Fall is here, and so are the great travel deals. And there’s an added bonus: The crowds are gone, and so is the humidity. From the mountains to the bay to the cities, hotels and resorts are offering prices that’ll make you want to pack your bags. At some places, mention The Washingtonian and you’ll receive something extra. Make sure to keep checking back here for new breaking deals.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK
The best way to experience New York City is by walking. The following hotels offer a central location, great savings, and some added fun.
The 70 Park Avenue Hotel, at 38th Street and Park Avenue, is an easy walk to theater, Grand Central Terminal, the Empire State Building, great restaurants, and shopping, and it’s close to public transportation. During October, the hotel is celebrating Halloween with its Drop Dead Rate. The offer includes a bucket of candy and two free cocktails at Silverleaf Tavern. On Halloween, the hotel will host a pumpkin-carving competition with the staff, and entries will be displayed during a complimentary wine hour. Rates start at $199 per night—a 20-percent savings for this Kimpton property. Mention The Washingtonian to receive a free bottle of wine. 70 Park Ave.; 212-973-2400; 70parkave.com.
The Muse New York, on 46th Street, is in the heart of the theater district and ideal for those who love hustle and bustle. It’s just steps away from Broadway shows and close to Radio City, restaurants, and shopping. For the month of October, this boutique hotel is encouraging guests to turn in their wheels and experience the city like a local with its Deals for Wheels. The package includes accommodations, complimentary continental breakfast and valet parking, a $10 MTA Metrocard, and evening wine receptions. Available on weekends. Prices start at $259 per night, which is a 20-percent discount. To book, call 212-485-2400 or visit themusehotel.com and use rate code PCAR. 130 W. 46th St.; 212-485-2400.
Affinia 50 gives guests a quieter taste of New York but is still within walking distance of attractions—Rockefeller Center, Times Square, and the United Nations—and has easy access to the subway and buses. Affinia just launched Comforthon, a package that includes Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, one pair of Lands’ End pajamas, in-room breakfast for two or breakfast in bed, and late checkout. Guests also receive warm cookies at check-in. For every Comfort Package booked, Affinia will donate $10 to the nonprofit organization Common Ground. The package starts at $279 per night and is available at other New York Affinia hotels as well. This is about a $60 savings. Offer good from October through March 31, 2010. 155 E. 50th St.; 212-751-5710; affinia.com.
VIRGINIA
Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg is a short drive, yet it offers everything for a perfect getaway, including mountain views. Guests can enjoy all the activities—two championship golf courses, a luxury spa, a fitness center, tennis, and a host of dining experiences. Enjoy the resort’s Autumn Rendezvous: Hit the Road With Jack—a variety of buffet dinners and a private concert with dancing to the Jack Diamond and Jim Steel Band, highlighting dance music from the ’70s to today. The package includes a one-night stay, two drinks, and the themed buffet dinner for two. The package is available October 9 (Savor the Chesapeake), October 23 (Oktoberfest), and November 13 (A Taste of New Orleans). Packages starts at $239, which is a $40 dollar savings. Mention The Washingtonian and receive an extra $20 off the package. 44050 Woodridge Pkwy., Leesburg; 877-509-8400; lansdowneresort.com.
The Homestead resort in Hot Springs combines a grand history with Southern hospitality and an array of activities. Now it’s offering the Homestead Unlimited Activities Package. You can do it all—golfing, fly fishing, kayaking, canoeing, falconry, paintball, skeet, sporting clays, mountain biking, tennis, a Cascades Gorge hike, horseback riding, carriage rides, and bowling without any additional fees. The Homestead, on 3,000 acres in the Allegheny Mountains, is known as the grande dame of resorts, having played host to notables from all over the world. Afternoon tea is served in the grand foyer, and there are rocking chairs on the veranda and dancing to live music in the main dining room. Although it’s a historic building, all the rooms the spa have been beautifully brought into the 21st century, and there’s a new outdoor pool. Rates start at $275 for two per night. Additional adults and children over afge six can share the room for an extra $50 per person per night. Activities must be booked in advance. Package runs through December 22. The Homestead offers many dining options from the more formal to the informal. 7696 Sam Snead Hwy., Hot Springs; 800-838-1766; thehomestead.com.
