Coupon cutting might save you a few dollars on the price of Jell-O or Bacon Bits, but you rarely achieve the satisfaction of getting the better end of the deal. Travel savings are different. It feels great inside thinking you did better than a friend or got one over on a travel provider, airline or hotel simply by pulling the trigger on a deal you found online or researched yourself. This summer and fall, taking advantage of some incredibly low nightly rates, hotel coupons, chain promotional deals, and other savings methods can make you feel good all over, especially though in the wallet area or your pocket book.
Millennium Hotels (tel. 800/892-7444; www.millenniumhotels.com) has a few special promotions going concurrently, the best of which might be the $100 per night with a $100 eat and drink coupon good for anywhere on the hotel property or select hotel restaurants and bars. Any additional nights get you the same $100 coupon for a $100 room rate. That comes to a whole lot more than free breakfast. Participating cities include Durham NC, Nashville TN and Scottsdale AZ. At Scottsdale, the package is available Sunday through Thursday through September 15, 2005 for $125 room with a $100 extra to eat and drink. Hotel bars and fine restaurants are included in this offer. In Nashville, the promotion is good through December 30, 2005 and the room rate sticks at $100. The Durham deal is good through July 31, 2005. Other Millennium locations participating include Minneapolis, but that offer expires July 1, 2005 for travel good from June 24 to September 5, 2005.
RoomSaver (tel. 800/766.6728; www.roomsaver.com) is a site that distributes information and location on hotels offering coupon discounts. RoomSaver gives you free access to some of the most money-saving hotel deals on the Web for travel throughout the United States and Canada. The website advertises savings of up to 70 percent off. The handy roll-your-mouse-over-map on their home page allows you to choose a location with a relative ease. Let's say your heading to Tuscaloosa AL in late August to catch the Alabama Crimson's Tide summer practice session and buy yourself a Bear Bryant T-shirt. RoomSaver's easy search engine instantaneously brings you a per-night rate as well as total tally for you're the entire duration of your trip. At one RoomSaver featured property, a centrally located La Quinta Inn, we found a $63.90 a room night or a three-night stay that came to $191 based on a double occupancy stay. The site offered other properties, some as low as $31 for a room a bit away from the downtown Tuscaloosa. One nice thing about RoomSaver -- they give you direct numbers right to the hotel where you want to stay.
For areas not as remote as Tuscaloosa, similar low-priced search results prevailed. For a two-night stay in June, July or August in America's sailing center, Newport RI, several hotels came up in our searches. For the lowest deal, $49 per night for a room at the Inn at Newport Beach, you need to book and travel by June 30, 2005 for a Sunday through Thursday one or two person stay. A similar deal at the same hotel extends through September 15, 2005. Call the hotel at 888/522-1778 for rates and available coupon dates.
For a $75 coupon on trips of five days or more, Expedia (tel. 800/397-3342; www.expedia.com) has a special promotion good for certain destinations. For Orlando, Chicago, San Francisco and Tampa, Expedia has air/hotel inclusive deals starting as low as $285 for five nights in Tampa. Just follow the package buying directions and insert the correct coupon code (SAVE75) when purchasing your selected trip to get the coupon activated to start your savings. You need to book this deal by July 15, 2005 giving yourself at least 14 days before you leave for travel. Travel is good on this through December 31, 2005.
For other Expedia hotel deals, remember that Expedia has guaranteed deals with special rate hotels that get you 50 percent off of listed rates. Check out the very informative Frequently Asked Questions page at www.expedia.com/daily/service/HotelFAQs.asp to find out more on how Expedia guarantees you the lowest fare for certain rooms. The page also tells you what to do if you find a lower rate -- they pay the difference on your credit card. How 'bout them coupons?
Do you know of other summer savings on places to stay? Keep us in the know on our Lodgings Message Boards today.