Sherman's Travel

This weekend ushered in the official start of fall, but that doesn’t mean you need to put away your bathing suit just yet. With beachfront resorts from Mexico to Aruba to Fiji, this week’s top deals allow you extend your summer a little bit longer, so you can dig your feet into the sand – and not dig deep into your wallet.

On Mexico’s golden Pacific Coast, the Paradise Village Beach Resort in Nuevo Vallarta is featuring rates for just $86 per person, per night this fall. That’s a savings of over 25 percent at the sprawling all-inclusive resort. The one catch is that a four-night minimum savings is required to reap these savings, but with a championship golf course, two spas, a marina, and a wildlife preserve, it’s unlikely that you’ll want to stay for less time. In nearby Los Cabos, the upscale Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Resort & Spa is offering all-inclusive rates for as little as $148 per person, per night through October 31 – a savings of 55 percent at this 4.5-star resort on the tip of the Baja Peninsula. Read more

If either Los Cabos or Mazatlan, Mexico, is on your radar for a beach-and-spa getaway in 2012, check out the yearlong specials and extras currently being offered by Pueblo Bonito Oceanfront Resorts and Spas. The company operates four all-inclusive properties in Los Cabos, set at the tip of the sunny Baja peninsula: Pueblo Bonito Pacifica Resort & Spa (shown at left), Pueblo Bonito Rosé Resort & Spa, Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach Resort & Spa, and Pueblo Bonito Los Cabos. In Mazatlan, the company’s two resorts are Pueblo Bonito Mazatlan (the chain’s original hotel, it opened in 1987) and Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay Resort & Spa.

Right now, all-inclusive rates at all properties are discounted 30 to 50 percent off for travel through April 14, 2012, starting at $520/night at Pueblo Bonito Pacifica; $511/night at Pueblo Bonito Rosé; and $448/night at Pueblo Bonito Emerald Bay (the latter two also offer room-only rates that are half the cost). In addition, everyone who books a stay throughout 2012 will receive a complimentary anniversary gift at check-in. Choices include a mini-treatment at the spa, a rose-petal turndown in your room, a bottle of champagne, 25 percent off select tours, or early check-in and late checkout. Read more

Want to book a trip to Mexico but not sure where to start? Head over to Aeromexico’s new Gran Plan site for vacation package bookings. The site conveniently bundles air and hotel for Aeromexico destinations like Cancun, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta, and Los Cabos. Gateways within the U.S. include major hubs like New York, Miami, and Los Angeles, as well as smaller cities such as Fresno, Phoenix, and Sacramento. There’s also a just-launched (as in yesterday) route between Las Vegas and Guadalajara. On the hotel front, you can expect to find perks and offers like room discounts, third night free, resort credits, and kids stay and eat free. Note that many flights require a stopover in Mexico City, but Aeromexico connections are easy at the new-ish Terminal 2, which opened in 2008. You’ll also be able to check your luggage without paying fees, and you might even get a free meal on the plane! us.granplan.com/packages

For general trip-planning information, see our Mexico Travel Guide.

Say hello to paradise this fall with an exclusive offer from the Hola Grand Faro in Los Cabos. The 333-room resort, located on the Sea of Cortez, is slashing 30 percent off advance purchase all-inclusive rates just for ShermansTravel readers. With this discount, rooms cost as little as $140 per night for two people – just $70 per person – and include all meals, unlimited drinks, nightly entertainment, and access to five outdoor pools. Plus, kids 12 and younger stay and eat for free.

THE VALUE: ShermansTravel readers who book this package slash 30 percent off of four room categories, bringing rates on partial and garden-view rooms down to less than $140/night, based on double occupancy; oceanfront rooms cost just $178 per night.

THE CATCH: Hurry! This package must be booked by August 31 and is valid for travel from September 1 to October 16.

THE DETAILS: Click here or call 866-365-6932 and mention ShermansTravel to book.

WE’VE GOT MORE: See our Mexico Travel Guide for more trip-planning information, then use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find the lowest rates flights.

The Luxury: Located on the southernmost tip of the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico, the 237 all-suite Marquis Los Cabos Resort offers an exotic retreat along the Sea of Cortez. This Leading Hotels of the World member offers access to three sprawling golf courses: The Robert Trent Jones-designed Cabo Real, the Jack Nicklaus-designed Club Campestre San Jose, and the Greg Norman- and Jack Nicklaus-designed Puerto los Cabos (each architect fashioned nine of the holes). This package lets guests play each of the courses as often as they’d like throughout their stay.

The Value: ShermansTravel readers score the Unlimited Golf Package for just $285/night, a more than 40 percent savings off the $490 per person per night rack rate.

The Catch: This package requires a minimum three-night stay, and transportation from the resort to golf courses can cost as much as $80 round-trip.

The Details: To book, call 877-238-9399 or visit www.marquisloscabos.com (use code GOLFQ); valid through December 23, 2011.

