The 3 Day Sale from Air New Zealand ends today. Save 20% on any fare from any city in the USA to anywhere Air New Zealand flies in New Zealand or Australia this Holiday Season.

Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa offers 2009/2010 Ski Package, which includes 2 adult lift tickets for Snow Valley Ski Resort, 2 $25 certificates to the Spa of the Pines, discounts on dining and more.

Speaking of skiing, Tom Robbins highlights the best ski deals in Europe, Canada, and the US in his article in today’s The Guardian. Check out what he lists as The Best December Ski Deals.

Toronto hotels offers deals up to 30% off when you stay for 3 nights or more and travel from now through Jan. 15th, 2010.

Romance in Aruba, from $2,100 for 5 Nights, featuring custom-designed Colonial West Indian furnishings including four-poster beds, marble bathrooms and spacious balconies and patios.

A Winter Caribbean Vacation for 40% Less at the Radisson Aruba Resort. Stay five nights and get a $150 beverage credit at the resort; stays of six nights or more get a $200 credit.

Support Canada in Vancouver in 2010 with Vacation Packages from C$689. Watch Canada go for glory next year! Stay in Vancouver where the action is, or, if you’re looking to save a bit, check Canadian hotel deals for the latest low prices in other areas.

Top five Christmas travel deals from USA Today. Highlights include London, Las Vegas, and Madrid.

$79 & up for 4-Star Downtown Los Angeles Hotels. Affordable areas near LAX with convenient freeway routes to key sights.

$149 & up for a luxury San Diego Hotel. The US Grant is located in historic downtown Gaslamp Quarter, and is near many top beaches, shopping, and dining.

$75 & up for 4-Star Washington D.C. Hotels near Capitol Hill. The country’s political epicenter is home to many national monuments easily accessible from where you choose to stay.

$200 Instant Savings on 5+ Night Curacao Vacation Packages. Travel to Aruba, Bonaire, & Curacao now through April 1, 2010, including holidays. Book now though, this Sale ends next Wednesday, Dec. 9th.

Reduced Fares to China and Japan, roundtrip starting at $736 & up to many destinations. See such attractions as Shenyang Imperial Palace in Shenyang, Liaoning Province, or check out the Hong Kong Highlights in today’s NYTimes for the end of December.

Ten of the best Christmas markets: Susan Greenwood picks her top 10 festive fairs at home and away for The Guardian UK

Looking for Europe Hotel Deals? Here’s a luxurious hotel with prime location – 5 star in Dublin, from £111.71 to £142.99 just steps away from the Cultural Quarter, Temple Bar, and the famous shops of Grafton Street.

There’s also a 4 star hotel in Leeds, England from £58.65 per room. Or there’s a stylish 4 star hotel with fantastic leisure facilities in Heathrow Airport from just £39 a night.

Another great deal: Tophams Hotel, a 4 star Hotel in London, just re-opened after an extensive £6 million refit as a 48 bedroom luxury hotel situated in the heart of Belgravia, one of the most exclusive residential areas in London. Stay in Tophams from £144.79 to £281.25 per room, only a few minutes walk from Victoria Station.

Cruise fans already know the Oasis of the Seas set sail from South Florida.  USA Today has a live blogger onboard posting from the ship.

Speaking of cruise news, the Disney Dream is due to start sailing January 2011, and will feature ‘virtual portholes’ in its inside staterooms, showing the seas in real-time and occasional animated visits from Disney characters.

Last Minute Las Vegas Hotel Deals: $39-$69 per night for rooms in the Brand-New Biloxi Casino Hotel (Midweek Only).   Guest rooms range in size from 325 to 375 square feet and include a 27-inch plasma television and luxurious bath products from Gilchrest & Soames.

4-Night Mexico Spa Package from $616 location features 48 spa treatment rooms, three restaurants, lighted tennis courts, an 18-hole championship golf course, fitness center, as well as many walking/hiking trails.

Ski resorts roll out the discounts, featuring fewer blackout dates and better value-added incentives, such as getting a third night free on a two-night booking.

Saving the best for last, Fly Round-Trip to the Bahamas from $210! There’s only three stipulations, your tickets must be purchased by December 15, 2009, outbound travel is valid beginning November 20, 2009, and all travel must be complete by January 31, 2010.

The $119 promo runs between November 22nd and 29th and between December 17th and 29th. Yep, it takes place over Thanksgiving and Christmas, the two times of year when prices are usually at their absolute highest.

Fly to Australia from $399! Qantas Vacations just reduced fares to Australia to as low as $399 one-way for flights May 1 through June 8. Plus, for only $100 more, travelers can add flights to three extra cities in Australia.

Kauai Marriott Resort has a special offer of $189 for an ocean view room for travel through December 24, 2009, and if you prefer to travel to travel between January 3 – 31, 2010, you’ll pay just $20 more.

Planning your holiday events? Today’s holiday shopping, light displays and events guide by Mary Ramos for the Dallas Morning News features more than 60 of the liveliest Christmas and Chanukah events in Texas and neighboring states.

There’s a wonderful 5-night Jackson Hole and Yellowstone Activities package this winter at the Togwotee Mountain Lodge starting at $1281 single, or $2220 for double occupancy. The lodge’s excellent location and large rental fleet of snowmobiles helps guests take advantage of the area’s back-country trails.

BED-and-breakfasts are starting to ‘man up’ — Michelle Higgins reports on sports-friendly B and B’s and highlights some great deals for BOTH spouses.

The Shopaholics Train (a.k.a. the Atlantic City Express Service – ACES) will ferry shoppers from New Jersey to New York on November 27th. A complete timetable is available on the ACES web site.

48-hour Sale, 40% OFF: Hotel Kabuki San Francisco is a premier Japanese-style hotel in San Francisco with a western touch. Hotel Kabuki is located in Japantown, and for the next 48 hours rooms are only $84 per night!

