Continue reading A review of Cheapflights.com's "Travelnomics: Calling on Cuba" guide

A review of Cheapflights.com's "Travelnomics: Calling on Cuba" guide originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Drive a rental car to Florida for $1

Drive a rental car to Florida for $1 originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Skiing, like polo and yachting, is a rich man's(or woman's) sport. The equipment is expensive, and in order to participate, you need to go to a specific place. In the case of skiing, this means paying ski lift fees and traveling to a pricey ski resort. The costs can add up and make it prohibitively expensive for less affluent ski enthusiasts.

But there are some less expensive ski resorts. Ski.com has put together a list of the top ten affordable ski spots in North America.

Keystone, near Denver, makes the list because of the many extras it offers, such as night skiing included with a lift ticket on the day of arrival, plus access to nearby resorts like Vail and Breckenridge. Steamboat in Colorado is on the list thanks to affordable ski-in/ski-out lodging and convenient shuttle services. And Winter Park, also in Colorado, is praised as catering to a "moderate demographic, no luxury properties."

Whistler-Blackcomb, near Vancouver, is normally a very pricey destination. But in an attempt to lure visitors before the Olympics, it is offering some fantastic deals right now. Airfare to Vancouver can be expensive, depending on where you fly from, but you can save money by flying into Seattle and taking a train to Vancouver.

Jackson Hole (Wyoming), Banff(Alberta, Canada), and Lake Tahoe round out the western top ten with plentiful deals, discounts, and special offers that help keep prices low. On the east coast, Stowe(Vermont) and Lake Placid in New York offer excellent mid-week prices.

The 10 most-affordable ski spots in North America originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

To enter, just go to the contest webpage and send an email, explaining in 20 words or less, what you'd like to see in the next Lonely Planet email. Invite three friends to do the same and you might end up with the grand prize.

The contest ends January 13 and winners will be decided the next day. One judge will narrow down the entries to 20, and another will select the final winner based on creativity of the response. The winner will get a $9000 voucher that can be used on any STA products or services, plus an extra $1000 in spending money if her or she referred three friends at the time of entry. The voucher is valid for one year and can be used to book flights, tours, rail passes and travel insurance.

10 runners-up will receive iPods or a collection of Lonely Planet books.

Win up to $10,000 worth of travel from Lonely Planet and STA Travel originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I love a good travel contest, especially one that requires little effort to enter. So I'm excited about the jetBlue and Hertz Jet & Drive Giveaway, which runs now through through January 31, 2010. To enter, all you need to do is surf on over to the website, complete your free registration and then enter your email address. Easy, peasy.

For that minimal effort, you could win some pretty cool prizes, depending on the number of entries for the day. Yes, that's right - the prizes will vary according to how many people have entered for the day, and you can enter every single day of the contest. If 2,500 people or less enter on a given day, the winner gets a $100 Hertz rental card. With 2,500 or more entries, the card's value goes up to $250. But if 5,000 people enter, the lucky winner gets a $500 jetBlue gift card!

There will also be up to five grand prizes given away, one each time the total number of contest entries reaches another 50,000 milestone. The grand prize includes airfare to one of five destinations, Hertz rental car, and accommodations at a designated Starwood or Marriott hotel for two people. Destinations include New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Orlando and Aruba.

Enter to win jetBlue's Jet and Drive Giveaway originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Midnight Rates for last minute guests in NYC originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Hosting a destination wedding is a great way to cut down on the expenses involved in getting married. Fewer guests equal less money spent on food, drinks and invitations, and fewer tables to seat those guests means your costs for flowers and rentals like linens and chairs will also be lower. Two Sonesta resorts in St. Maarten - Sonesta Maho Beach Resort and Casino and the Sonesta Great Bay Beach Resort and Casino - are now making the idea of a destination wedding even more appealing. . .and affordable.

Guests who book a seven night stay for themselves and 20 guests (10 rooms with double occupancy) will receive a free wedding package. And we're not talking a single bottle of champagne and a sheet cake. No, this package includes the reception dinner and open bar. With my friends and family, that savings alone would be significant.

