Sherman's Travel

Retreat to an elegant mountain resort in the Austrian Alps this summer. Stay at the 4-star Hotel Kitzhof Mountain Design Resort, a renowned Design Hotels property, for only $153 per night for three nights. You’ll save over 30% on seasonal rates, plus receive daily breakfast and all applicable taxes.

The designer behind Hotel Kitzhof combines traditional alpine materials with contemporary lines to create a ruggedly upscale space. Enjoy views of the snow-capped Alps from the lobby’s panoramic windows, local specialties in four hotel restaurants, and unique cocktails at the Kitz Lounge. The property also features an indoor swimming pool, a spa, fitness facilities, and a garden. All rooms include complimentary high-speed Internet, leather armchairs, flat-screen TVs, and desks made from antique wood.

Hotel Kitzhof is just a five-minute walk from Kitzbuhel, a medieval town renowned for its picturesque cobblestone streets, incredible vistas, and world-class outdoor sports, including mountain biking, hiking, tennis, and golf.

To book, visit the Hotel Kitzhof Mountain Design Resort website and enter your travel dates. Rates for the Design Hotels 3FOR2 Promotion will appear; pricing is listed in Euros. Or, call 800-337-4685 and mention the same promotion.

See our Austria destination guide for more trip-planning information, then use our TravelSearch price comparison tool to find the lowest rates on flights.

If you’re looking for a break on a luxury getaway over the next several months, here are three great spending credit offers – from a $1,500 air credit to a $200-a-day spa credit – in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and Florida:

Four Seasons Resort Nevis: If you’re in the mood for a Caribbean escape, consider a stay at the 196-room Four Seasons Resort Nevis (shown at left), which is fresh from a December 2010 renovation and features a world-class golf course, four restaurants, and a serene spa. Book five nights in a Deluxe Oceanside or Deluxe Oceanview Room or a Plantation Suite, Ocean Suite, or Luxury Suite and you’ll get a $1,000 air credit (applied to your bill at check out). Book a Villa and the credit is $1,500. Rates start at $545/night.

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Popular bath product and fragrance brand L’Occitane is bringing a sensory slice of Provence, France, to the American consumer in a delightfully more experiential way than its boutique-only outposts previously allowed for. The first and only branch of the L’Occitane Spa concept on U.S. soil debuted in February at the Club Med Sandpiper Bay in Port St. Lucie, Florida, in a seemingly natural partnership between the two French-brand favorites.

Opened on the grounds of Club Med’s only all-inclusive American resort, the new Club Med Spa by L’Occitane serves as the final touch in the resort’s sweeping $28-million renovation, which also saw the implementation of a new family-friendly main pool and an adults-only infinity pool; enhancements to public spaces and guest rooms; and the opening of the Club Med brand’s first golf-, tennis-, and fitness-dedicated academies (helmed by pros like tennis trainer Gabe Jaramillo – mentor to the likes of Andre Agassi and Monica Seles – and golf guru and Arnold Palmer protégé Brad Brewer).

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Since regaining control of its historic canal in 2000, with expansions set for completion in 2014 (the 100-year anniversary), Panama has emerged as a top stop for tourists worldwide. Its capital city, which is ideally set between the Pacific Ocean and lush jungle, has an ever-growing modern skyline across the bay from a revitalized historic district, making it a destination for all types of travelers. And the Westin Playa Bonita, the first Westin in Panama, is a testament to Panama’s rise to the top, embracing the country’s growth and modernity as a sleek skyscraper, while keeping the unique history and landscape at the finger-tips of guests. Read more

It was about the time I was getting an invigorating, 50-minute massage in a fully-equipped spa that I forgot I was in a ski town.

I came to Vail Mountain because I love Colorado, but also because some of the best spa deals at the popular ski resort occur between April and June. That means if you can get to Vail in the beginning of April just before ski season ends, you can score a sweet spa-n-ski getaway deal. If you can’t, there are enough spas, steam rooms, hot tubs, and saunas to keep you busy (busy relaxing, that is) for a long weekend, sans snow. But don’t worry, the babbling stream that runs through Vail village, combined with stunning mountain views and charming Swiss/German architecture is enough.

Here are a few of the best spring, shoulder season spa deals we could find:

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Escape to a stylish boutique hotel in Miami this season while paying an unusually low price. Stay three nights at the 4-star Mayfair Hotel & Spa and you’ll receive the fourth night free. This means that on select dates in July, you’ll pay $112 per night for four nights and save over 35% on room rates earlier in the season. Comparable hotels in the area would cost you up to $100 more during this time.

