Affordable Luxury in the DR at Casa Colonial

The Deal: Book a last-minute four-night-minimum stay at the luxury Casa Colonial Beach & Spa resort by March 7 and you'll save 25 percent on nightly rates and enjoy your fourth night free through April 30.

Why We Love It: The all-suite boutique resort in Puerto Plata, DR is one of the most exclusive properties along the island's north coast, and rates during the promotional period start at just $263 per night double occupancy, so it's a great way to experience high season luxury with a low season price tag.

How to Book It: Book your stay by calling 809-320-3232 or surf over to casacolonial.com. Must book by March 7, 2010 and travel by April 30, 2010.

Affordable Luxury in the DR

The Deal: Book five nights in a deluxe junior suite at the Four Diamond Sivory Punta Cana and get one night free through April 4 – or travel between April 5 and December 25 and get two nights free. Either way, if you make your reservation at least 30 days prior to your arrival you'll also enjoy a $100 spa voucher for your stay.

Why We Love It: As the Dominican Republic's only property to receive AAA Four Diamond status for both the hotel and its on-site Gourmand restaurant, the boutique Sivory is a no brainer for luxury – and the free nights and added value included in this promotion will help make this vacation a lot easier on your wallet. The resort offers stocked mini-bars, complimentary Wi-Fi and unlimited use of non-motorized water sports all included in the European Plan – or for an additional $150 per person per night, you can upgrade to the all-inclusive plan and enjoy all gourmet meals and 24-room service, too.

How to Book It: Log on to sivorypuntacana.com or call 809-333-0500 to reserve your room. All taxes are included in the rate.

New Spa Experiences at Sandy Lane

Here's one for all the spa lovers out there: The Spa at Sandy Lane – one of the Caribbean's largest (at 47,000 square feet) and most comprehensive spas – just introduced nine personalized Spa Experiences to their menu. Each one integrates various massage techniques and body wraps with fresh, local ingredients such as Bajan sugar cane, coconut oil and banana leaves, and guests can enjoy the services in one of the spa's 11 newly renovated treatment rooms.

Even better, many of the luxury resort's vacation packages for 2010 – such as the wellness-centered Rejuvenating Adventure package or the ooh-la-la Romance in Paradise package – include $100 spa vouchers and additional spa treatments, so it's easy to sample some of the spa's new menu on your next stay. Log on to sandylane.com to book your stay and learn more about the spa services.

Winter Care Package in the Turks and Caicos

The Deal: Book a five-night minimum stay at the all-suite Point Grace resort through January 31 and you'll get a complimentary Winter Care Package that includes a three-course dinner for two at Grace's Cottage, a bottle of sparkling champagne, and two 30-minute massages.

Why We Love It: Since you can easily combine it with other promotions, the Care Package is great added value for your winter stay of five nights or more. Add it to the Pay 5 Get 7 package and you'll also get two nights free.

How to Book It: Call 866-924-7223 or log on to pointgrace.com to book your stay by January 31, 2010. Blackout dates between December 18, 2009 and January 5, 2010 apply.

Half Off at Mexico's Banyan Tree Mayakoba

The Deal: Book the resort's Limited Online Special for three nights or more and save 50 percent on Garden Pool Villa rates that normally run $655 – you pay only $328 per villa per night, including daily breakfast for two at Oriente, and one complimentary 90-minute spa treatment per room.

Why We Love It: Among the Riviera Maya's newest resorts, Banyan Tree Mayakoba is also one of the region's most luxurious properties. Just ask our photo editor Zach, who had the chance to laze around his villa's private plunge pool this summer...he's been bragging about it ever since. The resort also boasts the upscale Banyan Tree Spa and the Greg Norman-designed El Camaléon golf course – one of our own Featured Golf properties.

How to Book It: Email www.banyantree.com/en/mayakoba and book your three-night-minimum stay by December 18, 2009.

