Great America Package at Clarion San Jose Airport

Lost in the craze over the big theme parks like Disneyland, Disney World, Legoland, and the Six Flags Parks are a gazillion amusement and theme parks which serve local communities. These parks are only visited by tourists when they 'happen' to be in town. No one comes to town spcifically to visit these poor second cousin parks.

So today, I thought we'd spotlight one of them - Paramount’s Great America in Santa Clara, CA. Great America features 10 pulse-pounding coasters, the world’s tallest double-decker carousel along with the wet and wild water rides of Boomerang Bay, a 2.7 acre Australian-themed water park with a variety of slides, splash areas and water activities built inside the existing theme park. For more information, visit www.pgathrills.com.

The reason we're talking about Great America is that I was looking up specials and package deals offered by San Jose hotels, and I bumped into this neat Great America Package at the Clarion Hotel San Jose Airport. Includes:-

Two Adult Tickets to Great America
Courtyard King, Double/Double or Queen/Queen Rooms
Free All-You-Can-Eat Hot Breakfast Buffet - 6:30am to 9:30am Mon-Fri (until 10am Sat/Sun)
Outdoor Pool (big pool and sunny all the time!)& Spa & Putting Green w/ putters at the desk
Pay In-Room Video Games
10% off the Island Grill with reasonable prices! (Steak & Seafood with a Tropical Twist!)

And best part is that the package, inclusive of all of the above, costs only $139.99 plus tax. Making it even more of a fun experience, the light rail runs past both the hotel and Great America, with a one way adult ticket costing $1.75 and $1.50 for children. Age 5 and below free. More details and online booking here.

As for the hotel, even by San Jose's relatively spacious and generous standards, the Clarion offers a heck of a lot. In addition to the complimentary hot breakfast buffet for all guests, the hotel also offers free airport shuttle, a fitness room, outdoor pool and whirlpool spa, a putting green with putters at the desk, free parking, free 24-hour business center, free USA Today, an on-site restaurant and lounge with live entertainment beginning at 9pm, free wireless and direct high-speed Internet access throughout the hotel, guest laundry with an on-site coin laundry, an ATM and a 24 hour gift shop.

Every room in the hotel has coffee makers, irons, laptop safes, ironing boards, hairdryers, HBO, TV Japan, Spanish TV (Univision), Pay-per-view movies, video check-out, two phones, 25" TV with cable television and complimentary high-speed Internet access.

Info: 1355 North Fourth Street San Jose CA 95112; (888) 453-5340; www.clarionsj.com/

A Night to Remember at the San Diego Marriott

There's plenty of well documented ways of spending an unforgettable vacations in San Diego, especially in the bowels of the lets-all-go-wild hotels in the Gaslamp Quarter. Only problem is that you wake up in bed teh next morning with someone you 'think' you've seen somewhere before, and you remember the wild evening, but not the wild night that follows after all the margaritas kick in.

Not trashing San Diego, just making the point that there's a difference between evening and night, at least when you're inside one of the hotels in San Diego. And one hotel which is focused more on offering wine and romance, as opposed to hard liquor, wild parties and mindless passion, is the San Diego Marriott. And to that end, they're offering a package special which they call "San Diego Is a Magical Place to Spend A Night to Remember!"

Ok, so their marketing people need a little training on how to come up with catchy tag lines, but the package is the real deal. So take a look at it. Includes 1 night's stay, split of champagne with chocolate-covered strawberries - (must be 21 years old - ID must be shown at check-in), complimentary valet parking ($30 value), $50 food & beverage credit ($50 value) to be used at Soleil @ k, Altitude SkyBar, or room service, front-of-the-line access to Altitude Sky Bar, and a movie of your choice (up to $16 value).

Rates from $299. Use promo code LPR. More details and online booking here, or call or call 1-800-228-9290.

As for the hotel itself, well, it's located in the Gaslamp Quarter, adjacent to PETCO Park and 2 blocks to the San Diego Convention Center. They don't have a pool or jacuzzi, but there is a fitness center and a full service business center. Additional hotel facilities and amenities include coffee in the lobby, concierge desk, valet dry-cleaning, a gift shop, ATM machine and so on.

On-site dining facilities include the Soleil @k Restaurant, and the Latitude Lounge, in addition to afore mentioned Altitude Sky Lounge, which is a kind of a hot place to hang out at. Of course, considering the location of the place, finding good restaurants for any and all types of cuisine is not really an issue.

To sum it up, I wouldn't put the San Diego Marriott on my top 10 list of romantic getaways, but if you want to combine an urban holiday in San Diego with a candlelight dinner in the evening and some romancing to go, and that too on a budget, then no better place than the Marriott.

