Marriott and Renaissance hotels are making it difficult to stay at home with the recent “Life Begins at 40%” promotion. Choose among 12 participating resorts in Mexico, the Caribbean and Costa Rica, and get 40 percent off leisure guest rates. Just book by Nov. 30, 2009, for travel between Jan. 1 and April 30, 2010.

Photo: JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa

Among the participating resorts are Marriott properties I’ve visited in the past year: the CasaMagna Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort and the Marriott San Juan Resort & Stellaris Casino. The remaining 10 are: Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino, Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino, Curaçao Marriott Beach Resort & Emerald Casino, Renaissance Curaçao Resort & Casino, Marriott Frenchman’s Reef and Morning Star Beach Resort, JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa, CasaMagna Marriott Cancun Resort, St. Kitts Marriott Resort & Royal Beach Casino, Grand Cayman Marriott Beach Resort, and Los Sueños Marriott Ocean & Golf Resort.

Pick your favorite escape destination from the above list, call 888-727-2347, and use promotion code LLF to book your room for 40 percent less. It’s one more reason to pack your bags and get outta Dodge for a while.

Let’s face it. December can be a frustrating month for adults. But for most kids? It’s one of their favorite times of the year. The Montage recognizes this, and for the month of December the Laguna Beach,  Orange County, resort, set along the dramatic cliffs of southern California, is offering several special children’s programs for kids ages 2 to 12, from Santa’s Workshops to a just-for-children New Year’s Eve party. Here are some highlights:

Santa’s Workshops

Santa’s Workshops sessions take place on the weekends Dec. 4 to 6, 11 to 13, and 17 to 24. Kids can create gifts for family members as well as learn how to build a gingerbread house, decorate cookies, create Hanukkah crafts, and participate in a candy cane scavenger hunt.

The workshops are offered as part of Paintbox, Montage’s children’s program featuring daily supervised indoor and outdoor activities, arts and crafts and more to inspire creativity and imagination.

• Paintbox (ages 5 to 12) half-day sessions are offered 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or noon to 4 p.m., $60 per child; full-day sessions, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., are $90 per child. All sessions include lunch and snacks.
• Paintbox Petite (ages 2 to 5), launched in October and is available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; the cost is $20 per child, per hour, with a two hours minimum; 24-hour advance reservations requested. Snacks are offered, and special meals can be arranged. Children need not be potty trained.
  

Sunset Traditions

Gather your family by the fire pit at sunset and enjoy holiday-themed tales complete with hot cocoa and cookies. Available Dec. 11 to 12, 18 to 19, and 24; complimentary; no reservations required.

Santa Claus Tuck-In

Santa Claus will visit younger guests in-room to read a bedtime story, offer milk and cookies, and wish them sweet dreams. Available Dec. 11 to 24; $50 per room; 24-hour advance reservations requested.

Holiday Stocking Delivery

Parents can arrange to have a Personalized Holiday Stocking delivered from Santa. Available Dec. 11 to 24, $85 per stocking; 48-hour advance reservations required.

Christmas Eve Magic

Following the annual reading of Twas the Night Before Christmas, join a twilight search to spot Santa’s sleigh. Children can write a special message to Santa and decorate Christmas cookies to take back to their rooms and leave for St. Nick. Dec. 24, 7 p.m.; complimentary to resort guests; no reservations required.

Children’s Night Out

For children ages 5 to 12, Paintbox has created eight nights in December featuring games and activities, dinner, a full-length movie and more, such as Friday’s Paintbox Pizza Creations and Saturday’s S’mores by the fire pit. Available Dec. 4 to 5, 11 to 12, 18 to 19, 25 to 26 from 6 to 10 p.m.; $60 per child.

Paintbox’s New Years Eve Celebration

Children ages 5 to 12 can ring in the New Year with their very own festive dinner party with entertainment, arts and crafts, face painting, karaoke, video games, featured film of the evening and more. Dec. 31, 6 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.; $100 per child; reservations required.

