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PLAN THE PERFECT WEEKEND GETAWAY by Romantic Hotels
Who
has time to go away? And who can afford to get away in this economy?
You do! And more importantly, you should. Finding time away from home
to reconnect as a couple is one of the most important things you can do
for the health of your relationship. Here's everything you need to plan
your own memorable, romantic, and affordable getaway.
Budget
Before
you even start to look for hotels, start thinking with your pocketbook.
Considering your finances right now, come up with the top dollar amount
you're willing to spend on a hotel per night. Double that for the
weekend rate, and add an extra 75% on top of that for the added
expenses of gas, tolls, tax, tips, meals and miscellaneous.
So,
for example, say your top price for a hotel is $75.00 per night. That
would make your total weekend getaway cost set at around $265 dollars.
I always like to round that up a bit, so I'd make it $300.
Having
this firm price in mind will set the starting point for the hotels you
look for. Now decide how often you'll schedule your weekends. Can you
afford to get away once a month? Quarterly? Once a year?
Knowing
up front the dollar amount and the frequency of your trips will also
allow you to put aside money each week towards paying for this getaway.
This avoids the nasty credit card surprise the next month. A sudden
financial setback will sour any romantic afterglow from your weekend
and make you that much less likely to plan a trip ahead in the future.
Now
it's time to start finding ways to help pay for that dollar amount you
just set. I have four favorite spots for earning discounts and freebies
on my getaways:
- Sweepstakes.
Don't laugh - people win these things! We did once. We won a weekend
stay in a brand new hotel that had opened right off Times Square. I
have to tell you, not having to pay for that weekend made it probably
the best one we've had yet. Enter any and all travel sweepstakes you
can find. Someone's got to win - why not you?
- Hotel Programs.
If you haven't done so already, go out and register an account with
every single major hotel chain as soon as possible. It only takes a
minute to sign up as a member, and with each stay you earn points
towards a free stay sometime in the future. You can see a list of all
major hotel websites from Yahoo
- American
Express. We pay just about every bill possible with our American
Express card. Those reward points add up fast when you consider the
monthly cost of groceries, phone bill, electric bill, cable bill, etc.
Paying with American Express not only helps reduce the amount of bills
we need to pay each month, we use the points towards our frequent stay
hotel programs.
- MyPoints.
One of the oldest rewards programs online, this earns me a quick and
easy 1000 Hilton Honors points just by clicking the links on their
emails. Of course you can use your MyPoints rewards points for other
things.. but I like to let them add up and roll over into my Hilton
account. If you're not already a member, head over to MyPoints to sign up. (PS Please use ROMANTICHOTELS as the referral name? Thanks!)
Pre-packing
Now
that finances are out of the way, let's get the pre-packing taken care
of. Pre-packing a suitcase does two things. First, it cuts down on the
packing time when the getaway does roll around. Second, it gets you in
that 'going-away' mindset.
Have
a special suitcase you use only for getaways. Keep this pre-packed with
travel necessities such as toothpaste, toothbrush, razor, shaving
creme, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, hairbrush, makeup... all the
things you'll need. Even though hotels usually have the shampoo taken
care of, I'm finding a lot of them may skip on the conditioner and opt
for the shampoo/conditioner combo. I like to know in advance that I'm
going to have everything with me I prefer. I also keep some small
candles pre-packed. I usually buy little tea-light candles in packs of
12, and keep them in my suitcase.
Distance Planning
I
don't like to travel more than two hours away from home for my
getaways. When I go away, I like to focus on the romance, and not the
hassle of getting there. Travel nightmares are another romance killer.
What kind of an evening are you going to have if you've been stuck in a
traffic jam for two hours, or worried about missing a plane? Make a 120
mile radius around your home, and set your plans within that circle.
Hotel, Motel, Inn or B&B?
Think
about the type of lodging you wish to stay at. Do you want a luxury
hotel with room service, and all the bells and whistles? Is budget a
primary concern, and you're happy enough to stay in a small mom-and-pop
type motel? Do you dream about a bed & breakfast with a roaring
fireplace in your room?
Consider
carefully about what type of accommodation is going to provide the best
weekend for the two of you. I may get hate mail for saying this, but
for a romantic weekend, I tend to skip the B&B route. It's not that
they aren't romantic - they are! It's not that they aren't beautiful -
they are that as well!
