Mount Sterling, Ohio, from $196 per room per night
The New Year's Eve package at the Deer Creek Resort and Conference Center includes accommodations, dinner for two, and a party in the ballroom beginning at 9 p.m. There is also a youth party for kids 12 and up with video games and a DJ, and a children's party for kids under 12 with contests and prizes. At 11:45 p.m., the whole family can gather to prep for a champagne or apple cider toast at midnight. Also included is a buffet breakfast for adults the next morning (the kids' buffet is $6 each). Mount Sterling is about a half hour south of Columbus. Rates start at $196 per room per night.
When: Dec. 31, 2008.
Details: Does not include taxes of 13 percent. Based on double occupancy for two adults; no single bookings. Each child under 18 will be an additional $43.
Contact: 866/292-9391, visitdeercreek.com.
Las Vegas, N.M., from $229 per room per night
Join the fun at the Historic Plaza Hotel's Black Tie & Blue Jeans event. The hotel is offering a package that includes tickets to the gala — with dancing, champagne at midnight, a buffet, and a fortune teller — as well as accommodations and dinner at the Landmark Grill. All the proceeds from the event will go to Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Rates start at $229 per room per night.
When: Dec. 31, 2008.
Details: Does not include taxes of 12 percent. Based on double occupancy; no single bookings.
Contact: 800/328-1882, plazahotel-nm.com.
Portland, Ore., from $229 per room per night
To celebrate its recent reopening, the Hotel Fifty is offering the New New Year's Eve package, which includes accommodations in downtown Portland, a five-course tasting menu prepared by Executive Chef Nicholas Yanes with wine pairings, and a champagne toast at midnight, plus views of the fireworks over the Willamette River. Rates start at $229 per room per night.
When: Dec. 31, 2008.
Details: Does not include taxes of 13 percent. Based on double occupancy; no single bookings.
Contact: 877/505-7220, hotelfifty.com.
New York City, from $254 per room per night
The newly redesigned Marcel at the Gramercy hotel has a holiday package that includes accommodations, a $30 American Express gift card per booking, and complimentary mistletoe in the room. Rates start at $254 per room per night, a savings of 15 percent, or $508 for the required two-night stay.
When: Through Jan. 31, 2009.
Details: Does not include taxes of 13 percent or local fees of $4 per room per night. Based on single or double occupancy. Requires a two-night stay.
Contact: 800/555-7555, themarcelatgramercy.com.
Fort Benton, Mont., from $290 per room per night
The historic Grand Union Hotel is hosting a New Year's Eve gala with live blues music, a five-course dinner followed by dancing, and a champagne toast. This package covers tickets to the gala (a value of $160), plus accommodations and breakfast on New Year's Day. Fort Benton is about two hours north of Helena. Rates start at $290 per room per night.
When: Dec. 31, 2008.
Details: Does not include taxes of 7 percent. Based on double occupancy; no single bookings.
Contact: 888/8381882, grandunionhotel.com.
Rockford, Ill., from $299 per room per night
The CoCo Key Water Resort's New Year's Eve Celebration includes accommodations, water-park passes for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day (a $280 value), and a special countdown at the water park, complete with hats and noisemakers. On New Year's Day, the park hosts duck races — each guest will receive a rubber ducky and can enter it in a water race. Winners will get free passes for a future water-park visit. Rockford is about an hour and half northwest of Chicago. Rates start at $299 per room per night.
When: Dec. 31, 2008.
Details: Does not include taxes of 9 percent. Based on quad occupancy.
Contact: 800/358-7666, cocokeywaterresort.com.
Las Vegas, Nev., rates vary
Sin City still needs your tourism dollars, and its half-full hotels mean deals for you. The booking site Vegas.com has tons of hotels on sale over the holidays, at up to 50 percent rack rates. If you book a three-night stay over New Year's Eve, you'll also receive $50 off the final bill — just for booking with Vegas.com.
Book by: Dec. 23, 2008.
When: Dec. 28, 2008, to Jan. 3, 2009. Stay must include New Year's Eve.
Details: Taxes are additional. Requires a minimum three-night stay. Use promo code NYE2009.
Vegas.com isn't the only online booking agency with New Year's promotions.
TravelZoo has collected some holiday hotel deals, many of which are good over New Year's Eve. You can also search the site for shows and events.
Hotels.com has an "Interests" page, where you can search in categories such as beach, family fun, or romance. There's also a Holiday Sale of up to 30 percent on select properties, good for travel through January 3, if you book by December 31. (We've given kudos to Hotels.com for its impressive rewards program.)
Expedia is offering a Holiday Kickback promotion. When you book a flight and hotel through the site and travel by January 3, you'll receive $200 off a five-night hotel stay and flight through March 30, 2009. The site has some excellent deals by destination and by theme.
Although there doesn't seem to be a holiday sale on Lastminutetravel.com, the site lives up to its name. Search by destination for hotels, flights, cruises, cars, and full packages.