Montage Laguna Beach holiday rates start at $395 per night. Call 949-715-6000 or 866-271-6953, or visit www.montagelagunabeach.com.

The Portland Square Hotel in New York’s bustling Times Square theater district is being transformed into the new boutique Sanctuary Hotel, set to open in fall 2010. But you can get in on the action now, and at a nearly 50 percent reduced rate.

What’s the deal? Book a stay in one of the hotel’s nine newly refurbished Sanctuary Studio rooms through its Dress Rehearsal offer for the preview rate of just $159 per night—the rooms will be priced at $309 once the new hotel debuts next year—plus receive a $50 credit toward a future stay when providing feedback on the new design (via e-mail or to a hotel executive).

I’ve been assured by a hotel spokesperson that guests shouldn’t have to worry about construction/renovation woes as the hotel owners are shutting down and working on one tower at a time, leaving the other open for guests.

When completed, the Sanctuary will offer 125 rooms, featuring plush beds with European linens, 32- to 42-inch plasma televisions, iPod docking stations, and an open bathroom (there’s a curtain for semi-privacy) with quarried marble and glass-enclosed shower with rain showerhead. Several guestrooms also will showcase the original structure of the hotel with exposed brick or metal beams across the ceiling.

Though the rooms are small in the renderings—not uncommon for hotels in older buildings in Time Square, which anyone who has stayed at the Paramount or Hudson hotels knows—they appear to be efficiently designed, and are ideal for solo travelers on business or visiting the city for fun.

The promotion is valid for stays through March 31, 2010. To book the Dress Rehearsal offer, call (212) 382-0600 or use promo code DRESS1 when booking online at www.portlandsquarehotel.com. For information about the Sanctuary Hotel, visit www.sanctuaryhotelnyc.com.

Need a quick break from the rat race or your job search? An inexpensive getaway to Las Vegas might be just the ticket.

The Las Vegas Hilton is offering the Escape to Las Vegas package for two-night stays through Dec. 28, 2009. Rates start at just $49.95 per night. Included in the deal are two free breakfasts, two free cocktails, two entries to the hotel’s fitness facility and $100 in dining coupons.

Photo Courtesy of Las Vegas Hilton

The hotel is conveniently located one block from the Las Vegas Strip, so you don’t need to tap into your budget for transportation around town. And with inexpensive flights to Vegas, it’s the perfect time to take a trip on the cheap.

For more information on Las Vegas Hilton’s Escape to Las Vegas package, visit www.hilton.com.

Get a break for your travel budget if you stay at any of eight Marriott brand hotels between Sept. 25 and Dec. 13, 2009. Marriott is offering a Global Rate Break of 20 percent off weekend stays (Thu. to Sun.) at more than 2,500 participating hotels and resorts around the world. Mid-week stays at select hotels are also eligible for the discount.

Photo Courtesy of Grand Cayman Marriott Resort

Reservations must be made by Sept. 24 in order to receive the rate break. Participating Marriot brands are: Marriott Hotels & Resorts, JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Renaissance Hotels & Resorts, Courtyard by Marriott, Fairfield Inn by Marriott, SpringHill Suites by Marriott, Residence Inn by Marriott and TownePlace Suites by Marriott.

To book the Global Rate Break, call 877-MARRIOTT (627-7468), or visit www.marriott.com and use promotion code F5X.

Like it or not, fall is upon us. Soon, the beach will be a distant memory, kids will be back in school and people will be looking for a new distraction. Head on out to California, where September is California Wine Month.

Photo: okarol

From Mendocino and Sonoma to Paso Robles and Palm Springs, wineries, hotels, restaurants and tour companies are offering deals throughout September to lure oenophiles during wine harvest time. Some highlights include:

• The Lodge at Sonoma has a “California Wine Month Sip, Cycle & Savor Package” that includes two nights in a Cottage guest room, two 50-minute Swedish spa treatments, a bottle of Sonoma Valley wine, dinner for two at the Carneros Bistro & Wine Bar, and two one-day bike rentals. Rates begin at $879 (20 percent discount). For more information, visit www.thelodgeatsonoma.com or call 866-263-0758.

