With good timing, your beach can be this uncrowded.

Low prices can be a double-edged sword, though; the opposite side of the blade being that very low prices can attract customers from a different economic echelon (those who are not the usual customers of your favorite resort). That has the power to change the character of the place.

For instance, if your ideal Caribbean retreat has a low-key, piano-at-sunset atmosphere with a quiet beach catering to those over 50, this year you may find it filled with younger families, louder music, more horseplay, less refined dress for dinner, etc. Nothing wrong with any of this, of course … unless it makes you feel like a third wheel on someone else’s vacation.

Here are three ways to improve your 2010 travel:

First, Separate Yourself from the Mass of Summer Vacationers

To avoid traveling with masses of ultra-bargain hunters, be selective about your approach. Our chief advice: buy early and choose places not likely to attract what was once known as the hoi polloi…. Choose the Ritz-Carlton instead of the Marriott for resorts (although the former is owned by the latter); choose Seabourn instead of Carnival for cruising (although again, the former is owned by the latter); choose Travcoa instead of Trafalgar for tours, etc. You get the idea.

If you can, travel in May or October, avoiding school vacation periods which always mean more crowds.

Although travel savings are likely to be promoted throughout the year, the most desirable resort accommodations, tour dates or cruise staterooms will probably sell out sooner rather than later. If you prefer suites or junior suites, verandas, private cottages, ocean-front rooms, Paris apartments or Tuscan villas in the best locations, or if you are tied to specific summer travel dates, start making inquiries now.

Second, Find an Insider

Instead of making reservations yourself, use a travel agent with some clout; that is, one who has a reputation for bringing commerce to the place youʼve selected. This way if something should happen later ‒ and in this economy, one can never be sure what that might be ‒ youʼll have an advocate with the power to negotiate on your behalf.

There are a several ways to locate a travel agent who specializes in a particular destination:

1. Google for ‟Bora Bora travel specialist” and take a look through the results to find a travel planner you like.

2. Look through the specialist listings provided annually in Condé Nast Traveler’s Top Travel Agent issue or on the websites of influential travel agent networks such as Virtuoso, Signature Travel Network or Ensemble Travel. It’s normal for a travel agent with years of experience to claim deep knowledge about multiple places, but avoid agents who list everything imaginable.

3. If youʼve decided on a specific tour operator, resort or cruise line, contact that company before you make a reservation and ask to be referred to the top two or three travel agents who sell their line, or to the best handful of deluxe travel agents they know. You may be referred to a travel consultant who is not in your local area, but if youʼre comfortable being counseled by phone, youʼll benefit from their expertise as well as their ability to reach the executive suite if itʼs necessary to lodge a complaint.

Third, Protect Your Purchase

The only thing one can guarantee about 2010 is … that nothing about 2010 can be guaranteed. So, protect your travel investment with at least a modest travel insurance policy (contact your travel agent or auto club). If you need to change your plans for covered reasons, you won’t lose the principal part of your investment. (Note, cruise lines offer waivers that mitigate against loss, although they are not the same as insurance; American Express offers coverage at low fees for travel that is charged to the card.)

Lower your cash risk by using mileage points for air travel; if you’re short on points, remember that in many cases you can transfer your qualifying American Express credit card miles to your airline mileage plan.

Use these ideas to plan your 2010 travel now and enjoy the anticipation of your trip without the anxiety that will be visited upon those who wait too long.

Peg Prideaux, CTC
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Who wouldn't want a great hotel deal in this neighborhood?

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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