$100 Dining Credit at Kimberly Hotel NYC

New York is a funny old city. While hotels in most cities are slashing rates to meet falling travel budgets, the good old New York hotels are competing to see who can offer the most outlandish and luxurious hotel experience.


In tune with this New York 'shock and awe' spirit, the Kimberly Hotel in midtown Manhattan has come up with a package which includes $100 worth of dining credit at their fine Italian restaurant - Ferro's. Offer valid only until March 31, 2009. More details here.


Obviously, the first question that comes to mind is - What kind of rates do they charge, if they can afford to give you $100 worth of dining credit? Well, rates start from $379 for a 1-bedroom suite and $389 for a luxury guestroom. Yes, the guestroom costs $10 more than the 1-bedroom suite. Welcome to New York City...


Here's the thing - The Kimberly is not for penny pinchers. It's all part of the whole New York experience. You check into a luxury hotel located close to the Broadway theaters and fifth avenue shopping and all the other upscale attractions in New York. You stay in a swanky suite well above the 20th floor with a great view of the Manhattan skyline. You enjoy exclusive access to clubs like the New York Health & Racquet Club. Pre-theater dinner at Ferro's, and then the show. Post-show, you unwind and enjoy relaxing cocktails and tapas at a chic club like Nikki's Beach Midtown, located next to the Kimberly.


The point is, this is the kind of life that the deep-pocketed crowd with private penthouses and condos in Manhattan enjoy. The Kimberly is offering it's guests teh same New York experience. Obviously it's going to cost more than your run-of-the-mill budget lodging for tourists in Times Square. But it'swell worth every penny.


Info: 145 East 50th Street New York NY 10022; (212) 702-1600; www.kimberlyhotel.com/

Go San Diego Special at Surfer Beach Hotel

The difference between other cities and San Diego, as a tourist destination, is that the San Diego beaches actually complement and prop up the attractions on offer. What I mean is, in most cities, the beach is an attraction all by itself, and then there's other attractions. But in San Diego, it's all one big beach-front party.

The most important tourist magnets with resorts, hotels, restaurants, parks, etc. are all beach-front communities - Pacific Beach, Mission Bay, Ocean Beach, Del Mar, La Jolla, Coronado Island and so on.

So, naturally, you want to spend your San Diego vacations on the waterfront. The Surfer Beach Hotel is just 10 minutes from downtown San Diego and located on one of the pristine Pacific coast beaches. All the major attractions in San Diego, including SeaWorld, the San Diego Zoo, the Gaslamp Quarter, LegoLand, and Historic Old Town are easily accesible.

And if you're worried about the level of service and the facilities, well, don't be. The hotel is offering a Go San Diego package deal, which includes lodging in a King or Double guest room, two adult 2-day Go San Diego cards, and complimentary hotel parking. The Go San Diego card includes free admission to over 45 San Diego attractions and discounts on shopping, dining, and much more around the city. Rates from $229.00 per night. More details here.

The retro-chic standard guest rooms with contemporary furnishings offer ocean view balconies,
double pillow top beds, refrigerator, bathrobes, blackout drapes, flat screen television with cable TV, complimentary toileteries, hair dryers and iron and ironing board. Suites additionally offer wet bar with microwave and coffee pot. And seating area with queen sofa bed. The Sunset suites offer fully equipped kitchenettes. For an extra charge, you can avail of wireless internet and rollaway beds.

Amenities offered include complimentary hot coffee, tea, cocoa and cappuchinos in the lobby - any time you want. There's also a heated outdoor swimming pool, bar and lounge area, onsite restaurant, guest laundry facilities, 24-hour front desk, and onsite parking ($12 per day).

Info: 711 Pacific Beach Dr. San Diego CA 92109; (866) 251-2764; www.surferbeachhotel.com

Stay and Play at Don Hall's Guesthouse in Fort Wayne IN

Don Hall's Guesthouse in Fort Wayne, IN is not just some hicktown B&B. It's a mini-resort, offering golf vacations, an in-house Convention Center for meetings, weddings, conferences and other events, and also a historic restaurant from the 1940s.