Frankly,
it's the privacy aspect. I want to feel anonymous when I go away. I
just don't get that at a lot of B&B's. I have stayed at many where
the walls are very thick and no sound escapes the room.. but these seem
to be the exception rather than the rule.
The
first B&B I stayed at was a darling old Victorian on Cape Cod,
where a sound made by anyone in the place echoed throughout the whole
mansion. Just walking to the bathroom set off a series of creaks on the
floorboards. Worrying about the guest in the next room overhearing your
passionate weekend is another sure romance-killer.
As a
couple, discuss your own needs and desires when planning on a type of
accommodation. What do you need inside your hotel room to make your
weekend as stress-free as possible? Here are a few things to think
about:
Are
you a monster in the morning? Do you need coffee right away before
you're in any shape to speak with? I know I'm that way, so a coffee
maker in the room is a must. Most hotels offer free coffee in the
mornings, but the last thing I want to do is stumble out of my room in
search of it.
How about a fridge? A jacuzzi? In-room movies? Plan in advance the things you love, and your weekend will be just perfect.
Research
Search
two or three different sources for planning your trip. Check out the
major online booking sites, and also check out the hotel's own website
if you're going with a chain. The rates vary widely, and giving
yourself time for searching will always guarantee you the best rate.
Hold the mail
A few days before you go away, head on over the the USPS
website and arrange to have your mail held for you on Friday and
Saturday. The Post Office rearranges their website a great deal, so I
won't give the direct link to a form that probably has been moved by
the time your read this article.
Once
you get to the website, type 'hold mail' into the search box to find
the form to have your mail held. Nothing says "We're not home, please
come rob us!" more than an overflowing mailbox, so remember to get this
step taken care of.
Two plans for Saturday
Whatever
you're thinking of for your Saturday afternoon, try to have both a good
weather and bad weather plan. This way if it's pouring out on the day
you were hoping to hit that outdoor festival, you'll have a backup plan
just in case. There are hundreds of travel guides online, but when I'm
making plans for my Saturday activities, I tend to stick with the
official Office of Tourism for whatever state I'm visiting. Those
websites are often the best designed and have the most information.
Confirm Reservation
I do
this twice. The day after I make my original reservation, I'll call the
hotel just to be sure they've got it, and to make sure my preferences
are met. Get the name of the person on the phone, and verify with them
your arrival and departure dates, smoking or non-smoking preference,
number of beds, etc.
The
day before we leave, I'll do this one more time, again being sure to
get the name of the person I spoke with. Mistakes happen with
reservations, so taking a few extra minutes to confirm will cut down on
this possibility. Having names and dates of when you confirmed will
also give you extra bargaining power if there's something wrong with
your reservation at your time of arrival.
Pack the extras
Because
you've pre-packed, doing the rest should be a breeze. Besides your best
lingerie and a few outfits, add as well CDs, wine, and anything else
that will make the weekend as perfect as possible. We always make a
point to stop at a grocery store on our way to the hotel and get some
juice, bottled water, and fruit. We stay up very late when we go away
and we like having things in the room available for us to snack on.
Clean Sweep
Get
your home in as clean condition as possible before you go. Nothing is a
bigger let down than coming home from a blissful weekend to a mess.
Take a look at your home from your entranceway, and get all clutter out
of the way before you leave.
Saturday is your big day
Try
not to pack a ton of things into your Saturday. You don't want to be
exhausted when you head back to the hotel Saturday night. If you're
going to eat big, do it at breakfast to decrease the risk of a Saturday
night stomach ache. It's your last night alone before you have to head
back into reality, so try not to do anything that would ruin it.
Head home early
After
checkout, hang around the town for a little while, but try not to get
home too late Sunday night. You'll need time to adjust back. Some women
have a slight let-down when returning home from a vacation. Sometimes
it just comes with the territory of our busy and stress-filled lives.
Give yourself space to decompress before you switch out of
weekend-vixen mode and back into mommy-working woman-homemaker mode.
Start from the beginning
Plan
your next trip within a week of getting home. It will give you
something to look forward to when life gets stressful. Knowing there's
light at the end of the tunnel gives the two of you something special
to look forward to as you go through the daily grind.
Best wishes for a perfect romantic getaway!
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Copyright 2004 Romantic Hotels
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Copyright (c) 2004 Romantic Theme Hotels <br>
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