This offer will save you 12 percent on the room, breakfast buffet, and admission tickets to the aquarium. Add in the tote bag and turndown service for an even better value.

The “Family Adventure” package is available on weekends through December 31. For reservations, call 800-444-OMNI (800-444-6664) or book on the Omni website. Other packages are also available.

If you’re traveling from out of town and need to book a flight, you can find the lowest prices for your route by comparing airfares from multiple travel providers with our price-comparison tool.

If you’re heading to the Missoula area, the Wingate offers a good value. Rates are affordable, coming in at under $150 per night, and feature the sure-to-please water park for the kids. Add in daily breakfast for even greater savings.

For reservations, call 866-832-8000 or book on the Wingate website.

If you’re traveling from out of town and need to book a flight, you can find the lowest prices for your route by comparing airfares from multiple travel providers with our price-comparison tool.

© pnwra The Eco Friendly Tourist lists hotels selected on the basis of their eco friendly credentials based on their own professional research, environmental awards and recommendations from other writer, guests and hoteliers. Best Loved Hotels have a section for UK eco friendly hotels on their site. They are rather vague in their criteria for inclusion to the eco friendly category saying things like saving water and energy or simply using recycled paper. If you prefer your information as hard copy Green Guide has recently published the UK Eco Escape Handbook to responsible escapism which has information about the principals of eco escapism, places to stay and eat and activities. Hotels don't pay for inclusion in the guide and many hotels have received formal recognition of their green policies as well as trying to involve the guest in the local experience.

World Travel Awards Africa

Unsurprisingly South Africa shone at the recent World Travel Awards Ceremony held at the ICC in Durban on 12 May. The first World Travel Awards Africa Ceremony was opened on Monday evening by Zulu King Zwelithini Goodwill kBhekuzulu, and was attended by 400 VIPs and leading industry figures. South Africa scooped awards for Africa’s leading airline SAA, Africa’s leading family resort Western Cape Hotel & Spa, Africa’s leading destination Cape Town, and Africa’s leading travel agency Club Travel. Also SA Tourism was named as best destination marketing organisation in Africa, while Indaba Explorations was named Africa’s premier travel exhibition.

All this serves to confirm South Africa’s leading position on the continent as not only a destination in itself but as a force for the development of African tourism continent wide. ‘The awards are evidence that the creativity, application and hard work of the South African Tourism and Indaba teams have been justly recognised,’ said SA Tourism CEO Moeketsi Mosola.

Other Wins

Other local winners included: Oliver Tambo International Airport – Africa’s leading airport; International Convention Centre, Durban – Africa’s leading conference centre; Shamwari Game Reserve – Africa’s leading safari; Sabi Sabi Private Game Reserve – Africa’s leading safari lodge; Thanda Private Game Reserve – Africa’s leading luxury lodge; Mount Nelson Hotel & Spa, Africa’s leading hotel; Sun City Resort – Africa’s leading resort, and Sun International – Africa’s leading hotel brand.

World Travel Awards 2008

World Travel Awards Africa is part of a World Travel Awards Grand Tour programme with regional award ceremonies staged in various cities around the world. The circuit concludes with a Winners Dinner to be held in London on 9 November, and a Grand Final to be held at Turks & Caicos in the Caribbean on 12 December 2008. The next regional event is the World Travel Awards Australasia Ceremony to be held in Sydney on 10 June, followed by the World Travel Awards Asia and Indian Ocean Ceremony to be held on 19 June in Shanghai.

© vipworldUptake.com, the travel search engine formerly known as Kango, is working towards more comprehensive and intuitive search results for travellers. Uptake believe that there is a demand among travellers for a single site where they can access user generated reviews and content gathered from a multitude of online sources. Uptake doesn't just aim to collate all this information it's crucial that this information is organised and searchable in an intuitive manner. The date gathered is examined by attribute and sentiment for example a trendy city centre hotel for a girls weekend away. Uptake should then produce a personalised list of recommended hotels which fulfil your criteria. You could be open minded about about your destination or search by a specific region or city. It sounds like an excellent idea to me if Uptake can succeed in becoming a single source of information and user generated reviews for travellers and fulfill their aim of being “the first step to a great trip”. I know when I am researching a trip I can end up looking at dozens of different sites to try to reach a well informed decision. At present Uptake are concentrating on the US but plan to expand their coverage.

