Lodging Options for Girlfriend Getaways

Not sure where to start? Read our complete guide to planning a girlfriend getaway. Need some inspiration for your next trip? Read about 15 top girlfriend getaways. From renting a farmhouse in Tuscany to taking cooking classes in Florida's Amelia Island, each of our trips is ideal for bonding, relaxing, and learning something new.

Hotels

Group discounts (typically 15-30%) don't kick in unless you book at least 10 hotel rooms, but you can often negotiate rates more easily than at resorts or on cruise ships, according to Lara Weiss of K Hotels.

"Staying in a suite can also be more cost-effective than booking separate rooms," says Jolie Goldring of Ovation Travel. For example, the rate for a 550-square-foot mini-suite at the Hilton New York rings up at $489 -- $100 less than two separate standard rooms. "But there's always the question of who is going to sleep on the pull-out sofa," Goldring says, noting that rollaway beds usually lead to extra charges.

• Affinia Hotels (www.affinia.com)
• DoubleTree by Hilton (www.doubletree.com)
• Embassy Suites Hotels (www.embassysuites.com)
• Fairmont Hotels & Resorts (www.fairmont.com)
• Hyatt (www.hyatt.com)
• K Hotels (www.k-hotels.com)
• Kimpton Hotels (www.kimptonhotels.com)
• Loews Hotels (www.loewshotels.com)
• SpringHill Suites by Marriott (www.marriott.com)

• Divi Resorts (www.diviresorts.com) Caribbean
• Meliá Hotels & Resorts (www.melia.com) Mexico
• Iberostar (www.iberostar.com) Spain, the Caribbean, Mexico, and the Mediterranean
• Club Med (www.clubmed.com) worldwide
• Occidental (www.occidentalhotels.com) Spain, Mexico, and the Caribbean
• Riu Hotels & Resorts (www.riu.com) worldwide
• Sandals (www.sandals.com) Caribbean
• Starwood Hotels & Resorts (www.starwoodhotels.com) Mexico
• Superclubs (www.superclubs.com) Caribbean and South America

• HomeAway (www.homeaway.com), with more than 225,000 rentals that range from condos to private islands
• VRBO from HomeAway (www.vrbo.com), with 150,000 properties mainly in the U.S.
• VacationRentals.com (www.vacationrentals.com), a third brand from HomeAway that focuses on promotions and deals
• FlipKey (www.flipkey.com), a TripAdvisor company with more than 100,000 rentals around the world
• ResortQuest by Wyndham Vacation Rentals (www.resortquest.com)
• Vacation Roost (www.abetterstay.com)
• Rentalo.com (www.rentalo.com)
• OwnerDirect.com (www.ownerdirect.com)

• Carnival (www.carnival.com)
• MSC Cruises (www.msccruisesusa.com)
• Norwegian (www.ncl.com)
• Princess (www.princess.com)
• Royal Caribbean (www.royalcaribbean.com)
• Windstar Cruises (www.windstarcruises.com)