The 10th anniversary of 9/11 on September 11 this year is obviously going to be a special day. But it also happens to be the first Sunday after Labor Day – which makes it the 32nd anniversary of National Grandparents Day.

Grandparents hotel specials

Many hotels are going out of their way to make sure that grandpa and grandma feel the love and affection while on family vacations with a gaggle of kids and grandkids.

A bunch of hotels in Irvine, CA are coming together to offer a whole range of specials, including free meals, attraction passes and shopping gift cards.

The Irvine Spectrum Center Candlewood Suites, for example, has a package for grandparents with a discounted rate and a Boomers All-Day Play Pass that includes miniature golf, bumper boats and go karts, among other things.

“More and more grandparents are traveling with their grandkids,” says Wendy Haase from Destination Irvine. “Irvine’s affordability, recognition as ‘America’s Safest Big City,’ along with its close proximity to all Orange County has to offer make it an attractive destination for a family vacation.”

Velas Resorts in Mexico’s Puerto Vallarta, Riviera Maya and Riviera Nayarit (includes the Velas Vallarta and the AAA 5-Diamond Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit) also have a Grandparents package.

The grandparents’ stay is complimentary at Velas Vallarta, while the other two resorts will charge $65 nightly rate for the grandparents, as long as the kids are in tow and at least four suites are packed in with family.

The Velas Resorts offer also includes private airport transportation, a $500 resort credit for a future stay, guided tours and discounts on activities. Use promo code GVV.

The Hotel Collection Group in the UK (includes Woolley Grange in Nr. Bath and Moonfleet Manor in Dorset, among others) has a similar ‘Grandparents Stay Free’ offer. Book 3 nights with family before December 21 and grandparents can stay free.

The Seralago Hotel in Kissimmee has a ‘Grandparents Rule’ package that includes a free 4th night, breakfast for 2 adults daily (kids 10 & under eat free, 2 per room). Also includes 4 tickets to Congo River Adventure Golf, 10 tokens for the hotel’s game room, and a branded coffee mug from the hotel with free coffee.

Photo – Velas Resorts

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Would you forgo housekeeping in a hotel to save money?

I recently came across this article from The New York Times, and it got me to thinking. How far am I willing to go to save money on a hotel stay? Part of me says that if I am constantly thinking about how I can save money on a hotel stay, then perhaps I shouldn’t be staying in a hotel at all. But another part of me, the “I love a good deal” part, is willing to do a lot of things to save money on a hotel stay. Maybe even make my own bed (gasp!) Interestingly, this “make your own bed” deal is not advertised on the Marmara’s website (from what I can tell, at least), so perhaps it is no longer available. Or perhaps this is something that they advertise only in the rooms like most hotels do about saving water with towels. In my opinion, this is the sort of thing that should not be kept a secret – advertising this option would snag more customers, including myself.

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What’s better than a beachfront all-suite luxury hotel in Maui? That would be a beachfront all-suite luxury hotel in Maui that’s offering a 50 percent discount.

That description currently fits both The Fairmont Kea Lani resort and The Whaler on Kaanapali Beach. Both are undergoing renovations, and both have ‘Pardon our Dust’ offers.

The Fairmont Kea Lani

In fact, The Fairmont Kea Lani has a whole bunch of renovation packages. There’s a basic ‘Renovation with Aloha’ package which includes accommodations in a 1-bedroom luxury suite or a villa, with rates from $219 per night.

The $219 rate is a far cry from their usual $439 per night. Valid for stays until Dec 16, 2011. Then there’s also a ‘Renovation with Aloha Breakfast’ package and a ‘Renovation with Aloha Golf’ package too.

Apart from the spectacular Polo Beach and the beach-front suites and villas, The Fairmont Kea Lani offers complimentary transportation service to the adjacent Wailea Golf Club, tennis courts and shops at the Wailea Shopping Center.

Wailea Golf Course & Island Cabana at The Fairmont Kea Lani

The resort has three pools, two of which are connected by a 140-ft waterslide and have neat places to hang out like an island cabana in the middle of the pool. Then there’s the famous Spa Kea Lani and a 24-hour fitness center, a bakery and a deli and four other restaurants including the famed Ko.

Guests get complimentary self-parking, don’t have to pay a resort fee, and those with kids under 5 can save on meals with the ‘Kids Eat Free’ program.

As for the Whaler on Kaanapali Beach, their construction special includes accommodations in a 640 sq ft studio suite at a nightly rate of $168, which is a big discount on the standard $300 rate for this suite. Two night minimum stay required, and the package is valid from now until Dec 21, 2011.

Oh, and you also get a free pineapple and free access to the resort’s DVD collection. The Whaler on Kaanapali Beach, located minutes from Lahaina and directly across from two championship golf courses, offers private access to the shops and restaurants at Whalers Village.

Their studio and 1 & 2 bedroom suites include fully-equipped kitchens and private lanais. You get free in-room high speed internet, and there’s a children’s program called “Camp Kaanapali” nearby that is open to all guests staying at the hotel.

Photos – Fairmont Hotels & Resorts

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