• Cloud Climbers Jeep Tours offers rides in Jeeps through the Santa Barbara wine country. Stop and taste at some of the region’s best wineries and enjoy a picnic lunch in the vineyards. The Wine Month special is $109, a discount of 10 percent. For more information, visit www.ccjeeps.com or call 805-646-3200.

• Roots Restaurant at the Orchard Garden Hotel in San Francsico features “A Toast to Sustainability.” With a purchase of two entrées, diners get a bottle of organic wine for just $1. (Note: To redeem, make reservations at OpenTable and enter “Toast to Sustainability” in the Special Requests box. You’ll get a coupon to print out and take with you to dinner.) For more information, visit www.therootsrestaurant.com or call 415-659-0349.

Check out the list of great deals for California Wine Month at www.visitcalifornia.com and find something just for you.

Looking for a green way to explore the Big Apple? Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park is offering a package great for avid bikers or visitors looking to see New York City in a whole new way. The hotel’s Bike, Bed and Breakfast Package for two includes overnight accommodations in a Deluxe City View Guest Room, full-day bike rentals and breakfast at the Ritz’s 2 WEST restaurant.

The pick-up location for the bike rentals is located conveniently across the street from the hotel and includes Trek bicycles, bike locks, helmets, water bottles and a bike map of New York. Ride the scenic bike path along the Battery Park esplanade or make your way over the iconic Brooklyn Bridge.

Photo: ToastyKen

The Ritz-Carlton New York, Battery Park will be offering this package, which requires a two-day advance registration, from Aug. 24 to Nov. 14, 2009. For $460 per couple, enjoy a stay at this world-renowned hotel in Lower Manhattan, just minutes away from trendy Soho and Tribeca. For more information, visit the hotel’s Web site at www.ritzcarlton.com.

Three days of music, love and peace forever changed the history of rock ‘n’ roll in the summer of 1969. Woodstock remains the pinnacle of music festivals 40 years later. So whether you’re kicking yourself for not having gone to see Jimi Hendrix play “Voodoo Child,” jealous that you hadn’t been born when Janis Joplin rocked the stage with “Piece of My Heart,” or just rehashing when you danced with the hippies while Creedence Clearwater Revival played “Bad Moon Rising,” you can relive those legendary August days with these groovy deals and perks courtesy of Hard Rock Hotels.

Photo: Hard Rock Hotel San Diego

Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood

The Hard Rock Hollywood in South Florida will be celebrating the 40th anniversary of the1969 Woodstock festival with $69 room rates on August 18 and 19. Be sure to take a free Jimi Hendrix-style guitar lesson, explore the memorabilia displays, and attend a concert by Woodstock performers, Crosby, Stills & Nash. Call 866-502-7529 for more information or visit www.seminolehardrockhollywood.com.

Hard Rock Hotel Orlando

Throughout August, Hard Rock Orlando will transport you back to Woodstock. The front desk will present you with a daisy upon check-in, propagating Woodstock’s message of peace and love. The hotel will also being serving drink specials such as the “Hendrix Electric Lady” and the “Grateful Dead.” Let the kids participate—just send them to the pool to make their own tie-dye T-shirts. Call 888-832-7155 or visit www.hardrockhotelorlando.com.

Hard Rock Hotel San Diego

Commemorate Woodstock in a way that would make the hippies proud—with a complementary “pot brownie” from Hard Rock San Diego’s Maryjane’s Coffee Shop. Named for the ceramic pot they’re baked in (not for any secret ingredients!), these brownies are made fresh to order and served à la mode. Call 866-751-7625 or visit www.hardrockhotelsd.com.