Who wouldn't want a great hotel deal in this neighborhood?
An email from a major travel website landed in my in-box with this subject line: Top Hotel Deals Under $19.”
Is it just me, or are there others who never, ever, ever want to stay in a $19 hotel room?
I’m much happier with deals like these that have come across my desk at about the same time, any of which will provide something far more memorable than the savings one forgets with the turning of the calendar.
In New York, families reign at the Sofitel where rates begin at a mere $259 a night (a bargain in Manhattan) and where children get a second room for 50 percent off (even better). Breakfast is included, just the thing to get you out the door to family favorites like Rockefeller Center, the New York Public Library, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Times Square, all very walkable from your West 44th Street location. You just know that next year, it will cost twice as much. More info: Sofitel New York.
In South Florida, if you hurry, you can play golf for free at the Fairmont Turnberry Isle Resort and Club. Here’s why you want to: They’ve just spent $150 million to upgrade the place, re-doing two 18-hole championship golf courses as part of the facelift (under the watchful eye of Raymond Floyd). It’s all right on the beach, with multiple pools and restaurants. From as little as $199 per night, but only if you hurry. The deal expires September 30, 2009. More info: Fairmont Turnberry Isle.
In Beverly Hills: Sure, with starting rates at $575, the Beverly Wilshire Hotel on Rodeo Drive is a splurge. But hey, it’s not $800 right now, and the third night is free making the effective three-night rate just $384. In Beverly Hills circles, that’s lunch money; yet the prestige remains as high as ever. And why wouldn’t it? The next-door neighbors have names like Louis Vuitton, Jimmy Choo, Judith Ripka, Georg Jensen, Christian Dior, Harry Winston, and the rest of the gang. Whatever’s on sale in such designer stores isn’t likely to be advertised, so it’s good strategy to shop in person.
By the way, the ten-day forecast for Beverly Hills is “sunny and warm.” So is the ten-week forecast. More info: Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire.
These deals are just the tip of the iceberg. And the moral of this column is, while $19 hotel rooms are something to be avoided at all costs, they are a barometer of excellent values at the higher reaches of the travel ladder. Take advantage of these times or, in the words of a prominent travel executive who is better served if we don’t mention his name, “Don’t let a perfectly good recession go to waste.”
– Peg Prideaux, CTC
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