Who says slaving away over your own stove and filling your kitchen sink with dishes is the only way to celebrate Thanksgiving? Take advantage of the long weekend and start a new family tradition of traveling together this year. Spending the holidays in a hotel can be more relaxing than the hustle and bustle associated with a conventional celebration at home and many hotels offer special deals to help you celebrate the holiday away from home; you can even get the traditional turkey and trimmings!

Cotton Tree – Grand Cayman Islands - Spend the holidays in a private beach cottage and spend your time doing yoga instead of cooking. Rates for the “Thanksgiving Special,” which is valid for a November 23-26 reservation, start at $890.00 US per night. (www.caymancottontree.com code CT375)

Hawks Cay Resort – Florida Keys – The family-friendly resort on Duck Key is celebrating the holiday weekend with tons of activities, including a 5k Turkey Trot Walk/Run and a pie-eating competition. They’ll also be serving a family-style dinner or you can just spend your long weekend lounging in one of their five pools. (www.hawkscay.com)

Marquis Los Cabos – Los Cabos, Mexico – Grab a suite on the beach this year and enjoy lots of extra amenities, incluing a $300 spa credit, VIP rountrip airport transportation, and breakfast delivered each morning via a “silent butler” service. Take advantage of the Thanksgiving special to get a fourth night free. Nightly rates start at $590 for a Junior Suite. (1-877-238-9399 or www.marquisloscabos.com)

Photo courtesy of Marquis Los Cabos

Sheraton Suites Key West

I was super impressed by my stay at the Sheraton Suites in Key West, Florida this past weekend. First of all, the hotel is being completely remodeled, and they’ve done a really nice job. As soon as you walk in, it feels more like a W hotel than a Sheraton. You’re greeted by refreshing greens and blues, a waterfall wall and orchids placed throughout the lobby. The furniture is dark with clean lines, and the lobby is open and sunny.

The pool area was fine – the pool was a decent size, but there were lots of kids in it. It’s summer, and since the entire property is an all-suite hotel, the rooms are very popular with families.

Now, the best part: the rooms. I couldn’t believe how nice they were! I stayed in a room that had a King bed in one part and an L-shaped couch that pulled out into a Queen bed in the living room. Count them – there were TWO flat screen tv’s, a fridge, a microwave, Starbucks coffee in the room, a laundry basket in the bathroom, what appeared to be granite counter tops in the bathroom and a very large and comfortable common area.

I got a great deal and only paid $139/night, but you can snag rooms here year-round for $169 usually. Some of the rooms have two Queen beds in them, and with the pull-out couch in the living room, you could easily fit six people in there.

There’s a bar by the pool, where mixed drinks are $6-$8. Food by the pool (chicken tenders, salads and such) are a bit pricey, but that’s to be expected. There’s often live entertainment by the pool, too.

Mallory Square in Key West

One of the best parts about this hotel is that it’s right across the street from Smather’s Beach. There’s a free shuttle, too, that leaves every hour for downtown. It drops you off not far from Mallory Square.

I’d definitely stay here again. I’m having a hard time coming up with things to complain about. The only thing is perhaps the pool – I wish there were more than one and that there weren’t so many kids. But, what can you do.

**Please know that for some reason, the pictures on the Sheraton Suites Key West website have not yet been updated to reflect the new renovations. The hotel is now a very modern-looking, fresh hotel with none of those “Key Westy” colors. ***

Photo Credits: Sheraton Suites Key West Website and SwiatekJ

…And maybe for your ideal spring break getaway, you start in Miami and head south, as far south as you can go in the United States: the Florida Keys.

The views from Highway 1 are said to be amazing, the fish fresh from the boat. And the accomodations? Many of them are pricey. But here are our top picks for the best budget hotels in the Florida Keys.

Key West is the most famous of the keys, and likewise the most expensive. For a truly budget experience, stay elsewhere and drive down to Key West as a daytrip. The drive from the farthest north Key Largo to the farthest south Key West is about 2 hours, so there’s a lot of ground to cover and explore.

Sunset Cove in Key Largo

Sunset Cove Beach Resort in Key Largo offers a wealth of arrangements, from cottages, suites and single rooms to RVs and Airstream trailers. Amenities include a barbeque pit, canoes and kayaks free for use by guests, and the occasional visit by pelicans and white herons. Rates start at $120 per night.

Bonefish thanks you for being a friend

For a mid-Keys experience, try the family-owned Bonefish Resort, with rooms as low as $89 a night. The rooms resemble Blanche’s decor in circa 1986 Golden Girls, but hey: it’s Florida. Dusty rose is going to happen.

Patio at the Southernmost Point Guest House

If only Key West will do, try Southernmost Point Guest House, a family-owned inn where high season rates range from $125 to $175 a night for a standard room. Unlike many Key West hotels and inns, the Southernmost welcomes children, a boon to traveling families.