Caribbean Vacation Spa Package at the Renaissance Aruba from $398.

Get 30% Off in Your Stay at Leows Hotels and Resorts, valid for travel between 11/20/09 – 01/31/10.

And there’s a great last minute Hotel sale for the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina, $139 and up per night. The hotel is on the Intracoastal Waterway and offers a complimentary beach shuttle.

The combination of amenities, location and price (as well as the fact that Christmas and Thanksgiving are not black-out dates) make the Downtown West Palm Beach Marriot’s $77-$99 deal one of Florida’s best early season values!

It is easy to predict chilly weather.  By mid-November, heavy jackets have become part of your daily apparel and you start to wish you’d planned ahead and booked a vacation to someplace tropical – Florida would be nice -  before all the hotels doubled  their prices for the high season.

Would-be snowbirds willing to search the entire Gold Coast (from Miami to West Palm Beach)  will still be able to find money-saving opportunities.  West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale are good alternatives to the more pricey destinations closer to Miami.

The West Palm Beach Marriott has an exceptional deal that will make it possible for frugal snowbirds to get some high-season sun and low season prices.  The resort-like hotel’s rates will stay at $77-$99 per night until December 26th, with no blackout days during Thanksgiving and Christmas.  These rates are 50% lower than the Marriott’s regular high-season prices.

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The Downtown West Palm Beach Marriot’s greatest asset is its location.  It is within walking distance of the popular CityPlace shopping, restaurant and nightlife promenade.  There are several spas, salons and restaurants within a mile of the hotel, making it possible for guests to put together their own “resort experience” without having to pay resort prices.

Bistro Ten Zero One, the Marriot’s in-house eatery, offers modern seafood-based cuisine in a casually classy setting.  The restaurant includes a full bar and free wireless internet access.

The combination of amenities, location and price (as well as the fact that Christmas and Thanksgiving are not black-out dates) make the Downtown West Palm Beach Marriot’s $77-$99 deal one of Florida’s best early season values.

Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas making a huge splash in south Florida, Tom Robbins goes skiing in Switzerland, ARIA Resort & Casino opening in Las Vegas boasts special introductory offer, and Papa Noël greets Christmas travelers to New Orleans this holiday season, plus more!

Last Friday we reported that the world’s largest cruise ship was scheduled to arrive in Ft. Lauderdale, and our readers turned out in droves to see it! So much so, in fact, that the 225,000-ton vessel, which can hold more than 6,000 passengers, has drawn in a flood of spectators trying to get a closer look and asking to take a tour. Since USA Today is reporting that the large crowds of people and vehicles coming to the port have caused massive traffic jams, why don’t you just click here instead to get a closer look at Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas!

New ARIA Resort & Casino opening in Las Vegas boasts a special introductory offer of $159 a night, plus guests staying through April 1st, 2010 will recieve $75 resort credit! The new resort includes a 150,000 square-foot casino and over 4,000 rooms complete with 42-inch flat-screen televisions, 13 eateries, 9 bars, 3 pools, and an 80,000 square-foot spa.

Be sure to read Tom Koppel’s account of exploring by kayak the ruins of Nan Madol, a former royal city in the South Pacific, and Tom Robbins’ article for today’s The Observer about the best-kept secrets of Switzerland’s Snowmotions, a company devoted to helping skiers and boarders explore the Swiss canton of Graubünden where children can learn to ski safely, and hardcore skiers can find virgin powder fields.

And if you’re looking to sail the Caribbean yet want to spend little or no money, (perhaps even get paid for it!) then you’ll want to be sure to read Matt Gross’ latest article in today’s NY Times entitled ‘Sailing the Caribbean, the Frugal Way’ where he details his experience as a crew-member aboard the S.V. Illusion. He includes a list of where to eat and drink on some of the smaller islands, and even provides a few web sites to get you started finding your own cut-rate deals on a Caribbean vacation.

And, with Thanksgiving right around the corner, now is the time to book your Christmas vacation. If you’re planning to visit New Orleans, be sure to check out the great deals available on the official New Orleans Tourism site, or simply review all the great Christmas Deals the traveler community has posted on our own site, right here at BestTravelDeals.net!

The Charles Hotel

If you are looking for some city fun this holiday season try Boston.  Between the shopping, the restaurants, the decorations and the festivities, Boston has something for everyone to enjoy.

The Charles Hotel, located in Harvard Square, offers travelers plenty of reasons to visit Boston over the holidays- even ice skating!   They have several packages that will satisfy all of your holiday needs.

If you live in the Boston area and have out of town guests coming in for Thanksgiving give everyone their own space and have them stay at the Charles Hotel.  The Trimmings and Thanks Package allows for peace and quiet while providing your guests luxurious accommodations. Guests will also receive a pie made fresh from Henrietta’s Table to bring to your holiday dinner—one less thing to worry about.

For shoppers the hotel offers The Shop ‘Til You Drop Package November 22-January 3rd.  Guests will receive an exclusive card at check-in with discounts at stores throughout Harvard Square.

For last minute shoppers in a pinch, visit Boston December 18-20.  The stores in Harvard Square stay open till midnight and the The Charles Hotel offers a special rate of $159 a night as part of the Shop Over Package.

Finally, when it’s time to ring in the New Year The Charles Hotel offers two great packages- The Toast the New Year Package of the Gilded New Year’s Package.

The Toast the New Year Package provides overnight accomodations, sparkling wine and a breakfast in bed while you ring in the fun throughout Harvard Square.  The Gilded New Year’s Package provides you with overnight accomodations, a bottle of Dom Perignon, a 5-course meal at the hotels Rialto restaurant and tickets to the Regattbar’s New Year’s bash!