And the best part is that as cheap as the ordinary motels in Fort Wayne. Don Hall's Guesthouse offers rooms starting from $89 - Which includes room for 2, along with free breakfast and dinner for 2. And if you're a golfing fan, you might want to check out their 'stay and play' package - $120 for lodging & 18 holes of golf with a cart.

Don Hall's Guesthouse offers 121 spacious guest rooms and suites. The standard rooms are all air conditioned, smoking and non smoking, and equipped with clock radio, coffee makers, free high speed internet access, hair dryers, and cable tv.

Amenities include free local calls, an exercise room, 2 swimming pools and a whirlpool. They also have jacuzzi, executive and hospitality suites, if you feel the need to splurge. The golfing vacations include access to the golf courses at the members only private Coyote Creek Golf Club.

Not ot say that it's better than a Hilton or any of the other posh hotels in Fort Wayne, but for this price,to be able to pack in so much, and still not compromise on quality, is indeed a good deal.

Info: 1313 W. Washington Center Road Fort Wayne IN 46825; (260) 489-2524; www.donhallsguesthouse.com/

Flamingo Motel, Atlantic City

Now you can doubletime Atlantic City by dancing with the high rollers at the Hilton Casino but going home to sleep with the Flamingo next door. That's the Flamingo Motel we're talking about, which sits straddling the space between the Hilton and Tropicana casinos in Atlantic City.

With 70 rooms half a block from the boardwalk and beach, with a casino within shouting distance and a police station 1 block away, the Flamingo offers an option to enjoy the attractions in Atlantic City without going broke. If you don't lose it all in the casinos first.

Amenities offered include cable/satelite TV, air conditioning, shower/tub combination, refrigerator, and jacuzzis. Hair dryers and microwaves available upon request. Free parking, 24 hour front desk and express check-out.

Rooms offer the option of 1 King bed or two double beds. Floor to ceiling windows through the balcony provide a good view of the city. Not that it's comparable to the luxurious casinos / hotels in Atlantic City, but for the price ($50-$75), and considering the location, it's a fair enough place to crash for the night.

They don't offer online booking, which is a bit odd. And prices are not listed on their website, which is even more surprising. But they do offer quotes individually, so you might be able to 'negotiate' your way into a better price.

The only comparable offers you'll get will be from the Super 8, Motel 6 and other chain motels in Atlantic City. It's not much either way, but then, if you've just lost a fortune to the casinos, the old lady back home will probably not take kindly to you adding to the hole by splurging on a costly suite at a luxury hotel. In that case, the Flamingo is ready to take you in, broke or not.

Info: 3101 Pacific Ave Atlantic City NJ 08401; (609) 344-3061; www.flamingomotelonline.com/

By the Oceanside inn Daytona Beach

What with the State Dept.'s dire Mexico travel advisories, travel to Cancun for Spring Break this year is a big no-can-do. So that leaves the field pretty much to Florida, and especially Daytona Beach. I mean, c'mon, there's tons of good beaches and spring break hot-spots, but still, none of them can hold a candle to Cancun and Daytona, in terms of sheer exuberance and the party atmosphere.

All of which means that Daytona is especially sizzling this year. Which also means that it'll be even harder to get hold of suitable accomodations. So you need to move out of your comfort zone, and check out some decent Daytona Beach motels, Inns and B&B's.

Which brings us to the Oceanside Inn, which offers 178 clean deluxe studios and 1-bedroom suites, with 23 miles of spectacular beach at your doorstep. Hang around their oversized freshwater pool, and leave the kids to enjoy the kiddie pool, or you could check out the 6,500 sq ft terrace garden with the sea breeze blowing away all your worries and allowing you to just take in the wonderfulness of the Daytona shores.

Start your mornings with the Inn's Continental breakfast buffet, check your mail with the free wireless internet, and then laze around with a drink at the poolside Tiki Bar & Grille. If you're looking for a serious drinking session to drown your sorrow or celebrate life, the Mariner Lounge is waiting for you.

The stardard rooms have either one king bed or two double beds, with sweeping ocean views through floor-to-ceiling windows. In-room amenities include cable TV, an in-room safe, hair dryer, iron/ironing board, and air conditioning.

