Wine, Chocolate and That Special Deal
Valentine’s Day vacation packages follow a standard script: a few nights in a far-flung resort, a cozy country inn or a luxurious urban hotel tower; chilled champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries; a couple’s spa treatment; and a romantic dinner. And something quirky: a rose-petal bubble bath (as offered at the Garden Gables Inn of Lenox, Mass.), free Twister in your room (at the Gansevoort Hotel in New York), or something called the “Aura Soma Relationship” (at the Enchantment Resort in Sedona, Ariz.).
For years, though, the Frugal Traveler has wondered: Are these packages actually bargains?
From now through April 30, for example, the Montage Laguna Beach (949-715-6000; www.montagelagunabeach.com), in Laguna Beach, Calif., is offering an Evening of Romance, which includes a room with an ocean view; dinner for two at the Loft, one of the resort’s restaurants; and a couple’s massage — starting at $995. That may seem like a lot to spend on a single evening of romance, but consider this: the standard room rate at the Montage is $695, the Carlsbad shellfish cioppino (a choice for dinner) at the Loft costs $42, the amazing massage is worth at least $450, and the package even comes with guaranteed “Afterglow” (that’s publicity-speak for Cognac and cigars in a poolside cabana).
Perhaps most important of all: according to the press release, parking is free. Nothing says “I love you” like a complimentary spot for the Hyundai.
Not all Valentine’s Day deals are so elaborate. Down in Howey-in-the-Hills, Fla., 45 minutes from Orlando, the Mission Inn Resort and Club (800-874-9053; www.missioninnresort.com) has rooms for $149 a night ($129 if you stay two or more nights, plus tax and $12 resort fee). Ask for the festival package and get wine from the Napa Valley and chocolates, breakfast and admission to the Corazon Art and Music Festival, hosted over Valentine’s Day weekend at the resort. This year’s festival includes a nine-band tribute to the jazz great Nina Simone, whose song “Love Me or Leave Me” is a romantic favorite of the Frugal Traveler and his wife.
Bed-and-breakfasts try to be special sources of value-added Valentine’s Days. In Moss Landing, Calif., the Captain’s Inn (831-633-55500; www.captainsinn.com) offers a free hour on a tandem bicycle (a $35 value). In Estes Park, Colo., Mountain Valley Home B & B Inn (970-586-3100; www.amountainvalleyhome.com) is running a “gents only” cooking class, after which the “gents” cook breakfast for the “ladies.” (No wonder the class is free.)
The Tryon Farm Guest House (219-879-3618; www.tryonfarmguesthouse.com), in Michigan City, Ind., will not only invite your sweetheart to your romantic weekend by text message — welcome to 21st-century romance — but it also offers, according to a press release, a “fun relationship quiz, sure to spur some interesting conversation.” Expect questions like, “Did you really think a text message was the right way to invite me to a romantic Valentine’s Day weekend?”
If you tried an invitation-by-SMS last year and were left without a Valentine this year, don’t worry: there’s a package for you, and it probably involves alcohol. In Manhattan, two Australian restaurants, the Sunburnt Cow (137 Avenue C; 212-529-0005) and Bondi Road (153 Rivington Street; 212-253-5311), are holding their second-annual all-you-can-drink “No Love” parties. The Cow even has something it calls an Ice Luge of Love, which dispenses “frosty shots” and sounds entirely worth the $20 (for any two hours from 6 p.m.). (The Frugal Traveler has eaten at both, but prefers the more-spacious Sunburnt Cow.)
The Mohegan Sun casino. (Credit: Michael Nagle for The New York Times)
Likewise, the Mohegan Sun casino in Uncasville, Conn. (888-226-7711; www.mohegansun.com), has a cocktail-themed offer for any single women in the house: the $239-a-person (double occupancy) No Boys Allowed package includes two free martinis at the Leffingwells Martini Bar, martini-themed mani-pedis at the Elemis Spa and even an in-room “martini mixing station.” Bonus: one free $10 bet. I’d place it on “hangover.” (Mention code PTGRL when booking.)
The most useful package for singles, however, may be found at the Sunset on Seneca B & B in Watkins Glen (800-233-5752; www.sunsetonseneca.com), where a two nights’ stay nets you a $50 gift card for local restaurants, plus three meetings with Helene Chaika Fausold (607-351-8024, www.chaikaunlimited.com), a life coach who offers the promise of getting your life in order. he weekend costs a whopping $699, but hey, if all goes well, maybe you won’t spend next Valentine’s Day alone. (Apparently, some people do consider it worthwhile: Valentine’s Day weekend is already booked, but spaces remain open for the following weekend.)
What will the Frugal Traveler himself be doing for Valentine’s Day? Normally, the holiday is spent enjoying a home-cooked dinner and a bottle of wine (bought by the case for a 10 percent discount). This year, however, the Frugal Family will be decamping to Taipei, Taiwan, to visit relatives, so Feb. 14 will likely consist of dumplings, dumplings and more dumplings. Truly, nothing says “I love you” like pork fat, chili sauce and a pot of oolong tea.