Plan the Perfect Weekend Getaway

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 www.MyPoints.com 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 need.


Distance Planning
I don't like to travel more than an hour 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 60 mile radius around your home, and set your plans around there.


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 was 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 at www.usps.gov 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.


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 candles, 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, fruit and light snacks. 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 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 romantic getaway!

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