Amenities offered include a continental breakfast with fresh-baked Danish, muffins, bagels, toast, fresh fruit, cereals, juices and hot beverages. In addition to all the above mentioned pools, free wireless, terrace garden, lounge and bar, there's also a fitness center and a conference center. And you get free parking.

Daytona Beach attractions in the vicinity of the Oceanside Inn include the Ocean Walk Shoppes with a 10-screen cinema, a range of restaurants, specialty and gift shops. There's also the Ocean Center, Daytona Beach Kennel Club, LGPA HQ, and the Peabody Auditorium. The Daytona Beach International Airport is easily accesible from the Oceanside Inn.

Info: 1909 South Atlantic Avenue Daytona Beach Shores FL 32118; (386) 255-4492; www.oceansidedaytona.com

3rd Night Free at Sidney James Mountain Lodge in Gatlinburg TN

If you're looking for a peaceful mountain getaway, and you want to spend the weekend sitting back enjoying the early morning freshness, sipping a hot cup of coffee, watching a meandering stream bubbling past you and the undulating hills and valleys of the Great Smoky Mountains flourishing in the backdrop with the first signs of an early spring, well... look no further.

You get all this and more at the Sidney James Mountain Lodge in Gatlinburg TN. Even better, it's no less than a luxury resort, but the rates are comparable to the ordinary budget motels in Gatlinburg. In fact, it's a bit exotic. There's three swimming pools - an outdoor one for the summer, and a small pool for the children which looks like a giant toilet seat.

But the interesting one is the heated indoor swimming pool, which looks more like an atrium, with plenty of green , a waterfall and rocks and all. It's the kind of thing you see in the movies or in an eccentric billionare's mansion in Los Angeles, or in zoos and aquariums, but seldom at a motel in real life. Especially not in a place like Gatlinburg.

In addition to the three pools, the Sidney James also offers free wi-fi internet, guest laundry, jacuzzis, fireplaces, sauna room, free parking, and a poolside cafe. The trolley stop right in front of the building, so you hop abroad and check out all the downtown attractions in Gatlinburg.

It's located adjacent to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, so the Sidney James Mountain Lodge offers visitors easy access to a variety of Parkway shops, award winning restaurants, and all the outdoor recreation that is possible in the Mountains.

The rates are seasonal, but for stays in between now and March 13, you can find accomodations here in between $49 to $139, based on your choice of room/suite/cabin/condo and whether it's a weekend or not. The jacuzzi suites offer panoramic views of the Smokies and Gatlinburg, mirrored ceilings, private balconies, and seasonal fireplaces.

Whatever you choose, you'll have in-room coffee and refrigirators. Great spot for romantic getaways. Oh, and they're offering the third night free if you book two or more nights. Offer valid until March 13 2009, and only if you book directly with them.

Info: 610 Historic Nature Trail Gatlinburg TN 37738; (800) 876-6888; www.sidneyjames.com/

The Ace Hotel in Palm Springs

It's new, hip and cheap, even by Palm Springs standards. That's the new 180 room Ace Hotel in Palm Springs. The Ace is testing the boundries that exist between boutique hotels and the cheap Palm Springs motels.

In fact, the Ace was indeed a motel before it's recent makeover. Also, rooms at the Ace start from $89, which considering it's location on Palm Canyon Drive, and the kind of amenities, facilities and service that the hotel offers, is a very motel-y price.

They have their own 'Swim Club' with two saltwater pools open to the public for swimming, sunbathing and outdoor dining. Guests lounge on poolside hammocks and sip cocktails. Speaking of which, the Amigo Room Bar at the hotel serves up fresh and original cocktails using locally grown fruits and herbs from their own garden.

The spa offers treatments and juices which make good use of locally grown fruits and vegetables as well. And the spa also has Mongolian yurts for hot stone massages, facials, body scrubs and other natural treatments. The mountains and Indian Canyons loom in the background and offer excellent prospects for hiking and exercise.

A rickety van shuttles guests to and from the downtown attractions in Palm Springs. To top it all off, the hotel is extremely dog friendly. All said and done, a fine place for a relaxing spa getaway coupled with a weekend family vacation. And did we tell you about the excellent golf courses in Palm Springs?

Info: 701 E. Palm Canyon Dr Palm Springs CA 92264; (760) 325-9900; www.acehotel.com/palmsprings/