Indulge in the BVI

You don't have to hang around our blog for very long to notice that I love the British Virgin Islands. With pristine beaches, non-stop boating action, and some of the best beach bars in the world, the BVI's are my own little slice of Caribbean heaven. And on my list of must-see spots whenever I visit, Peter Island ranks pretty much at the top. Right now, the private island resort is offering a New Us, New You promotion through October 31 that's pretty tough to beat: Just book a five night stay in an ocean view room or beachfront junior suite and you'll only pay for four nights – a savings of 20 percent – plus you'll enjoy an Ayurvedic lifestyle and wellness experience at the spa, which includes a 75-minute treatment for two in the spa's exclusive beachfront couples' suite; a private yoga class for two; and the full American meal plan of breakfast, lunch, dinner and afternoon tea. The package starts at $2,780 double occupancy for ocean view rooms, or $4,020 for the beachfront junior suites. Just log on to Peter Island's site to book your trip before the end of the month.

Last Minute Sale at the Radisson Aruba

This one's for the spontaneous travelers out there...

For today only, the Radisson Aruba Resort, Casino & Spa is offering a Half Price Sale with rates starting at $225 per night double occupancy - a 50 percent savings over normal high season rates. Guests can also enjoy exclusive Plaza Club accommodations from $329.50 per night with this promotion. You can travel between January 2 and April 10, but you have to book before midnight tonight, September 21, to take advantage of the savings.

Not ready to book just yet? You'll miss the Half Price Sale, but can still take advantage of the resort's Winter Sale and earn your third night free for bookings through November 9. Just log on to the Radisson Aruba web site to book your stay.

Free Spa Treatments in Bermuda

Hey, spa lovers: The Reefs resort on Bermuda just announced the opening of its new La Serena Spa, a state of the art facility with eight treatment rooms, a sauna, and a complete line of Elemis of London skincare products - and to welcome visitors, the resort is offering spa freebies for a limited time. Just stay for a minimum of five nights through December 26 and you'll have your choice of three complimentary 60-minute treatments. And to celebrate the upcoming PGA Grand Slam of Golf being held in Bermuda in October, the resort is throwing in free rounds of golf with your stay, too. Rates start at $369 per night double occupancy - just mention the Golf and Spa package when you book.

A Secret Worth Telling

A couple of weeks ago I spent a long weekend at Secrets Maroma Beach on Mexico’s Riviera Maya, and enjoyed an enchanted couple of hours chillaxing in their spa. Cossetted in a plush robe, I sipped herbal tea in the relaxation lounge; frolicked like a 9-year-old beneath the water jets in the hydrotherapy pool; and blissed out under the muscle-melting ministrations of my therapist during the Moon and Stars massage. Ahh … good times.

Now, to celebrate the opening of their brand new Pevonia spa, guests staying in a deluxe room at Maroma’s sister all-inclusive resort Secrets Capri Riviera Cancun can sample as many as four spa treatments per person per day absolutely free until December 23. Complimentary treatments run 25 minutes each, must be booked in advance with the concierge, and exclude facials, manis and pedis. Almost two hours of spa time a day for FREE? You can't beat that with a stick.

For more information about the Unlimited Spa Package – which starts at $220 all-inclusive per person per night, double occupancy – go to www.secretsresorts.com.

Sweetening the Deal with Spas

Among the more pleasant side-effects of the struggling economy are the seemingly endless perks that many hotels and resorts have started lavishing on guests. Besides slashing room rates at properties across the Caribbean, many hoteliers are also heaping on the extras, like free rounds of golf, upgraded amenities, resort credits and - my favorite - complimentary spa treatments.

At the newly renovated Peter Island Resort & Spa in the BVI, guests can enjoy a ton of upgrades and spa goodies with the New Us, New You vacation package through October 31. The promotion includes a five night stay for the price of four, a 75-minute couple's massage and private yoga instruction for two, in addition to an American meal plan (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and amenities like windsurfing, snorkeling and biking - all starting at $2,780 double occupancy for the whole trip.

On the more affordable end of the spectrum, the Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino's new five-night minimum Escape! Spa package offers accommodations in the adult-exclusive Marina Hotel property with daily breakfast for two, along with a sampling of five separate spa treatments for two: a facial, scalp treatment, body exfoliation, Swedish massage and pedicure. It all starts at $398 per night double occupancy through December 21. Rates at the resort usually start in the mid- to high-$300s per night in low season, so the spa treatments are a pretty sweet perk for just a little more.