Info: 660 K Street San Diego CA 92101; (619) 696-0234; Website

Head Over Heels Shopping Package at The Muse New York

Did you know that lots of people fly in from the U.K. to New York just for pre-Christmas shopping? That's right. they fly in, do their shopping, and after a couple of days and a few brunches with the NYC society dames, its back to the manor outside London or Wales or Yorkshire or whatever pathetic soggy, dull fish and chips infested part of the U.K. that they happen to be trapped in.

Why am I telling you this now? Because if you need an excuse to fly to New York and let out some of that pent-up shopping mania that's bottled up inside, then I have just the ticket - The Muse Hotel, located just blocks from the holy ground - Fifth Avenue. As the name suggests, the Muse is an inspiration -Inspiration to let go your inhibitions and enjoy your vacations in New York, and join the 'can do' spirit of New York.

New York hotels don't get any more hip than this. And as exhibit A, consider their package specials. Their "Head Over Heels" shopping package includes:-
Deluxe accommodations
Champagne at Mini Bar - (1) bottle
A car service that takes you on a private tour of Fifth Avenue shoe shopping destinations including Jimmy Choo and Saks Fifth Avenue (the shoe store has its own zip code!) - (Car service - 2 hours)
A map of shoe shopping hotspots
A $25 credit towards in-room spa treatments for your soles, such as the pampering chamomile or eucalyptus pedicure

Like I said, won't get any more hip. And some of their other specials have names like Rub the One You're With Package, Road Warrior Package, Tyrannosaurus Rex Recess, Fashion Muse Package, and so on. I'm sure you can imagine what kind of things these packages offer. Well, at least I hope you do. If you don't have a vivid imagination, then you can find more details here.

The Muse offers 181 guestrooms and 19 hotel suites. Amenities and facilities include WIFI and High-speed Internet access, Ihome stereo with Ipod/mp3 docking station, complimentary morning newspaper, select guestrooms feature balconies with city views, essential travel items kit, pet friendly, lighted make-up mirrors, in-room spa services as well as a full compliment of health and fitness channels, including the Yoga Channel, on every TV, along with complimentary yoga accessories for use during your stay, in room dining, L'Occitane spa amenities, Frette linens, Kimpton dynasty plush pillow top mattresses, goose down feather beds and pillows, plush towels, animal print robes for adults and children (hypoallergenic bedding available too).

Also, you get complimentary morning coffee with tea in the living room, hair dryer, iron and ironing board, 37" and 42" LCD HDTV featuring over 150 channels, HBO, Showtime, and On Demand movies, fully stocked honor bar with Schott Zwiesel glassware, in room safe sized for a laptop, access to a 24-hour complimentary onsite fitness center, and in-room spa services and business center services.

Info: 130 West 46th Street New York, NY 10036; (212) 485-2400; www.themusehotel.com/

Romance Beach Vacation Package from Marriott Waikiki

There's no escaping the fact that the Hawaiian Islands with their Aloha Spirit and the warm sandy beaches and brilliant weather, not to mention some fantastic sunsets, volcanic erupions and lava tubes, lush flora and fauna, water sports and exotic culture and food, all make for a very fetching and attractive vacation destination.

That said, of late Hawaii has seen a serious decline in incoming tourists, what with the combination of costly flights, the over-priced Honolulu hotels and a recession which has curtailed the spending power of travelers.

Even so, when it comes to romantic getaways , there is no other destination or state in the U.S. which comes anywhere near Hawaii where newly wed couples, those deeply in love and others simply looking to re-ignite that flickering relationship spark are accorded such a welcome and so special and unforgettable an experience. And this is where the Marriott Waikiki Beach Resort & Spa comes in, with a 'Romance Beach Vacation' package.

Enjoy a corner-deluxe, Ocean View Room for two, where you can sip on champagne or sparkling cider. Slip into a plush bathrobe and comfy slippers while you eat chocolate-covered strawberries and bask in magnificent ocean views. Whether you plan on proposing or just enjoying time alone together, this incredible Waikiki Beach vacation package includes:

• One corner deluxe, Ocean View Room for two
• Champagne or sparkling cider, and chocolate-covered strawberries upon arrival
• Bathrobes, slippers, and two drink coupons, at Moana Terrace Bar & Grill
• Breakfast for two daily, in the Kuhio Beach Grill

Rates from $465 per night. More details and online booking here. If you're simply looking for a room, the Marriott Waikiki has options starting from $179 onwards.