Sample prices are:

Expedia’s packages start at $1,320 from Chicago, $1,498 from Los Angeles, or $1,041 from New York.Gate 1 Travel offers pricing starting at $1,500 from Chicago, $1,645 from Los Angeles, or $1,228 from New York.Air France Holidays’ prices start at $1,449 from Chicago, $1,499 from Los Angeles, or $1,289 from New York. This offer also includes a river cruise, a city map, and airline fuel surcharges. Travel at these prices is available from May 16 through June 22. Other dates are available at varying prices.

I’ve tracked down several properties that offer a good value for your weekend getaway, each with reasonable prices and/or a little something extra to make your stay memorable.

The Brooks Cypress House Bed & Breakfast sits on 22 acres. Rooms range from $85 to $150 per night; all have private baths. The inn also has a hot tub for guests to use.The Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Nacogdoches has more than 90 guest rooms. Rates start at $103 per night and include daily breakfast; rooms have coffee makers, mini fridges, and microwaves. The hotel also has a fitness center and an outdoor pool.The Hampton Inn & Suites Nacogdoches offers rooms from $106 per night, including daily breakfast. Rooms have high-speed Internet access. The hotel has a pool and a fitness center.

If you’re traveling from out of town and need to book a flight, you can find the lowest prices for your route by comparing airfares from multiple travel providers with our price-comparison tool.

The deals

Sample prices are:

Expedia offers pricing to Freeport starting at $428 from Chicago, $540 from Los Angeles, and $462 from New York.CheapCaribbean.com’s packages to Nassau start at $494 from Chicago, $567 from Los Angeles, and $476 from New York.Travelocity’s four-night packages to Freeport start at $515 from Chicago, $568 from Los Angeles, and $478 from New York.BeachDestinations.com’s packages to Freeport start at $743 from Chicago, $816 from Los Angeles, and $716 from New York.

Rates are per person based on double occupancy. While BeachDestinations.com, Expedia, and Travelocity’s vacations include taxes and fees for airfare and hotel, those for CheapCaribbean.com do not. Single travelers may pay a supplementary charge for each package. Availability is limited.

All prices, dates, and booking details listed here were valid at the time of publication. Some information may have changed since that time.

Which deal offers the best value?

Expedia has the cheapest rates from all departure cities. Regardless, remember that price is usually determined by the class of hotel, so be sure to investigate the quality of your accommodation before committing. To compare hotel ratings, visit TripAdvisor.

Please note that many providers do not list booking deadlines, and not all packages may be available for the travel dates you want. Be flexible with your travel dates to find the best deal for your vacation.

It’s always a good idea to compare costs before making a reservation, and you can use our price-comparison tool to search multiple travel providers.

(Editor’s Note: SmarterTravel.com is a member of the TripAdvisor Media Network, an operating company of Expedia, Inc. Expedia, Inc. also owns Expedia.com.)

If you can take some time off this spring, this promotion is worth considering—but be sure to check the room class to ensure you’re getting a good deal. When I checked prices, some rooms had better discounts than others, and while most offered some type of savings, 30 percent didn’t seem like a hard-and-fast rule. For example, I found savings of 34 percent for a “gulffront suite” at the Sandpiper, an excellent value, but a discount of just 8 percent for a standard hotel room at the Island Grand. Doing a bit of research will enable you to determine the best deal for your getaway. Also note that the resort charges a $25 fee per night to cover amenities.

This offer is available through December 24. For reservations, book on the TradeWinds website using rate code “VFL1.”

If you’re traveling from out of town and need to book a flight, you can find the lowest prices for your route by comparing airfares from multiple travel providers with our price-comparison tool.

I’ve tracked down several properties that offer a good value for your weekend getaway, each with reasonable prices and/or a little something extra to make your stay memorable.

The Best Western Huntington Mall Inn in Barboursville has rooms from $74 per night, double occupancy. If you have an AAA membership, are a senior citizen, or work for the government/military, you can get even cheaper rates. Complimentary breakfast is available every morning; free wireless Internet access is available in all guest rooms. The property also has a pool and an exercise room. The Comfort Inn, also in Barboursville, offers free continental breakfast, free wireless Internet access, and use of the hotel’s indoor heated pool and hot tub. Rates start at $83 per night.The historic Heritage Farm Museum and Village in Huntington has five homes (four log homes, one farm house) available for overnight stays. Each home features several bedrooms, a full kitchen, washer and dryer, A/C and heat, and a fireplace, and costs $200 per weekend night. Add on a continental breakfast for an additional $7.50 per person.

If you’re traveling from out of town and need to book a flight, you can find the lowest prices for your route by comparing airfares from multiple travel providers with our price-comparison tool.