The package also includes the services of a wedding coordinator, marriage licensing services, wedding cake, corsage and boutonniere for the bride and groom, room upgrade, and 10% off of spa services.

[via HotelChatter]

Get a free wedding in St. Maarten originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

35 California hotels run by the Joie de Vivre boutique hotel company are offering a third night free when you book and pay for two nights. To book the deal, go to the Third Night Free page on their blog or just use the promo code JOIE. Prices at the Joie de Vivre hotels range from $79 to $459 per night.

The Joie de Vivre group operates 35 hotels in San Francisco, Berkeley, Oakland, Mill Valley, Tiburon, Sonoma, Big Sur, Santa Cruz, Sacramento, Silicon Valley, Huntington Beach, Brentwood, Long Beach and Venice Beach. I checked out the Gaige House, a 23-room boutique hotel set on three acres in wine country and was able to book the deal, saving nearly $200 off the regular rate.

The offer is good for stays from November 1 to June 15, 2010 and must be booked online by May 31st.

[via Los Angeles Times]

California hotels offer third night free originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

According to Perrin, Jetsetter is a "flash-sale site that negotiates with noteworthy hotels, cruise lines, and other luxe travel suppliers to offer slashed rates unavailable to the general public." Those who get on the email list will receive a notice of the next days' sales each night at 8pm. Each sale lasts just two days, or until the availability runs out.

Sounds pretty cool, right? I used Perrin's link to sign and up and browse some of the current....um, sales, and found that there are some deep discounts offered here. But remember, this is a luxury travel site. Half off of $800 is still way out of my price range. Budget travelers may have a harder time finding a deal they can afford....but it's not impossible. One deal currently being offered is a Superior Queen Guestroom at the West Hollywood Sunset Tower for $129 (as opposed to the usual $225-$275). The discounted, but still $650 a night, Asia cruise is probably a little less affordable for most people.

Perrin was able to offer the exclusive sign-up link through Conde Nast's new partnership with Jetsetter, which is a member of the Gilt Groupe. Each month, Jetsetter will offer special deals on products and services sold by some of the magazines advertisers.

Sign up for flash-sale alerts with Jetsetter.com originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The Portland Square Hotel in New York is getting a face lift next spring. By fall of 2010, it will be reopen as the four-star boutique Sanctuary Hotel. During the final days of operation, guests who stay in one of the already renovated Sanctuary Studio rooms will receive a discounted rate of $159 per night and get a preview of what the rest of the completed rooms will look like.

The new rooms are decked out with European linens, plasma tvs, and iPod docking stations. Some will have unique design features like exposed brick or metal beams, and all will feature open plan bathrooms with rain showers.

The "Dress Rehearsal" rate of $159 is good through March 31, 2010. When the hotel officialy opens in the fall, rates will be nearly double, at $309 per night. Guests who book a room at the preview rate and then offer feedback about their stay will also receive a $50 credit towards a future stay.

Only nine of the 125 rooms have been renovated as of yet, so the rate may not be available on all dates. To book the deal, you can call the hotel reservation desk, or just type in the code DRESS1 and book online.

"Dress Rehearsal" rate offered at the new Sanctuary Hotel in NYC originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As Halloween approaches and the weather gets cooler, we realize that winter in the northern US, with its short hours of daylight and negative wind-chill factors, is just around the corner. Suddenly, it seems like there's no better time to book a tropical vacation. If you're thinking about a trip to a sunny island paradise, log in to Twitter and start following Marriott Resorts.

Now through the end of October, the company will be giving away daily coupons for perks at Marriott Resorts in the Caribbean and Mexico. Even if you aren't planning on traveling until the temps dip a little lower (or even until next year), you can still take advantage of the freebies. The vouchers are good through December 20, 2010.

All you need to do is follow Marriott Resorts on Twitter and watch for their "Trick or Tweet" tweets. Click the link and download your voucher, which will be good for deals like free drinks, free rounds of golf, discounted spa services and more. Each voucher is good at a specific resort, so follow along and collect the deals that work for you.

