Sherman's Travel

With spring break right around the corner, now is the perfect time to plan your next adventure. Even upscale hotels are offering great rates for March and April travel, so you can stay at those luxe hotels you used to think you couldn’t afford, even during this prime travel period. From a boutique hotel in Denver to a brand-new 5-star resort in Goa, you can treat yourself to a spring break without breaking the bank. Read more

I had never been to Puerto Vallarta, so I was very excited about the prospect of visiting over the New Year’s holiday. Coming from New York, it is, obviously, a longer trip than heading to the east coast of Mexico. However, it is worth the extra few hours of flight time. Puerto Vallarta is a charming seaside town and the old city is eminently walkable. There is a popular promenade along the water, and a not so surprising assortment of tourist shops, restaurants, and bars line the blocks. Most of one’s time, however, is likely spent at a resort and not at beaches around town.

I stayed at the Garza Blanca Preserve, Resort & Spa, located about 15 minutes south of the old town. This was the perfect choice. While the Four Seasons is about an hour north of town, I feel that the Garza Blanca is a great pick in that it is upscale, a very good value, and located not far from town for those evenings when one may want to go out to eat off property. Unlike the congested hotel zone north of Puerto Vallarta, the area south of the city, where the Garza Blanca is located, is less developed and far more secluded. Read more

Move over, margaritas: Wine is poised to take center stage at an upcoming culinary series of gourmet culinary events at an award-winning property in the Mexican Riviera.

In further proof that the world has not, in fact, ended, Karisma Hotels & Resorts has unveiled its Jackson Family Wines Culinary Series, a brand-new offering for 2013. Held at the adults-only El Dorado Royale and El Dorado Casitas each month, the weeklong program will highlight a different chef and winemaker from the Northern California winery, who will work together to create wine and dine experiences such as tasting and cooking classes, beachside wine parties, and a multi-course winemaker dinner prepared in a thatched roof “culinary theater.”

Sounds like a perfect backdrop for a Valentine’s Day getaway – or a reason to toast a trip to Mexico any other time of year. Read more

The colorful and chaotic frenzy that is India can quickly frazzle even the most seasoned travel vet. Happily, remedies to recover from India’s assault on the senses are well within reach in a nation that’s served as a fountainhead for such ancient wellness traditions for as yoga, Ayurveda, and meditation. I survived my recent month on the road there by setting aside some much-needed downtime at a handful of the country’s superlative spa hotels. Put R&R on your radar at two splurge-worthy mountain spa oases, where the resorts are worthy destinations in and of themselves, or try two great-value hub-city hotels touting top-notch spas aimed at helping you reboot while you’re en route.

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Budapest delivers all that you’d expect from Europe’s best big cities: beautiful monuments, busy museums, bustling nightlife, break-worthy bathhouses. Wait a minute, back up: bathhouses?! That’s right – Budapest is a straight-up spa city, bubbling over with more than a hundred natural underground hot springs that have been luring visitors since Roman times. With some 15 perfectly affordable bathhouses set right in the city, you’ll have plenty of opportunity to indulge in some budget-friendly R&R, where you can channel your inner “Buda” without those “pesty” bills piling up (and also wash away the cringe factor at having had to read that wordplay).

Just back from a rejuvenating rest in Budapest, here are two of my top bathhouse picks. While they aren’t necessarily the cheapest in town, they definitely bring out the best of Budapest’s bathing culture. Read more

Stay at a sprawling San Diego resort on the tip of Shelter Island, known for its beautiful harbor views and yacht-filled marinas. This fall, the Kona Kai Resort and Spa is offering rooms for as little as $97 per night — a savings of 40 percent on January and February rates.

The Hawaiian-inspired Kona Kai Resort and Spa features peaceful harbor and marina views and is surrounded by eleven acres of lush tropical gardens. The resort includes an outdoor pool, a whirlpool, a full-service spa, a fitness center, a sunning beach with volleyball courts, jogging and walking paths, free bicycle rentals, and complimentary WiFi. Dine at the waterfront Kona Kai Restaurant serving fresh local cuisine, and visit nearby attractions like Sea World, the San Diego Zoo, and downtown San Diego — all minutes away by car. Complimentary shuttles are available between the hotel and the San Diego Airport, Amtrak station, and cruise ship terminal.

