When vacationing on Treasure Island in St. Petersburg, Florida, there are more than enough resort properties on the Gulf of Mexico from which to chose for your family vacation. Finding the best package deal for your family vacation on the Gulf isn’t a challenge, but finding a good hotel special with the amenities like those offered at The Bilmar Beach Resort are hard to come by.

Playground on the beach at Bilmar Beach Resort, St Petersburg, FL

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Orbitz.com has launched an ‘I Love the Gulf’ promotion under which you can get 40% off on participating hotels in select Gulf Coast cities.

Orbitz Gulf Coast Sale

Travel between now and the year-end to get the 40% off. Travelers who book by Nov 8, 2010 will also get a a $50 Restaurant.com gift certificate.

Jeanenne Tornatore, Senior Travel Editor of Orbitz.com, said in a statement that “this promotion comes at the perfect time for travelers planning to book a trip to the region…With up to 40 percent off hotels at the hottest destinations, plus a free meal, it’s hard not to love this promotion.”

The valid destinations include Miami, the Florida Keys, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Jacksonville, Fort Myers, Tampa, Panama City, and Biloxi.

Minimum stay requirements and blackout dates may vary depending on the destination and hotel.

So there are nine Miami hotels participating, offering between 30-50% off. The President Hotel is offering the biggest saving at 50%.

Out of the 10 participating hotels in Panama City, the Sugar Sands Inn & Suites is the only one offering 50%. All four hotels in Fort Lauderdale are offering 30% off.

More details here: www.orbitz.com/gulfcoast

Hotel deals & specials for some of the Gulf Coast states can also be found separately on their tourism websites:-

Alabama – GulfShores.com
Florida – VisitFlorida.com
Mississippi – GulfCoast.org

(Louisiana’s site does not have any hotel deals or specials listed.)

Related posts:-
Top 5 Rated Beachfront Hotels on Florida’s Gulf Coast
Support Florida’s Gulf Coast – Win Navarre Beach Stay

Most guests at the Phoenix All Suites West Hotel in Gulf Shores, Alabama would be surprised to learn that this Gulf-front hotel is actually a high rise condo development where each unit is individually owned. When not in use by owners, the condos are offered for rental by an on-site management company.

Living room and fully equipped kitchen

The approximate 640-square foot units are one-bedroom suites featuring a king size bed in a separate bedroom, a sleeper sofa in the living room, and a set of bunk beds for young children in the entry foyer. Additionally, the each of the units have a fully equipped kitchen and one and one half baths, making them more like a home away from home than a hotel room. Located in the center of the beachfront community of Gulf Shores, Alabama, each suite also features a balcony that offers sweeping views of the Gulf of Mexico. Other amenities include free covered parking, a large outdoor pool, and an on-site laundry room. Read More »

I grew up with the Gulf of Mexico as my backyard (down the road, over the inter-coastal, and across the bridge), so the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion and subsequent continuous oil spillage into my pristine waters is more than unnerving to me. The Gulf Coast of Florida is known for its sugary-white sand beaches and emerald-green, crystal clear waters.

Yes, it IS THIS beautiful:

Gulf of Mexico, Destin, Florida

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