Free drinks in Grand Cayman or a cheap spa treatment in Aruba? I'm feeling warmer already.

Collect Marriott freebies with "Trick or Tweet" promotion originally appeared on Gadling on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Start the new year in China for $888

Start the new year in China for $888 originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The U.S. Virgin Islands are going to be featured on a newly designed quarter and to celebrate, hotels around the islands are offering up rooms at 25 cents - yes, just 25 cents! - per night.

Of course, there is some fine print to the offer. Guests will still be responsible for taxes of 7%, resort fees, and government taxes of 8%, so the total ends up being a litte more than the 75 cents you might immediately assume when learning of the offer (packages I checked totaled around $100 in taxes and fees). Nine different hotels are participating in the promotion, including the Bolongo Bay Beach Resort and the Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort and Spa.

The offer is valid for travel now through December 15, though each resort may have its own blackout dates. There is a three night limit for the 25 cent rate and air-inclusive packages must be booked through the BookIt website. Guests who book the package do get a few perks - they'll receive a $25 activities credit, $25 dining credit and a commemorative quarter.

The other caveat: you've got to act fast. There are a limited number of rooms available and you must book by November 2.

[via Budget Travel]

Hotels in the U.S. Virgin Islands offer 25 cent nightly rate originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 10 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

To celebrate this all-important occasion, 5 Fifty 5, the restaurant in the New Orleans Marriott, is offering an incentive to those guests who want to "eat dessert first!" Those who rise to the challenge will receive 20% off their entire bill.

If you can't quite bring yourself to follow a decadent chocolate cake with lobster macaroni and cheese, crab meat sliders, or a 20 ounce steak with truffle fries, you can still enjoy these delicious desserts after your entree. Special creations unveiled for the promotion include Oreo sandwiches with Creole cream cheese shooters, seven-layer chocolate cake with an Absinthe shake, and a strawberry napoleon with pecan crunch. Can't decide on just one $5.55 dessert? Order all five for $25.

5 Fifty 5 has won two "Best in Show" awards at the New Orleans Food and Wine Experience, and makes all desserts (plus breads and pastries) in house. The Marriott hotel is located on Canal street in the French Quarter of New Orleans.

If you can't make it in for a dinner of dessert in October, don't worry: at 5 Fifty 5, National Dessert Month will extend through November.

Celebrate National Dessert Month at 5 Fifty 5 in New Orleans originally appeared on Gadling on Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Fall rates normally start at $216 per night, but for select weekends throughout the next two weeks, The Abbey is offering a special promotion for its Twitter followers and pricing rooms at just $79 per night. The deal is valid on October 7, 11, 12, 13 and 14 with limited availability.

Covered in the rate is daily admission to the spa, which includes use of the locker room, pool, sauna, steam, whirlpool, and all group fitness classes. The resort also offers plenty of Autumn activities onsite and nearby, like games, fall foliage drives, wine-tasting, and you-pick farm stands.

To snag the deal, follow The Abbey on Twitter, and book online using the promo code: TWEET.

Escape from Chicago with low Fall rates at The Abbey originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Through its Won Night Only promotion, the Curtis is offering up the whole hotel for one night - December 31, 2009 - to the highest bidder.

Up for grabs is a package that includes occupancy of each of the hotel's 330 rooms (2 people per room, max), including the Rolling Stone suite and the British Invasion suite. The winner, and about 600 of his or her closest friends, will also enjoy a rock-star worthy New Year's Eve bash with cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, dinner, drinks, late night munchies, live music, the services of a DJ and a professional photographer, and limo service.

The current high bid on eBay is $50,000 (but the undisclosed "reserve" has not been met). Bidding ends on October 11, 2009.

While I've never seen a promotion quite like this, it fits right in with the style of the Curtis. The guest rooms themselves are sleek and luxurious, but the rest of the hotel is decked out in whimsical touches that appeal to the kid in each guest.

