LakeLas Vegas resort: Private balcony and ice-skating
The MonteLago Village Resort, about 17 miles from the Las Vegas Strip, shares some of Sin City's bravado: The resort has constructed a floating ice-skating rink—in the middle of the desert—for the fourth winter in a row. To show off the rink, MonteLago is offering a Holiday Skate, Stay and Shop package that includes a one-night stay in a studio condo with a kitchenette and a private balcony, as well as ice-skating and rental skates. The resort also boasts two pools and a pedestrian village with winding cobblestone streets lined with boutiques, shops, and galleries. Rates start at $64.50 per person, which represents savings of about 20 percent.
When: Through Feb. 17, 2008.
Details: Based on double occupancy. Taxes are an additional 10 percent.
Contact: 866/399-2753, montelagovillage.com.
How to Maximize Your Time in Vegas
Charleston Inn: Carriage tour and breakfast in bed
The refined HarbourView Inn, which has a lobby fireplace, original artwork, and a prime corner spot in Charleston's historic district, offers a wine and cheese reception each afternoon and freshly baked cookies and milk each evening. Its Great Escape package includes a two-night stay, two tickets for a private carriage tour of the city, a $75 gift certificate for one of three local restaurants—High Cotton, Slightly North of Broad, or the Old Village Post House—and breakfast delivered to your room each morning. Rates start at $613 per room for the two-night stay, based on a traditional room.
When: Ongoing; lowest rates are for weeknight (Sun.-Thurs.) stays before Feb. 9, 2008. Over Valentine's Day, only the more expensive HarbourView rooms are still available—starting at $873.
Details: Based on double occupancy. Taxes are an additional 11 percent.
Contact: 843/853-8439, harbourviewcharleston.com.
Aruba resort: Adults-only pool party
The Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino's Adult Indulgence package covers accommodations at the adults-only Renaissance Marina Hotel and two tickets to Sunday night's Sunset in Style event—on the deck of the hotel's infinity pool—with tapas, a complimentary martini bar, and live music (valued at $125). If you don't stay over on a Sunday night, you'll receive a $125 food and beverage credit. If you stay four nights, you'll receive a fifth night's stay free. Rates start at $368 per room per night.
When: Through Mar. 30, 2008.
Details: Based on double occupancy. Taxes are an additional 19 percent. Guests must be at least 18 years old.
Contact: 800/421-8188, renaissancearuba.com.
Montserrat, the West Indies: Volcanoes and dark-sand beaches
In Montserrat, the Honeymooners package covers a stay at Tropical Mansion Suites, a resort built in 1999 that features lush grounds and a swimming pool, for a starting rate of $222 per night per couple. A fruit basket, glasses of complimentary champagne, and floral arrangements are provided in the package. Montserrat, a 39-square-mile island, is a British territory that has many dark-sand beaches. It also offers great diving with plenty of chances to see colorful coral, sponges, stingrays, eels, and sea turtles. Its landscape is dominated by the Soufriére Hills Volcano.
When: Ongoing in 2008; by availability.
Details: Hotel taxes and gratuities and breakfast daily are included. Does not include airfare. Airport-resort transfers cost about $8 each way. Based on double occupancy.
Contact: Tropical Mansion Suites, 888/790-5264, tropicalmansionsuites.com.
Montserrat's official tourism site
Paris air/hotel, 4 nights: Love in the Latin Quarter
The Paris City Break package includes a four-night stay at the Comfort Inn Mouffetard and round-trip, economy-class airfare on Alitalia, Air France or Delta, departing from Boston and New York City, starting at $545 per person. The hotel is located in the Latin Quarter near major attractions, such as the Seine River and the cathedral of Notre Dame. A smart way to get from the airport to the hotel is by Parishuttle, which costs about 19 euros (about $28) per person at parishuttle.com. You can upgrade to the luxurious Hotel Edouard VII for an additional $465 (which includes a free fifth night).
When: Through Mar. 13, 2008. However, to stay during Feb. 14-17, book by Jan. 31.
Details: Airport taxes and fuel surcharges are an additional cost of about $325 per person. In some circumstances on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday departures, there may be a surcharge of $30 each way. Breakfast daily is included. Hotel taxes are included, too. Based on double occupancy.
Contact: TourCrafters, 800/621-2259, tourcrafters.com.
