Chicago, from $109 per room per night
The Escape! Family Getaway package at the Renaissance Chicago O'Hare Suites Hotel includes accommodations in a suite with separate living and sleeping areas (either one king bed or two double beds), plus a mini fridge. Also included are a medium pizza, an in-room movie, and soda. Kids under 12 eat breakfast for free, and the whole family can see the "dive-in" movies shown on Friday and Saturday nights at the indoor heated pool. Headed to the airport? The package covers complimentary shuttle service to O'Hare. Rates start at $109 per room per night.
When: Through Dec. 31, 2008.
Details: Does not include taxes of 15 percent. Based on quad occupancy. Kids under 18 stay free. Thursday through Sunday bookings only. Use promo code MAJ.
Contact: 800/468-3571, RenaissanceOHare.com.
Colonial Williamsburg, from $150 per room per night
Book the Summer Saver package and you'll stay in a room with two double beds at the Williamsburg Woodlands Hotel & Suites for four nights, with breakfast daily included. Unlimited admission passes to Colonial Williamsburg for the whole family will allow you to see all the exhibit sites, the indoor museums, and the street theater program—and get free parking and shuttle bus rides. (These passes would normally cost a family of four about $175.) Another bonus is a $200 resort credit good toward golf, spa services, or meals at 10 restaurants and taverns. Rates start at $150 per room per night, or $600 for the required four-night stay. (If booked independently, the elements of this package would cost $1,012 per room, so you're saving $412.)
When: Through Aug. 31, 2008.
Details: Does not include taxes of 11 percent. Based on quad occupancy. Rooms sleep up to five; additional guests will require another room. Kids under 18 stay free. Available for Sunday or Monday check-in only.
Contact: 800/447-8679, colonialwilliamsburgresort.com.
Newark, Ohio, from $194 per room per night
The 200-room Cherry Valley Lodge resort, 25 miles east of Columbus, will cool you off this summer with the Wild Waterpark Works! package. A family of four can enjoy two nights' accommodations, four passes to CoCo Key indoor water park good for two days, an outdoor safari at the Wilds wildlife conservation center, and four passes to the Works discovery museum. As if that weren't enough to tire you out, the Midwest's only zip-line canopy tour is just 40 miles away in Logan. Rates start at $194 per room per night—or $388 for the two-night package.
Details: Does not include tax of 10 percent. Based on quad occupancy; kids under 18 stay free. Starting rate is based on a room with a king-size bed and a foldout couch; upgrade to two queen-size beds for $20 per room per night. Use promo code WILDWORKS.
When: Through Oct. 31, 2008.
Contact: 800/788-8008, cherryvalleylodge.com.
Denver, Colo., from $235 per room per night
The Kids in the City package includes accommodations at the 196-room JW Marriott Denver at Cherry Creek, four tickets to the Denver Zoo, and milk and cookies at turndown. Guests will also be treated to complimentary services provided to all families at check-in: a stuffed teddy bear, child-sized robes and slippers for use during your stay, family-friendly DVDs, books, and board games, and the Passport to Savings card, which provides discounts at local shops like the Wizard's Chest, Cute as a Button, and Kazoo Toys. Rates start at $235 per room per night, which represents savings of $100. (Consider that the average room rate is $329 and tickets to the Denver Zoo range from $9-$11 for adults and $5-$7 for kids.)
When Ongoing.
Details: Taxes are an additional 14.85 percent.
Contact: 303/316-2700, jwmarriottdenver.com.
Philadelphia, Pa., from $250 per room per night
When you book the Animal Discoveries Hotel Package, you'll receive two nights' hotel accommodations, free parking (a $50 value), and two adult and two child tickets to the Philadelphia Zoo, the Adventure Aquarium, and the Ride the Ducks Tour (a savings of $200). Choose from six participating area hotels: Embassy Suites Philadelphia-City Center, Holiday Inn Philadelphia-Historic District, Hyatt Regency At Penn's Landing, Loews Philadelphia Hotel, Sheraton Philadelphia City Center Hotel, and Sheraton University City. Rates start at $250 per room per night at the Loews Philadelphia Hotel.
Details: Does not include tax of 14 percent. You can purchase additional tickets for activities at the hotel at a reduced rate. Each hotel has different age limits for kids; see Web site for details. If you're interested in the Embassy Suites, you can choose to book directly through the hotel's Web site; for all other hotels, you must book through gophila.com.
When: Through Nov. 30, 2008.
Contact: Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, gophila.com.
Mesa Verde, Colo., from $265 per room per night
The Family Value package includes two nights at the Far View Lodge inside Mesa Verde National Park, two ranger-led tours to the Cliff Palace and Balcony House ruins, a ride on the Durango and Silverton train, breakfast daily, and complimentary dinner for kids 11 and under. Rates start at $265 per room per night, or $530 for the two-night stay.