Guest rooms offer garden, marina, or waterway views, and feature relaxing island decor and private balconies.

Travel on select dates throughout September and October. To book, visit the Kona Kai Resort Hotel and enter your dates. Or call 800-566-2524.

See our San Diego destination guides for more trip planning information, then use our TravelSearch price comparison tool to find the lowest rates on return flights, packages, and more travel deals.

Already anticipating your holiday vacation? Get away to the luxurious 4.5-star Milliken Creek Inn & Spa in Napa Valley this winter. This elegant hotel in California’s renowned wine country is tucked away overlooking the Napa River, and you can take advantage of its Scents of the Season package for bookings this holiday season. With rooms starting at $199 per night for stays from November through January, you’ll save 40 percent on current rates.

Stay in a luxurious guestroom that features a king bed, a spa bathtub, a plasma television with DIRECTV, complimentary Wi-Fi, and evening turndown service.  Select rooms also feature one-touch gas fireplaces and private balconies. Read more

Music, partying, and sports features heavily on the Jamaican psyche, and Jake’s on Treasure Beach is taking it to the next level with their Countdown to Jamaica’s 50th special, featuring hotel deals, food and spa vouchers, and other festivities in anticipation of Jamaica’s 50th independence day on August 6.

Starting from August 4, celebrations at the boutique hotel include a beach bonfire party playing hits from Jamaica’s rich musical culture, a beach soccer tournament involving 18 teams, and the premier of One People, a documentary capturing what Jamaica means to the rest of the world. And when you have to stumble back to your room, Jakes is offering 20 percent off their usual rates, starting from $94 a night. Choose between 49 of the hotel’s wildly colorful rooms, many of which face the Caribbean, its 31 cottages with antique furniture and louvered windows, or the establishment’s three eclectically decorated villas. To keep your focus purely on relaxation, most rooms are not equipped with televisions or telephones, but the hotel offers picnic baskets for excursions and tour guides for day trips to surrounding villages.

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Get away to the Cayman Islands, known for idyllic beaches and world-class diving, and stay at a 4-star resort for $151 per night. This deal at the Westin Casuarina Grand Cayman Resort & Spa saves 20% on current hotel rates, and also includes $100 in hotel credit and $100 in vouchers for water sports excursions.

Travel now through December 21. Take in ocean and beach views from your guest room’s private patio; rooms also include LCD TVs, WiFi, plush bathrobes, and separate tubs and showers.

The Westin Cuasarina is ideally located on the famous Seven Mile Beach in the heart of Grand Cayman, and offers easy beach access as well as an outdoor pool, a spa, a fitness center, whirlpools, a diving center, water sports, and a kids’ club. The resort also features eight restaurants and lounges, including the AAA Four Diamond restaurant, Casa Havana. Use your water sports vouchers towards activities through Red Sail Sports like sunset catamaran rides, wave runner excursions, and Scuba diving.

Book online at the Westin Casuarina website and choose the “5th Night Free – Sunsational Savings” package. Or, call 866-716-8108 and mention the rate plan ZS5. A five-night minimum stay is required.

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

Scottsdale’s desert summers are hot, dry, and perfect for spending a day at in one of the city’s luxurious spas – especially when treatments are on sale and come with full-day access to pools and sundecks complete with ravishing desert views and the cool relief of misting fans.

Fresh off a long flight from Atlanta, I was more than ready for my treatments at the Hotel Valley Ho’s mod VH Spa, particularly the hydrating mini-facial, which eased post-flight dryness with antioxidant-rich Chardonnay-based elixirs, and a wonderfully punishing (hello endorphins!) deep-tissue massage. Sunday night is Spa Party Night at the VH Spa, when two treatments of your choice – including specialty massages like lomi-lomi and the spa’s signature pedi – come with a cocktail in the playful Café Zuzu bar and as much decompression time as you’d like in the martini-olive shaped pool for $99 (it’s regularly $190). For a weekday fix that’s only available during the summer, try the sampler package: two 30-minute treatments for $99 ($150 if purchased separately). Monthly specials are also available at hotelvalleyho.com.

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