeo Hotel, and you’ll score a room for two with views of Mt. Vesuvius and the Bay of Naples (or the city center), strawberries and prosecco upon arrival and a buffet breakfast daily. The package is available from June 21 – 28, 2010, with rates starting at 475 euro.

Both Montagues and Capulets are welcome.

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Get your third night in Paris Free

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Make 2010 the year you go to Paris. For most of the year, you can stay at the Hotel Beauchamps, in the 8th Arrondissement, and get your third night free. Over your three-night stay, you’ll save an average of 92 euro a night, which can certainly get you started at many of the city’s fantastic restaurants.

The Hotel Beauchamps is an interesting property, not far from the Champs Elysées and located between Rue du Faubourg St Honoré and Montaigne Avenue. If you have a jones for shopping, especially, this is the place to be. The intimate hotel has only 89 rooms on six floors, all of which have views onto Rue de Ponthieu, Rue Du Colisée or the courtyard.