Located in the lively and artistic Miami neighborhood of Coconut Grove, the Mayfair features a rooftop pool with views of Biscayne Bay, private cabanas with sofas and flat-screen TVs, and poolside cocktails and dining. The hotel also offers a full-service luxury spa, a 24-hour fitness center, an Italian trattoria, and an Art Deco-style bar. The hotel is within walking distance from downtown Coconut Grove, complete with sidewalk cafes, bookstores, galleries, and boutiques.

Stay in a Mayfair Suite at this rate, which includes a king-sized bed with Egyptian-cotton linens, a private furnished balcony with a Japanese spa tub, an LCD TV, complimentary Wi-Fi, and a marble bathroom. The hotel is only five miles from downtown Miami.

Rooms are available at this rate on select dates in July. They are available for slightly more ($114-$121 per night for four nights) throughout June, July, and August – including weekends. Visit the Mayfair Hotel & Spa to book this deal. When booking, go to “Select a Room Inclusive Package” and then choose the “Why Don’t You Just Stay One More Night?” package. Or call 800-433-4555 and mention the same package.

Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find the lowest rates on flights to Miami. Then see our Miami Travel Guide for even more trip-planning information.

Hawaii is the ultimate seasonal paradox. Crowds flock there when the weather is bad… everywhere else. The weather on the islands, however, stays blissfully consistent year-round, so if you can manage a trip in the spring or autumn, you’ll likely face fewer people, and better prices.

A great hotel option this spring, especially for first-time travelers to the island, is the Westin Maui , which I recently had the opportunity to visit. Even though it’s situated on the island’s resort-dotted Ka’anapali peninsula, it’s a soothing break from the area’s tourist bustle, and allows easy- access to the rest of the island. With a lobby that opens up into an outdoor tropical garden – complete with waterfalls and squawking macaws – and a beautiful, ocean-facing pool area, the resort feels connected to the sweeping coast just beyond.

The best part? This property is offering some of the sweetest rates of the season right now, with rooms starting at $269/night through June. This is a nice deal, considering that other 4-star properties on this lovely strip of coast regularly cost $400 per night.

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New residents of Utah’s ski havens of Park City and Salt Lake City say they came for the winter and stayed for the spring and summer. I got a taste of what they meant on a trip there this month.

The spring is arguably the best time for a recreational skier to visit a few of the seven ski resorts within an hour of the Salt Lake City airport. There’s still snow on the ground, but lodging prices are much lower than in peak season. For example, a room at the exclusive, ski-in/ski-out St. Regis at Deer Valley starts at $199 a night instead of $599 during the height of winter. The rate for a king room drops from $750 to $550 at the Washington School House, a newly renamed and revamped luxurious boutique property that is a stone’s throw from the action on Main Street (and ski-in/ski-out from Park City Mountain Resort). That includes a fine, home-style breakfast and all the après-ski snacks, microbrews, and wine you’d like – a rarity in this resort town.

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As the sun was beginning to slip behind the bay, I wasn’t anywhere near Rosewood Little Dix Bay’s crescent-shaped beach. Nor was I clad in some breezy sundress, sipping a rum punch by the bar.

While other guests at the resort were doing what most people like to do in the Caribbean – that would be relax – I was dressed in workout gear, prepped to spend the next 90 minutes hoisting a 25-pound kettlebell over my head. Although I was no sight to behold during the balmy outdoor class, the scenery was beautiful: sea, sand and that setting sun.

I had flown to the Virgin Gorda getaway in the British Virgin Islands to dedicate several hours a day to contorting, lifting, calorie melting, and sweating as part of the resort’s new series of yoga and fitness retreats run respectively by yogi Johnny Anzalone and Frankly Fitness founder, Frank Baptiste.

Little Dix’s program is part of a growing trend happening at warm weather hideaways around the globe: One-of-a-kind fitness retreats taught by coveted instructors in locales that also allow vacationers to get their much-needed chill on.

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Looking for a weekend break with lots to do and within driving distance from the Northeast? Take a look at a recent AAA Four Diamond award winner, Mount Airy Casino Resort in Pennsylvania. Located about an hour west of New York City by car, this recently renovated resort has a lot to offer, including a full casino with 72 table games, an 18-hole golf course, five restaurants (two of which are fine dining), and a full service spa.

A perfect spot for couples, adults groups, or those just looking to get away, Mount Airy Casino is set in the secluded Pocono Mountains that make it easy for guests to escape from their busy schedules. Guests can try their luck at the full service casino, which includes video poker, blackjack, and roulette games. For the poker lovers, there’s a completely separate Poker Room, overlooking the lake and the entire casino floor below.

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