No one in the middle of a party wants to hear that it’s about to end.
Still, we must point out that we’re now in the last two months of summer, and your chances for a summer getaway are dwindling right along with the days in the 2014 calendar. But travelers aren’t the only ones dreading the end of summer. Airlines, hotels, and the tourism industry make much of their profits in the peak summer travel season.
Fortunately for travelers, as that season draws to a close, hotels and resorts are offering all kinds of deals to keep the summer travel party going from now until well into fall.
Here are some of the ones you should investigate:
Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort (St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands)
This Caribbean island resort is offering travelers a big reason to check it out. Frenchman’s Reef & Morning Star Marriott Beach Resort is offering what it whimsically calls its “Price Slice in Paradise.” The “Slice” amounts to a 30 percent discount off leisure stays for Aug. 15-Dec. 19, 2014.
“Price Slice” rates go as low as $169 a night. And for that, vacationers get the private Morning Star beach and some nice leisure activities, including stand-up paddleboarding, beach volleyball, and more than one infinity pool in which to frolic.
Wyndham Vacation Rentals
National Vacation Rental Month is July (as are National Hot Dog Month and National Ice Cream Month — just who schedules these things anyway?). So this is one deal you need to jump on quickly.
Wyndham Vacation Rentals is offering up to 35 percent off rentals though the end of the month. Travelers need to use promo code VRMonth at Wyndham’s website for travel until Sept. 1, 2014.
Wyndham’s deal includes some popular getaways near the beach (Bull Thistle 183 on Kiawah Island, South Carolina), in the mountains (Chateau Chamonix in Steamboat Springs, Colorado), down south (The Tillery Porches near Great Smoky Mountains National Park), and other locations.
Le Meridien Delfina (Santa Monica, California)
There’s still time to hit the California surf. Le Meridien Delfina is offering a “Surf’s Up” package, which includes a 20 percent discount on surfing lessons and 50 percent off meals at Longitude and Zest Kitchen.
Le Meridien Delfina is a couple of blocks from the beach, but discounted room rates starting at $269 a night (based on availability) could make that walk feel a lot shorter. The package is available through Sept. 30.
Sheraton New York Times Square (New York)
The exact opposite of a beach vacation: a trip to New York City.
Sheraton New York Times Square is offering a “Beat the Heat” package that includes 15 percent off the “flexible rate” of $349 a night (a midrange price for a hotel in expensive Manhattan). That comes with a $15 food and beverage credit.
Luxe Hotels (Los Angeles)
Wanna shop like a “Real Housewife of Beverly Hills” but without all the drama and bickering? Luxe Hotels is offering a unique promotion at two of its Los Angeles locations: “Luxe Loves Fashion.”
At Luxe Rodeo Drive Hotel in Beverly Hills, guests receive a $75 dinner credit at On Rodeo Bistro & Lounge, a $50 Grove Gift Card, free overnight parking, complimentary valet parking at the L.A. shopping mecca the Grove, and personal styling appointments at Topshop or Nordstrom — all for $429 a night.
Guests at Luxe’s more serene Sunset Boulevard location get similar credits and perks for $399 a night.
il Lugano (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)
Fort Lauderdale is famous for offering the sun and beach fun of Miami without the crazy crowds and prices of its ritzy neighbor to the south.
Bargains can definitely be found at the Fort Lauderdale boutique il Lugano, where summer rates start at a jaw-droppingly low $143 per night for a water-view suite.
Each suite offers an in-room kitchenette, a washer and dryer, and water views — making this an ideal, and inexpensive, destination for families.
Kennebunkport Inn (Kennebunkport, Maine)
Now’s your chance to pretend you’re a member of the Bush family and summer in their coastal Maine getaway town.
Kennebunkport Inn is showing off its newly refurbished Riverhouse guestrooms with a pair of discount packages.“Table for Two” features up to 30 percent savings (rates start at $319) and includes a continental breakfast and a four-course dinner for two (excluding alcohol) at its One Dock Restaurant.
“Pedal and Paddle” includes a two-night stay and a continental breakfast, plus the aforementioned pedal and paddle — aka bicycle rentals and kayak rentals — a picnic lunch, and a four-course dinner for two at One Dock. Rates for the “Pedal and Paddle” package start at $665 (a savings of up to 30 percent) and run through Oct. 19; “Table for Two” runs through the end of the year.
Plus, the Kennebunkport Inn’s sister property, The Boathouse Waterfront Hotel, is offering “Wharfside Wednesday”: a two-night midweek discount worth 20 percent off the price of a Wednesday-night stay. That package starts at $389 and is available through Nov. 19.
The Cotton House (Mustique)
A great summer deal provides a great excuse to see one of the gems of the Caribbean: Mustique. The Cotton House is offering a great excuse to spend a week at this private island: two nights free on a seven-night stay at one of its Garden Cottages (the summer rate is $450 a night, plus 10 percent service charge).
The Cotton House’s Summer Travel Package also includes a scuba-dive session for each guest (certified divers only); a 60-minute massage treatment at the in-house spa; free airport transfers to and from Barbados and Mustique; free continental breakfasts for two each day; and an invite to Mustique’s weekly island cocktail party. The promotion ends Aug. 31.
The Sands at Grace Bay (Providenciales, Turks and Caicos)
The Sands at Grace Bay is offering a deal they hope will have scuba-diving enthusiasts swimming to their resort. They’re offering a discounted, weeklong “Surf & Turf”-themed vacation package that includes five or six days of two-tank scuba-dive excursions for two (divers must be certified, and scuba equipment rentals cost extra).
As for the “Turf” part of the equation, guests get free use of snorkeling gear, Hobie Cats, kayaks, windsurfing equipment, and stand-up paddleboards, plus bicycles to explore the island on dry land. Rates start from $1,250 per person, and the package is available now through Dec. 20, 2014.
Hotel El Convento (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
The charming Hotel El Convento in Old San Juan bills itself as Puerto Rico’s only “Small Luxury Hotel.”
It’s offering a “Sun, Fun, and History” package whereby guests get admission to El Convento Beach Club, one kite per child to fly at the landmark 400-year-old Spanish fortress El Morro, and admission to Museo del Niño Children’s Museum. Rates start at $225/night.