Info: 2552 Kalakaua Avenue Honolulu Hawaii 96815; (800) 848-8110; www.marriottwaikiki.com/

Shop and Stay at the Sheraton Safari Orlando

The Sheraton Safari is the very definition of what hotels in Orlando should be, with $99 family friendly guest rooms and suites and even more family friendly amenities including a spectacular pool complex, featuring a 79-foot python waterslide, Children's pool and hot tub.

There's also a fitness facility, game room, full-service restaurant, lounge and pool-side Tiki Bar, complimentary parking, high speed internet, business center, coin operated laundry, same day valet laundry and dry cleaning, and room service.

To add to that, they also have a gift shop in the lobby, a free scheduled shuttle to Walt Disney World® Theme Parks and Downtown Disney® Area, you can buy the Disney multi-day tickets at guest services, and it is a pet friendly hotel. Basically everything that Joe Six-Pack, and the wife and the kids are looking for in family hotels near the Walt Disney World® Resort.

Ok, so now that you're convinced that the Sheraton Safari doesn't sound all that bad, allow me to introduce their specials. Apart from the Florida Resident special, they have three other offers - Shop and Stay, Bed and Breakfast, and the 'Gas Up & Go' Special. The latter two are quite self-explanatory, I think.

As for the 'Shop and Stay' package, it includes $99 per night accomodations, discount shopping coupon booklets to Orlando Premium Outlets and the Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores, worth hundreds of dollars. Complimentary shuttle available to Lake Buena Vista Factory Stores and to Orlando Premium Outlets. If you want, you can upgrade to a Safari Suite from $129 per night.

Info: 12205 S. Apopka-Vineland Road Orlando FL 32836; (407) 239-0444; www.sheratonsafari.com/

Amour at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo

It may be cold enough in Buffalo, NY right now to make a polar bear beg for mittens to cover his paws, but as a tourist destination, Buffalo vacations are scalding hot right now. The New York Times just listed Buffalo as one of the 44 places to go in 2009.

Besides, inside the confines of the warm and cozy confines of the Buffalo hotels, it's perfect for a bit of Amour, buffed up with a solid breakfast, cajoled along with chocolate truffles, and fired up with a free bottle of wine.

What we're talking about are winter romantic getaways at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo. The hotel is offering an Amour (that's romance in French...) package which includes daily breakfast for two. Breakfast buffet includes freshly baked pastries, fresh diced fruits, fluffy scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, oatmeal, and an array of fruits and nuts to prepare a yogurt.

Plus, you get a welcome amenity with a bottle of white wine and several different tasty chocolate truffles to choose from, and you get the benefit of a 1:00pm late checkout. More details and online booking here.

The Hyatt Regency Buffalo is situated adjacent to the Buffalo Convention Center, has 396 guest rooms, offers a full service business center along with high speed internet and extensive meeting and event space and facilities, a fitness center, hair/nail salon, gift shop, a stealhouse (E.B. Green's Steakhouse) and a restaurant (Harriet's). Nearby, you'll find the rest of what you need, like golf and tennis courses, pool, casinos and amusement parks and of course, the Niagara Falls.

Info: Two Fountain Plaza Buffalo NY 14202; (716) 856-1234; http://buffalo.hyatt.com/

Northern California Romantic Getaway with Regency Inn Oakland

For someone accustomed to the speed and vibrancy of the big cities in the NorthEast and the Midwest like New York and Chicago and maybe even some parts of SoCal, Northern California can sometimes seem to be a bit on the sleepy side. Kindof like a getaway, you know. A place where you go to enjoy some down time and rejunevate your body and mind and whatever else needs rejunevating.

And there's a heck of a lot of getaways tucked in here and there inside this big getaway. Actually, Northern California is the perfect place for romantic getaways, what with the climate and the rolling green plains and vineyards and cozy inns and a breathtaking display of nature's beauty at its vivid best.

Speaking of which, The Regency Inn Oakland apparently realizes Jack London Square's potential as a romantic rendezvous, and so the hotel is offering a 'Romantic Weekend Getaway' package, which includes overnight accommodations for two, deluxe room with upgraded amenities, complimentary "romance basket", and a complimentary movie rental (one per room per day). More details here.

As far as Oakland hotels go, The Regency Inn is right up there, both in terms of amenities and price. For starters, its extremely pet friendly. The guest rooms are equipped with air conditioning, televisions/DVD players, coffee makers, free local calls, wireless internet, hairdryer, refrigerator/microwave, and self controlled heating/cooling system. You get free private parking, 24-hour front desk, free fax, and handicapped rooms, if necessary.

Info: 3720 Telegraph Ave Oakland CA 94609; (800) 393-8617; www.oaklandregencyinn.com/