See our Mexico Travel Guide for more trip-planning information, then use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find the lowest rates on flights, hotels, packages, and more travel deals.

This isn’t some Page Six story about bumping uglies with Brad Pitt. No, with summer caressing our skin, these four luxury hotels are taking sleeping outside to another level.

AKA Central Park, New York: The New York skyline is already exciting enough, but it goes to new levels at AKA, which bills itself as the first outdoor bedroom in Manhattan. The Central Park penthouse has a wraparound terrace with its queen-sized bed fronting a wood-burning fireplace during chilly late-summer nights (it’s available through October 31st, weather permitting). Music via iPod or Bose, a bottle of Veuve Cliquot champagne and midnight snacks like s’mores from Maison du Chocolate are served for one heck of a romantic night. Package is $3,000 a night. Reservations via 866-AKA-9999

Las Ventanas al Paraiso, Los Cabos, Mexico: The resort’s Director of Romance came up with the idea of taking king-size beds and putting them atop the wide-open, but private rooftop terrace and penthouse suites. They’ve become the place to watch the stars, the sparkling Sea of Cortez, and the waves via the provided telescope. These rooms already have a Jacuzzi and a Kiva fireplace which only adds to the ambience, so you may find yourself sneaking downstairs. But in the morning, use the provided coffee maker to brew a pot of java and then watch the humpback whales as they frolic just off the coast. Suite rates begin at $855 plus a $100 fee (plus tax and service charge) for first-night outdoor bedroom set up; $50 plus tax and service each additional night. www.lasventanas.com.

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If Mom can spend her special day ax throwing or white-water rafting, why not send Dad to the spa? These brand-new packages and treatments for Father’s Day will leave your dad relaxed, refreshed – and in a much better mood to hear about how you’ll be taking summer classes this year to make up for your party-heavy spring semester.

Ciel Spa at SLS Hotel Beverly Hills

This L.A. hotspot has put together a Dad’s Day of Relaxation package, redeemable on any day Dad chooses. Along with a 60-minute massage and a 30-minute facial, the package includes a beer and steak salad served at the spa. Deal Alert: Booked a la carte these services would cost over $250, but you can score them for your dad for just $175. cielatsls.com/specials

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Few can resist an ice-cold popsicle on a steamy summer day. But pause a moment before you indulge: These are not your childhood frozen treats. Selling for $1,000 each, the specialty pops at Marquis Los Cabos are made from Tequilas Premium Clase Azul Ultra tequila – which goes for $1,500 per bottle – and infused with 24-carat gold flakes. The hotel calls it “the world’s most expensive popsicle,” and we’re hard-pressed to dispute the claim. Feeling thrifty? Marquis Los Cabos also offers shots of Clase Azul Ultra for just $500. www.marquisloscabos.com

For general trip-planning information, see our Cabo San Lucas Travel Guide.

Flourishing in a cozy bubble of prosperity, away from the foot traffic of other Mexican destinations, Los Cabos is a celebrity magnet and a romance mecca, stretching out along the southernmost tip of the California Baja peninsula. The two-city region (Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo) supports top-of-the-line resorts like Esperanza, Capella Pedregal, Las Ventanas al Paraiso, and One&Only Palmilla, which line the famous Tourist Corridor, catering to a who’s who list of silver-screen stars, spendthrift heirs (or heiresses), and their loyal entourages.

However, the latest luxury tycoon to hit this side of the Mexican Riviera will be a Solmar Resorts property. The Cabo veteran hospitality brand has been around since 1979, when the first Solmar was built, followed by three more in the same classic and sophisticated vein. In February 2011, Solmar Resorts will unveil its fifth addition in 32 years, Grand Solmar Land’s End Resort and Spa.

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Perched on the southern tip of Baja California, polished Cabo San Lucas is an unlikely choice for budget-friendly vacations. Reputed for its A-list celebrity sightings, world-class spas, and five-diamond villas, this small slice of paradise offers a surprising abundance to the frugal traveler. While Kim Kardashian might be kicking back in the $500/night private condo for the weekend, it’s not unusual to be right next door, taking in the serene beauty and warm Mexican hospitality from the privileged perch of secluded seaside suites and beachfront guestrooms, starting at just $68/night. Rates are priced during off-season travel and for advance bookings.

Undergoing renovations, the 286-guestroom Tesoro Los Cabos is a remnant of the sleepy, fishing town Cabo used to be, clambering to keep up with the high-end newcomers. Central to just about every downtown attraction, the resort sits on the marina boardwalk, with panoramic shots of the bay. Guestrooms start from a resourceful $68 per night for a city view category, and an optional all-inclusive plan adds about $41 per person, per night. While the lowest-category guestrooms are fairly low key with no special trimmings, the affordable suite rates (from $95/night) rake in the value for Tesoro. Visit Tesoro Los Cabos to book.

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