November 2, 2004 -- Sometimes a girl just needs to get away and spend quality time with her friends -- no men, no work, no stress -- just gratuitous indulgence, fun, gossip, food, relaxation or adventure. The hotel industry is finally acknowledging that women have the right to unite and travel together so here are a few "women's only" deals that will make up want to bring out the face-packs, fluffy slippers and champagne!
Fairbanks House (tel. 888/891-9882; www.fairbankshouse.com) on Amelia Island, Florida (near Jacksonville) has a "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" getaway which includes luxury lodging, gourmet breakfasts, daily social hour with beverages and hors d'oeuvres, personal supplies of ice cream and chocolate chip cookies, Fairbanks House tote bag, t-shirt or framed print, complimentary use of bikes, beach chairs, umbrellas, towels, backpacks, coolers and lounge chairs for sunning, board games, videos, magazines and books, complimentary soft drinks, spa shampoos, conditioners, soaps, lotions, makeup removers and concierge service for dinner reservations, spa appointments, tour tickets, etc. Price start as low as $49 per lady per night for bookings of four friends or more for three nights midweek or $109 if it is just you and your best friend on a weekend. Suites fit up to five females or there are cozy rooms for two to four. Tax is additional. For more information about Amelia Island visit www.ameliaisland.com.
Vegas.com (www.vegas.com) has loads of options for a "girls only" trip full of excitement. Examples include the Pampered Princess, the Bachelorette Party, the Chick trip, the Shopoholic and the Lesbian -- all guaranteeing you and your girlfriends a getaway to remember. Visit www.vegas.com/traveltips/guide for details.
If you can hold out until April and you and your girlfriends are seeking something more adventurous and rugged, how about a women's weekend at the Circle F Dude Ranch (tel. 407/295-0080; www.circle-f-duderanch.com) in Orlando, Florida. The weekend can be as action-packed or relaxing as you want. Included in your weekend package are two nights lodging in a rustic cabin, six meals, and selected activities (games, swimming, yoga, aerobics classes, sailing, canoeing, volleyball, tennis and entertainment). Other activities offered at low-prices include horseback riding ($20), spa treatments (massages at $30 per half hour), and rock climbing. In 2005, the women's weekend will take place on April 15-17, 2005 for $199 per person.
For a remote getaway with a difference, how about Gunflint Lodge (tel. 800/328-3325; www.gunflint.com/winter/girlsgetaway.htm) located near Duluth, Minnesota. Head north for a few days of pure relaxation. You'll be treated to fine gourmet meals, and a choice of daily outdoor activities including guided cross-country ski or snowshoe excursions, dog sled rides or mushing lesson, noon cookout lunches in the forest, and cooking classes. Warm inviting cabins with fireplaces, saunas and hot tubs (indoor and outdoor) await. You can watch the deer feed, relax with friends, curl up with a book, step outside after dark to see the northern lights or listen to wolves howling across the lake in Canada. These women's only four-night adventures are on the following dates in 2005: January 12-16 February 9-13, March 9-13 and May 19-22. Prices are $395 per person in a Super Cabin with a whirlpool tub or $445 per person in a Premier Cabin with a hot tub (sales tax and service charge are additional).
If you're happy to head north of the border and kayaking is your thing, it seems the Canadians are big on women's only kayaking adventures. Several companies feature kayaking adventures especially for the fairer sex. These trips are on offer from April to August and range from two-day mini expeditions to eight-day extravaganzas. For listings and further information visit .
For those ladies who prefer lipstick and high heels to mountain boots and flannel, New York City's Tribeca Grand Hotel (www.tribecagrandhotel.com) has a "Sex in the City" weekend, which runs until January 3, 2005. The package includes noon check-in, champagne, chocolates and scented bath confetti, a Sex in the City itinerary, cocktails, continental breakfast in your room and late 4pm checkout. You can also add in-room massages and limousine airport pick-up services for additional cost. Prices start at $459 per night per room. The Hotel also has spa and yoga packages.
Pocono Mountains Travel and Tourism (tel. 800/762-6667; www.800poconos.com) in Pennsylvania, has a selection of "Shop, Spa, and Stay Girlfriend Getaway" Packages now available. Ladies can stay at Pocono Manor Golf Resort and Spa, Skytop Lodge, or Stroudsmoor Country Inn indulging in in-house spa treatments and receive a free gift bag from The Crossings Premium Outlets, including free gifts, coupons, and other freebies. Prices range from $145 per person per night at the Manor Golf Resort and Spa to $260 at the Skytop Lodge and these prices include different spa services and meal programs. These offers are valid until December 31, 2004. Taxes and service fees are additional.
Bed and Breakfast Inns Online ( www.bbonline.com/ladies.html) features hundreds of different Ladies Getaways in 31 states across the US and in Ontario Canada. Ladies from Arkansas to Wisconsin are getting into the act.
For some more fabulous ideas to help make your girlfriend getaway a reality, you might want to purchase the book The Girlfriend Getaway Guide: You Go Girl! and I'll Go Too by Pam Grout.
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