Details: Price is per room, based on two adults and two kids 11 and under. Add $10 per night for kids 12 to 18.
When: Through Oct. 21, 2008.
Contact: 888/896-3831, visitmesaverde.com.
Page, Ariz., from $280 per room per night
The Lake Powell Family Adventure program covers two nights at Lake Powell Resort in Page, on the border of Arizona and Utah and within the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area. Also included are a day's 19-foot-power-boat rental; a waterski and rope or an innertube and rope to enhance the boat ride; boxed lunch for four; a $50 resort credit good for rentals, shopping, food and beverages, or lake cruises; and the Lake Powell Explorer Program, a series of kid-friendly games and activities related to the lake. Rates for the two-night stay range from $559 to $756 per room, based on travel dates and availability.
When: Through Oct. 31, 2008.
Details: Note that accommodations are based on a standard room, which can sleep up to four people; kids up to 18 years of age stay for free in the same room as their parents. Taxes are an additional 6.737 percent.
Contact: 888/896-3829, lakepowell.com.
Boston, Mass., from $299 per room per night
The EduFunCation Escape (try saying that three times fast!) includes breakfast for four at 606 Congress restaurant and a stay at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel, which opened in February on the South Boston Waterfront, an up-and-coming area that can feel a little desolate at night. You'll receive a choice of four tickets to the Institute of Contemporary Art, which is an easy walk from the hotel, or to the Boston Children's Museum. You'll also get four tickets to board the hop-on, hop-off Old Town Trolley whose stops cover the USS Constitution and the New England Aquarium (admission included). Also covered is a scavenger hunt at Maritime Park, opposite the hotel; you'll be supplied with a list of trivia questions to answer by exploring the park, and you'll receive a prize upon completion. Rates start at $299 per room per night, based on two adults and two children.
When: Through Sept. 2, 2008.
Details: Taxes are an additional 12.45 percent. Mention rate code RRYG when booking; if you want to upgrade to a room with water view accommodations for an extra $20 per night, mention rate code RRYH.
Contact: 617/338-4111, renaissanceboston.com.
Beaver Creek, Colo., from $333 per room per night
For adventurous families, there's the Pines Lodge's Hike By Day, Raft By Night package. It covers a three-night stay in a room with two double beds, a guided day hike on the Royal Elk trail, a picnic lunch, and a nighttime float trip on the Colorado River (you'll even be able to see local wildlife with your included night-vision glasses). A GPS rental is included, so you can track your location along the way. Rates start at $333 per night, or $999 for the entire package, which represents a savings of 30 percent.
Details: Does not include tax of 11 percent or a resort fee of $30 per night. Children under 13 stay free; package price based on family of four. Charge is $60 for each extra person (13 years old and over).
When: June 1-Sept. 30, 2008.
Contact: 866/605-7625, pineslodge.rockresorts.com.
Hilton Head, S.C., from $375 per room per night
The Family Fun package at Daufuskie Island Resort includes a stay in a 600-square-foot room, complete with two queen beds, a daybed, a fridge, and a microwave. In addition, there's one $50 resort credit per booking—good toward a round of golf or a spa treatment—and a trip to the Camp Calibogue children's recreation program for up to two children per night (a $30 per night value). At camp, kids will work on crafts and play outdoor games. Daufuskie Island is accessible by ferry from Hilton Head or Savannah. As part of this package, you can get one free child's ferry ticket (a $15 value) for each paying adult. Rates start at $375 per room per night.
When: Through Aug. 23, 2008.
Details: Does not include taxes of 11 percent or a resort fee of 18 percent per room per night. Based on quad occupancy; additional children are $75 each. Kids under 11 stay for free. Available for weeknight bookings only.
Contact: 800/648-6778, daufuskieislandresort.com.
Cooperstown, N.Y., from $480 per room per night
The Otesaga Resort Hotel is kicking off its 99th season this April with several packages, among them the Cooperstown Museum Experience, which focuses on the nearby National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Guests receive two tickets to the Hall of Fame and a souvenir magazine, a keepsake Cooperstown picture frame, as well as two tickets to the Farmers' Museum, two tickets to the Fenimore Art Museum, a token for a ride on the Empire State Carousel, discount coupons for shops at the resort and area museums, a tote bag, and a gift (perhaps a book or an umbrella) from one of the museums. Full breakfast and dinner daily are also included. Rates start at $480 per room per night, which represent savings of about 20 percent.
When: Through Nov. 30, 2008.
Details: State taxes are an additional 8 percent on the total, and there's a 4 percent county tax on the room rate. Kids under 5 years of age stay free; those 5 to 18 are $50 each per night.
Contact: 800/348-6222, otesaga.com.
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