Wintergreen Resort, nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, offers magnificent views and a menu of exciting activities including 45 holes of championship golf, indoor and outdoor tennis, a lake, hiking, a luxurious spa, an indoor pool, fly fishing, and the out-of-bounds adventure center. During fall, the mountains are ablaze with color. Wintergreen’s Stay & Play Package offers guests luxurious mountain-top accommodations and 18 holes of golf daily. The price is $99 per person midweek, $119 per person on weekends. The package ends November 24. Rte. 664, Wintergreen; 800-266-2444; wintergreenresort.com.
The Hope and Glory Inn in Irving is a whimsical romantic hotel with an exquisite English garden. The historic 1890 building, once a schoolhouse, is filled with colorful quirky artifacts, many from bygone eras. The boutique inn has seven individually decorated guest rooms and six garden cottages. Seven vineyard “tents”—two-story cottages with three bedrooms and three baths, living and dining areas, a kitchen and screened porch—are set within White Fences Vineyard. Guests can while away the day with the property’s free bicycles. Most Saturday nights, innkeepers Peggy and Dudley Patterson host a chef’s table; on other nights, guests can choose from a tapas menu. There’s also a small bar with a schoolhouse motif. The inn is offering a Spontaneity Surprise special; call within 48 hours of your requested date and receive 20 percent off the published rate ($175 to $395). Breakfast is included. The package is good through November 30. 65 Tavern Rd., Irvington; 800-497-8228; E-mail questions to inquiries@hopeandglory.com.
MARYLAND
Whether you crave relaxation or adventure, you’ll find it at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay in Cambridge. Head to Stillwater Spa for a treatment inspired by the Chesapeake or dine by the bay. Get on the water in a Hobie, catamaran, or paddleboat, or golf on the River Course along the Choptank River. If you catch a fish, the chef will prepare it for dinner. The newly renovated resort has a midweek BAYcation getaway deal: Prices start at $329 per night for the package, which includes a $200 resort credit, a family s’mores kit, and overnight accommodations. It’s a 40-percent savings, available now through November 30. Print out this Web section and bring it with you to receive a $25 gas card for the Wawa station nearby. 100 Heron Blvd. (at Rte. 50), Cambridge; 800-223-1234; chesapeakebay.hyatt.com.
The Loews hotel in Annapolis is an ideal home base for a weekend away. Put on your walking shoes and explore Maryland’s capital. Enjoy the bay, luscious seafood, fairs, festivals, the Maryland State House, historical walks, and the US Naval Academy. The Get to Know the Yard package includes overnight accommodations, breakfast for two, two tickets for a tour of the United States Naval Academy and valet parking. Rates start at $189 per night. A 20-percent savings, it’s good through December 30. 126 West St., Annapolis; 800-235-6397; loewshotels.com/annapolis.
PENNSYLVANIA
Bedford Springs Resort, located in the Allegheny Mountains of south-central Pennsylvania, is steeped in 200 years of history. The resort that once played host to Presidents and corporate magnates spent $120 million to restore its former grandeur and create a sense of time and place. Beautiful vistas, elegant rooms, varied dining options, a luxurious spa, a golf course—created by masters Spencer Oldham, A.W. Tillinghast, and Donald Ross—and a heated spring-fed indoor pool provide everything you’ll want for a mini-vacation. In the evening, sit by the outdoor fire pit and roast marshmallows. The resort is offering several deals right now. The 100 Reasons to Resort package includes deluxe accommodations, a $100 credit that can be used in all resort areas including the Old Bedford golf course, the Springs Eternal Spa, five restaurants, Anderson Explorer’s children activities, and the property’s retail stores. There’s a two-night minimum stay, and prices start at $274 per night. If you stay three nights, you’ll receive a $200 resort credit; a four-night stay includes a $300 resort credit. Rates run through October 31. For the Unlimited Golf package, prices start at $230 per person (based on double occupancy) and include deluxe accommodations, unlimited rounds of golf, the use of a golf cart, a $50 credit for the pro shop, and use of the practice facility. Mention The Washingtonian and receive a free s’mores package. 1690 Business Rte. 220, Bedford; 866-623-8100; omnihotels.com.
