Sherman's Travel

If you’re reading this post in a part of the world where winter has not yet gracefully given way to spring, you’re no doubt longing to escape to a place with the precise weather you want. But what if you haven’t planned a spring getaway and don’t exactly have a lot of money to spend on one? Don’t fret, we’re here to help! Read more

Believe it or not, Thanksgiving Week is one of the cheapest of the year at hotels across the country. As most people stay close to home or with family during the holiday, rates dip to fill up rooms. So this year, why not shake things up and take a trip over Turkey Day? With prices these low – and all at 4-star hotels – there’s no reason not to get away.

New York City has plenty of draws for a Thanksgiving visit, from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to fantastic sales on Black Friday. 4-star hotels in the Big Apple offer low rates during the week, like the trendy Stay Hotel, located in the center of Midtown Manhattan, for as little at $187 per night when you stay three nights. Rates at the Stay go up to $399 per night in December, which means you’ll be saving over 50 percent. Or, stay at the 4.5-star W New York Downtown Hotel, one of the most stylish hotel brands in the world, for an incredible $197 per night – a savings of $250 on rates earlier in the fall (in fact, these rates at the W hold on many nights through mid-December, and go up to just $213 per night over Christmas week). Read more

Anticipating the fall season conjures up many thoughts: foliage, football, harvest festivals . . . 4-star hotels? Maybe not the first thing that comes to mind, but for our new weekly roundup of favorite travel deals, we found a number of hot bargains for stays at 4-star properties during September, October, or November.

Not quite ready to embrace sweater weather? Stay at the posh Viceroy Palm Springs for as little as $111 per night on weeknights throughout the fall. That’s $60 less than the lowest rates you’ll find anywhere else, including the biggest online travel agencies (you know who we’re talking about). You’ll feel simultaneously relaxed and so very stylish lying by the minimalist pool with a cocktail in hand, or getting a massage at the indoor-outdoor spa. The hotel is also within walking distance to downtown Palm Springs and some of the area’s best golf courses. Read more

It was bound to happen: London hotels have finally realized no one wants to pay the overly inflated prices to stay during the Olympics, and now they are slashing rates in the hopes of filling those empty rooms. Online hotel search site Trivago notes that London hotel availability is still at 30 percent through August 12, and room rates have fallen by 17 percent in the last three weeks. Similarly, JacTravel, a UK-based travel agency for group bookings, says London hotel prices are back to normal levels – after having been driven up by as much as 300 percent two months ago.

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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.

We’re always on the hunt to find you the very best travel deals. Yet, we know it’s easy to get caught up in the industry jargon and skip over a good deal – or worse, book an offer without fully understanding all the conditions only to get a nasty surprise later. Here’s a handy deal dictionary to decode all the offers you see.

Based on double occupancy: Many hotels base their rates on two people staying in one room. Extra fees could apply if you want the kiddos to stay in the same room, too.

Rack rate: This is the official price a hotel says it will charge at a given time, without any discounts or special offers. Though few people end up paying the rack rate, hotels and deals sites like to use it as a base to make the actual rate seem like huge savings.

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While local economies in our favorite travel destinations may still be feeling the pinch of the global recession – especially in international locales – the hotel industry continues to bounce back (though prices have yet to reach pre-recession levels). According to the annual hotels.com Hotel Price Index the cost to book a room increased by 4 percent worldwide from 2010 to 2011, with the biggest jumps in the Pacific (8 percent) and North America (5 percent).

What really struck us about this year’s survey, however, was the comparison of what different nationalities tend to pay for a hotel room in their own countries versus what they shell out while abroad. Turns out Americans are the second thriftiest when it comes to what they’ll plunk down for a hotel in the U.S. – paying an average of $120/night – while at the same time splurging when traveling outside the country, where they pay around $171/night. (Only Australians, the Japanese, and the Swiss pay more.)

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To celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s 60-year reign, Buckingham Palace is gearing up for The Diamond Jubilee celebration, which kicks off on Saturday, June 2 and continues through Tuesday, June 5, 2012. During this official 4-day weekend, London will be abuzz with festivities.

There will be a Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant on Sunday, June 3 (a 1,000-strong flotilla on the Thames with the Queen’s royal barge as the centerpiece) as well as a Thanksgiving service at St. Paul’s Cathedral with a formal carriage procession by the Queen from Westminster Hall to Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, June 5 (you can find details on Jubilee events here). London’s finest hotels are rolling out the red carpet and offering special packages to revelers. The following are a few of the best:

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Looking to enjoy the Big Apple this spring without busting your wallet? Stay at The Jane Hotel, one of Manhattan’s best-kept secrets. This 100-year-old hotel, which once housed survivors from the Titanic, has undergone major renovations and now boasts cozy rooms for savvy visitors. Rates at the storied West Village hotel start from $99 per night — astonishingly low for this pricey neighborhood.

Rooms are small but comfortable, and include LCD TVs, an iPod dock, and complimentary Wi-Fi (communal bathrooms cut down on housekeeping costs and keep the room rates low). The hotel features a delicious French-Moroccan cafe and a lobby with a fireplace and eclectic decor.  Bicycle rentals are complimentary — for exploring the charming restaurants, shops, and bookstores of Greenwich Village, or for cruising along the Hudson River, just across the street from The Jane.

Downstairs, The Jane Ballroom is an opulent bar and lounge with velvet-upholstered couches, chandeliers, and communal board games, providing for an upscale but homey feel. With DJs and dancing on the weekends, it’s become one of the trendiest Manhattan nightlife spots in recent years.

Rooms are available consistently for $99 from now through the end of 2012, though the prices will likely increase as the summer months approach. Visit www.thejanenyc.com to book, or call 212-924-6700. Then, use our TravelSearch price comparison tool to find the lowest rates on flights to New York City.

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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