Face-lift for the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles
Vienna air/hotel, 3 nights: Cafés and carriages
The Vienna Valentine package includes a three-night stay at the 70-room Albatros Hotel, within walking distance of subway stops that connect to downtown Vienna—about two and a half miles away. The package also includes round-trip, economy-class airfare on Austrian Airlines, departing from Chicago, D.C., or New York City. Cost is $599 per person. Vienna has a remarkably fast and speedy train link between the airport and the city's downtown Wien Mitte station. From there, you can use the subway system to transfer to the U4 line heading to the Friedensbrücke subway station, which is the closest station to the Albatros Hotel, for a total transportation cost of about $26 per person roundtrip. Extend your stay by adding three nights of lodging in Salzburg for about $280 per person.
When: Available Feb. 7 - 28, 2008; book by Feb. 21.
Details: Airport taxes and fees are an additional cost of about $140 per person. Buffet breakfast daily is included. Hotel taxes are included, too. Based on double occupancy.
Contact: Austrian Airlines Vacation Center, 800/790-4682, austrianair-vacations.com.
Virginia mountains: Ice-skating and fireworks
The All-American Weekend package includes a night's stay at The Homestead, a 483-room resort in Hot Springs, Va., starting at $300 per night per couple. The resort is set in the Allegheny Mountains, which offer scenic views and good skiing. If the weather's clear on this mid-February Sunday night, the resort will treat guests to a fireworks display. During your stay, the 3,000-acre resort will operate an Olympic-sized skating rink. If you stay for two nights, the third night is free. Add breakfast and dinner in the resort's restaurant for an additional $90 per person for adults and $32 for children ages 6 to 12.
When: February 14-18, 2008; by availability.
Details: Hotel taxes are an additional 7 percent. There is also a daily resort charge of 15 percent. Daily breakfast is included. Valet parking is an additional $15 per night. Based on double occupancy.
Contact: The Homestead, 800/838-1766, thehomestead.com.
Another great deal: New Orleans air/hotel, $339
San Francisco boutique hotel: Racy movie and lingerie
The art deco 153-room Maxwell Hotel in Union Square is offering a one-night Romance and Raunch package that goes beyond the classic chocolates and flowers. Instead, guests get a "Do Not Disturb: We're Busy" door hanger, a $50 gift certificate to Victoria's Secret, and an X-rated in-room movie rental—although you can easily substitute a movie with a different rating, if you'd prefer. Rates start at $169 per room per night. Note that the same package is available at slightly higher rates (up to $209 per night) at four other boutique properties: Hotel Metropolis, Hotel Union Square, Kensington Park Hotel, and Hotel Diva.
When: Through May 31, 2008.
Details: Based on double occupancy. Taxes are an additional 14 percent.
Contact: 800/553-1900, personalityhotels.com.
Olympic National Park Lodge: Fireplace and Rain Forest
The Romancing the Rain Forest package at Lake Quinault Lodge includes a one-night stay in a room with a fireplace and a basket filled with champagne, chocolates, and strawberries. About a three-hour drive from Seattle, the lodge is located within Olympic National Forest, one of the world's few temperate rain forests and home to 300-year-old majestic trees, lush ferns, and 250 miles of hiking trails. Rates start at $169 per room per night, which represents savings of 20 percent. The Roosevelt Dining Room, which has panoramic lake views, makes a fittingly romantic dinner date.
When: Jan. 25-Feb. 29, 2008.
Details: Based on double occupancy. Taxes are an additional 12 percent.
Contact: 888/896-3827, visitlakequinault.com.
Road Trip: Washington's Olympic Peninsula
Marrakech, Morocco: Massages and dinner in a tent
This splurge of a Valentine's Day package includes a two-night stay at the 52-suite Octogone Terre Resort & Spa, built two years ago in the Palmeraie Desert, roughly 10 miles outside of Marrakech. The package includes a guided tour of the city, a complimentary bottle of Moroccan wine, a candlelit Moroccan dinner served in a private tent, a hammam (bath), a couples massage, a poolside lunch, an evening carriage ride through the city's streets, glasses of champagne and Moroccan pastries, and a souvenir. The price is $2,480 per night per couple, but it fluctuates with the exchange rate between the dollar and the Moroccan dirham. Airfare is not included. A recent search on Kayak found that airfares started at $1,063 per person between New York City (or L.A.) and Marrakech on Valentine's Day weekend (British Airways).
When: Offered through February 2008.
Details: Airport-resort transfers and breakfast in-room daily are included. Taxes are an additional 10 percent, plus a charge of about $3.50 per person, per day.
Contact: Octogone Hotels, 800/915-4012, octogonehotels.com.