Sherman's Travel

With spring breaks and warmer temperatures ahead (we hope), April and May make perfect months for quick weekend jaunts. Whether you live on the East Coast, the West Coast, or somewhere in between, we’ve rounded up a number of great hotel deals – from New England to California – that make it easy for you to escape and relax, even for just a few days. 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:

Read more

Stay at The Sebastian, a luxury Vail resort this ski season and receive two free lift tickets on each day of your stay – an added daily value of $160!  With this exclusive deal from ShermansTravel, you’ll also receive two spa treatments, daily breakfasts, and welcome drinks.  Stays at The Sebastian start at $250 alone, meaning you essentially receive the lift tickets and amenities for free.

The Sebastian is Vail’s newest boutique hotel, a 4.5-star resort in the heart of Vail Village.  It offers luxurious room accommodations, an indoor pool and hot tubs, a fitness and wellness center, a full-service spa, a variety of upscale and casual dining, and much more.

Book by November 30 to snag this exclusive luxury deal!

THE VALUE: Save hundreds of dollars on lift tickets, spa treatments and extra amenities from this luxury Vail resort.

THE CATCH: A minimum stay of three nights is required.

THE DETAILS: Call 800-863-2325 and mention ShermansTravel.

WE’VE GOT MORE: Visit The Sebastian online, then see our Vail and Beaver Creek Travel Guide for more information and trip-planning tips.

Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find the lowest rates and travel deals on flights to Vail.

SHERMAN’S EXCLUSIVE

The Luxury Nestled near the Beaver Creek ski resort (and connected to the lifts by gondola), the Silver LEED-certified Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa has 230 residences, with full kitchens and gas fireplaces in the suites. The environmentally friendly 23,000-square-foot Spa Anjali offers mountain-inspired treatments, such as a glacial-mud body wrap. Guests can dine on a seasonal menu at the West Coast–influenced Restaurant Avondale or visit the lobby wine bar.

The Value Through April 17, the Ski & Spa Escape package includes four nights’ accommodations in a studio suite, a $300 spa credit, two three-day ski passes, and daily breakfast for two. Rates start at $531/night – a savings of more than $1,000, considering à la carte rates for the lodging and extras.

The Catch There is a four-night minimum stay required for the package.

The Details 866-949-1616 (use code LLSLTPLH); westinriverfrontbeavercreek.com

For general trip-planning information, see our Vail and Beaver Creek Travel Guide.

You can’t turn around these days without bumping into some sort of “Where to Travel in 2011” roundup and a recent list issued by Lonely Planet included the interesting reminder that Colorado Territory is celebrating its sesquicentennial this year.

If both your Latin and multiplication are rusty, that’s sesqui or 1.5 times 100, meaning it’s been 150 years since a bunch of out-of-towners showed up for the Gold Rush, a good 15 years before President Grant made Colorado a state.

Why the book report? Well, I thought you might want to have some fun facts handy for irritating your kids in case you all decide to hit the Colorado slopes over the coming weeks. And why would you do that? For starters, you’ll get an instant $100 off any three-night or longer flight and hotel vacation package at Travelocity if you use the code COLORADO100 at checkout before March 30, 2011; you’ll need to travel by June 30. Also look for sales of up to 50 percent off at various Colorado hotels.

Read more

The Four Seasons Resort Vail just opened a new 13-room Spa on December 11, in the nick of time for ski season. The massage menu seems designed for après-ski muscles – top pick: one that uses hot river stones. Hydrating facials cater to skin that’s been (over) exposed to the sun and wind on the slopes, with several product choices, from organic to Obagi, a dermatologist line. Two outsize Spa Suites have fireplaces and tubs, though all resort guests can make use of the year-round heated outdoor pool.

In peak season, a premier resort and spa in one of the country’s top ski destinations doesn’t come cheap (rooms start at about $665). But if you stay four consecutive nights, the Four Seasons offers a complimentary fifth night, and two 50-minute massages. Think of it as a gift that covers your lift tickets. www.fourseasons.com/vail

For general trip-planning information, see our Vail and Beaver Creek Travel Guide.

With several of the big ski resorts out west already reporting significant snowfall, it’s time to start thinking about your ski and snowboard plans for the winter. Hitting the slopes on vacation doesn’t have to mean a hard hit to your wallet, however, with these “ski free” packages from hotels in some of North America’s premier ski destinations.

Limelight Lodge, Aspen This family-owned lodge in central Aspen sits at the foot of the namesake mountain. The hotel’s Ski Package offers two free lift tickets for each day of your stay minus one (e.g. two 2-day passes for a three-night stay). Including the ski passes and accommodations, a three-night stay costs $915 and a four-night stay costs $1,315 – a savings of 30 percent. Three-night minimum stay required; some blackout dates apply. www.limelightlodge.com

Read more

New Year’s might seem far off, but for powder hounds, it can’t come soon enough – especially when there are deals to be had for booking some of 2011′s roster of gay ski weeks early. Some even start happening before your hangover has had time to subside. Details below.

Never been to a gay ski week? Looking for something more low key? Ski Bums, the nation’s largest LGBT ski and snowboarder organization, runs group trips across the country and select worldwide pilgrimages (Courchevel, France and heliskiing in Sweden are on tap for in 2011), as well as day trips from NYC, creating what amounts to a mini gay ski week in the process. A new California chapter launches next Friday, October 8 at Gym Sportsbar in WeHo, so West Coasters can start feeling the chilly thrills soon. Both black diamond masters and bunny hill newbies are welcome.