Times Square New York City

I’ve always thought of New York City as the perfect city for lovers. There’s so much to see and do, so many places to take romantic strolls, cute little candlelit restaurants. It’s pretty chilly in the city for Valentine’s Day most years, but that just means more time spent snuggling in a cozy New York City hotel for the weekend! These hotels are pretty posh, so they’re a good choice for a real splurge for maybe one night:

The Inn at Irving Place:

Rooms are still available for Valentine’s Day as of this writing, and a nice Queen room will cost you about $445 plus tax. But, you get to stay in one of New York City’s most beautiful bed & breakfasts. The beautiful townhouse dates from the 19th century, and it’s located just south of Gramercy Park. You can relax with an in-room massage and with a complimentary (yay!) breakfast in bed.

Hotel Elysee

It must be the economy, because I can’t believe there are still rooms available here for $250 a night on Valentine’s Day! Treat yourself to an amazing Continental breakfast every morning and complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres during the week from 5-8pm. Surprise your loved one with many fun “extras” such as a dozen roses and a nice bottle of champagne. Now we’re talking! This hotel has routinely been rated one of New York City’s best small hotels – and it’s located in Manhattan – so snatch it up while you can.

Mansfield Hotel

This beautiful hotel has lots of classy “Old World” touches like spiral staircases, coffered ceilings and sleigh beds. It’s close to Times Square and many of New York’s best attractions. As of this writing, there are still rooms available for $260 per night, which is amazing for that part of town. Broadway shows are just a short stroll away as are some of the city’s finest restaurants. The interior is dark and cozy – you feel as though there should be cigar smoke wafting around but thankfully, there is not. Coffee lovers — there is a 24 hour espresso, coffee and tea service!

Valentine's Day candies

Photo Credits: Zoonabar, Butterfly Sha

A Feast of Turducken

Not all of us gather ’round the family hearth for Turkey Day. For some of my friends, it’s a tradition for their families to meet in a city convenient to people traveling from far-flung locations; when I moved across the country from my family, I stayed in my new home city because it was simply too expensive to fly.

So if you’re looking for a Thanksgiving hotel, where should you stay? Check out some of these great packages:

The pretty White Barn Inn and Spa in Kennebunkport, Maine offers a luxurious $477 per night double occupancy Thanksgiving package that includes Thanksgiving dinner for two, continental breakfasts, and afternoon tea. In this neck of the woods, watch out for Kennedys drunk on drumsticks and gravy!

In New Orleans, the Windsor Court Hotel t-day package includes one night of accommodation, a Thanksgiving buffet for two, and a glass of sparkling wine, starting at $319 for a junior suite. What are the chances that buffet includes some turducken?

For an unforgettable Thanksgiving in New York City, take advantage of the Paramount’s special–15% off a stay of two nights or 30% off a three-night stay. Then bundle up on Thanksgiving morning and head out to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls, New York is one of the few “must see” places in the U.S. that I have yet to visit. I have no idea why I haven’t been yet, as it looks absolutely spectacular. So, since I’m a planner, I’ve decided to at least plot out which hotels I’ll stay in when I eventually do visit – which will hopefully be in the next year!

Niagara Falls is one of those places I wouldn’t mind visiting by myself, with friends or even on a romantic getaway. So, my hotel list takes this into account.

One of the hotels I came across that could definitely fit the bill for all three categories (well, at least definitely the first two) is the Sheraton. If I were to go by myself and needed a more budget friendly room, I’d probably check out the Sheraton on the Falls. It’s right across the street from the falls, though I’m still deciding if I’d want to to pay for a room with a view of the falls, which runs about $160 per night (though you can snag a partial falls view room for about $130 per night, which is not bad at all).

Or…I could just book a room that has a city view for about $110 per night. I think I’d be cool with visiting the falls during the day and saving some money for a nice dinner or whatnot. This place even has rooms that have showers with floor to ceiling windows that look out onto the falls! There’s also a heated pool, a fitness center, and it’s connected to Casino Niagara. Ok, I really want to go see Niagara Falls now.

Sheraton on the Falls in Niagara

As for a Niagara Falls hotel which falls more easily into my (fairly picky) romantic category, the Lions Head Bed & Breakfast looks like a sure winner. I don’t have anything against large chain hotels, but they’re just so…large. The Lions Head has only four beautiful rooms housed in a gorgeous Craftsman style bed and breakfast, and it’s located only minutes from Niagara Falls. Two of the rooms overlook the Niagara Gorge. The breakfasts are elaborately prepared, and my mouth seriously watered looking at the pictures. Wine tours and tastings can be arranged at any of the 45 wineries in the area…now we’re talking!

And then, the Renaissance Fallsview Hotel seems like it would work out nicely. Many of the rooms have views of the Falls, and the hotel offers all sorts of packages ranging from family packages to romantic packages to entertainment packages. The basic rooms with a view of the Falls run about $100 per night, though the description reads a view of the “Niagara River.” The pictures seem to show the rooms having a view of the actual Falls though – the more expensice rooms definitely do. Some of the rooms are whirltub suites which sounds kind of fun!

One thing I didn’t realize was how beautiful the Falls appear to be at night. That changes my thinking about whether I want a room with a view of the Falls or not, because they looks really stunning lit up at night. At least I have some good choices to think about now. Niagara, here I come!

Niagara Falls at Night

Photo Credits: Randy OHC, Satoro Kikuchi, C.P. Storm