Gallery: The Curtis Hotel

Continue reading Own the Curtis Hotel in Denver for one night

Own the Curtis Hotel in Denver for one night originally appeared on Gadling on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I quickly logged on to Orbitz, selected my dates, and clicked purchase. I received an email from Orbitz confirming my purchase and then got to work planning the trip. My husband was out with friends and had left his cell phone at home, so I was hoping he'd come home just tipsy enough to not mind that I'd just bought $1100 worth of plane tickets without discussing it with him first. Besides, he is accustomed to me buying plane tickets on a whim, just because they are on sale.

Luckily, he was just as excited as I was....until Saturday morning, when I received an email from Orbitz saying that due to "limited quantities", our order could not be fulfilled. As it turns out, it's because the fare never should have existed. Someone at BA obviously messed up (how'd you like to be that person come Monday morning?) and entered the wrong number. The fare should have been more like $1550 per person. The fat finger fare was corrected, but not before several people, myself included, had bought tickets at the faulty price.

Continue reading British Airways computer glitch posts super low cost flights to India

British Airways computer glitch posts super low cost flights to India originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

In addition to months of free skiing, the Keystone Wedding Pass Promotion includes a free one-night resort stay with champagne and strawberries, the services of a dedicated wedding coordinator, discounted room rates for guests, and a special cake on the couple's one year anniversary. There are several different packages to choose from. All include rental of chairs, tables, linens and serving ware, rehearsal space, and shuttle service around the resort for guests.

Multi-course dinners with open bar range from $75 to $150 per guest and there are all several venues available. Venues hold anywhere from 80 to 350 guests and include a majestic lodge overlooking the mountains or an intimate gourmet restaurant reached by gondola.

The resort opens for the season on November 6 and offers trails for skiers and snowboarders of all levels.

Get married at Colorado's Keystone Resort and get free season ski pass originally appeared on Gadling on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The idea behind the app is pretty solid. How many times have you found out about the amazing low-cost flight a friend found, but too late? Hearing that my friend spent just $300 on a round trip ticket from Chicago to London after she gets back from the trip doesn't help me take advantage of the same deal. And likewise, I feel bad when friends ask why I didn't share the news of my cheap fare purchase with them. The Frugal Travel Flaunts application allows you to use social media to alert your friends to good deals and helps you score your own with a few easy clicks.

Yapta will also help you get a credit if a flight you've already purchased drops in price. The site will alert you to the fare decrease with a link that sends you to the page on their site with credit info. You can also "flaunt" that on your Facebook page, though I see that as a less useful tool. Sharing news on killer deals is one thing, boasting about refunds is another - there's a fine line between a flaunt and a taunt.

Share your travel deals with friends with Yapta's Frugal Travel Flaunts originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

As a child growing up in the Midwest, Autumn always meant the same traditions. Sundays spent raking the leaves from the yard, visits to cider mills, and an annual October trip to Cedar Point amusement park in Ohio.

Cedar Point. . .in October? Yes! If you live in the Midwest, you probably know that Cedar Point stays open on weekends through November 1. If you didn't know, you'll want to plan a trip now because, while night can be cold, hours are limited, and not all the rides are open (including, of course, the water rides and the Soak City park), the lack of crowds makes this the perfect time to get your roller coaster fix.

For the whole month, the park is open from 6pm to midnight on Fridays, noon to midnight on Saturdays, and 11am to 8pm on Sundays (except for October 11 when it's open 10am-10pm). And with those reduced hours come reduced prices on Friday nights and Saturdays after 4pm. Daily admission is normally $44.99, but during those times it drops to $29.99 per adult.

During Halloweekends most of the park's major coasters like Millennium Force, Raptor, Magnum, and Blue Streak are all open, though some of the smaller attractions are closed. The park is decked out for Halloween with zombies, crypts, monsters, and pumpkins scattered around, and there are haunted houses of varying scare factors, a Halloween parade, and costume contests for kids.

Continue reading It's Halloweekends time at Cedar Point!

It's Halloweekends time at Cedar Point! originally appeared on Gadling on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.