Check out all the details of these vacation packages on the Peter Island site and Renaissance Aruba site, and keep your eyes open for more great deals like these all summer.

Perks for Parents

A ton of our travel specials cater to families - including special "kids free" and "kids club" promotions at resorts around the Caribbean - so it's always a great time to start planning that next family vacation. But I ask you...what about a little something for the moms and dads once in a while?

The St. Kitts Marriott Resort must have been thinking the same thing, because their new Indulge in Value package offers the perfect treat for parents: unlimited golf at the Royal St. Kitts Golf Club AND unlimited spa treatments at the resort's Emerald Mist Spa. Whichever your pleasure, both are included in the room rate starting at $299 per night double occupancy. And when these guys say unlimited, they mean it...go ahead and squeeze in an early morning round on the 18-hole, par-71 course, then hit the spa for a massage, facial, body treatment, or hey - get all three. Feel like hitting the tees again after that? Go crazy.

But, like any really great promotion, there's something in it for the little ones, too. In addition to the resort's beachfront locale and eight family-friendly, on-site restaurants, The St. Kitts Marriott also boasts the Pirates of St. Kitts Kids Club, offering supervised sun and fun time for kids aged 5 to 12.

The deal is good through December 18, so just log on to the resort's web site and use promotion code SUM when you book.

Say Hello to Glorious Grenada

Well, I've landed on the island of Grenada, and the welcome has been as warm as this sweet-scented tropical air. Arriving here was no small feat: 12 hours' travel time from the Orlando International Airport, including two layovers — three, if you count an unplanned two-hour "visit" to Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, thanks to an ugly patch of weather over San Juan. But the trip was worth the effort; Grenada is glorious, and the hospitality at the Mount Cinnamon resort, high above picture-perfect Grand Anse Beach (pictured here), has been nothing short of world-class. I wish I had relatives as welcoming as this Mount Cinnamon staff. For now, I'm off for a tour of the property and stroll through Grenada's capital city, St. George's, followed by some "research" in Mount Cinnamon's Moi Spa. Tough life.

Marriott for the Moms

Macaroni necklaces are nice, but Marriott's latest promotion gives kids some real purchasing power for Mother's Day, offering moms a complimentary 50-minute massage, breakfast in bed, or a manicure and pedicure on your next vacation with no strings attached. When checking in for any three-night minimum stay at one of the company's nine resorts throughout the Caribbean and Mexico, just have junior say "Pamper my mommy" and that's it...the preferred treatment will be booked free of charge.

Check out the site for more information, then surf over to our Editor's Picks page - several of our recent deals include Marriott and Renaissance resorts.

This One's For the Girls

Whether you're single, married, or floating in some hazy gray area in between (and this isn't really the blog to get into that) - all of you ladies out there can cash in on some huge savings at resorts around the Caribbean. Recent findings from a AAA Girlfriend Travel Research Project have shown that women accounted for nearly 32 million trips in 2008 - spending a pretty penny (around $200 million) in the process. And as it turns out, we like to shop (74%), dine out (86%), lay by the beach or pool (70%) and check out the spas (73%) while we're at it. Not really surprising, but thank you, research.

So what's all this mean for you? The findings have struck a chord with a lot of Caribbean resorts, and in turn they've dreamed up tailored vacation packages - with big savings - just for the ladies.

At Jamaica's super-inclusive Grand Lido Braco resort, gals can grab their friends and enjoy the Girlfriend Getaway for $916 per person, which includes four nights of Royal Beachfront accommodations, all meals and drinks, complimentary mani-pedis, a choice of 30-minute spa treatments at the Blue Maho Spa, a welcome basket stocked with beauty products, and a bottle of champagne. For the active set, you'll also get complimentary windsurfing and scuba lessons, personal golf instruction, and cooking and pastry classes on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Over in the Grenadines, the 35-acre private island resort Young Island is offering its own Girlfriend Getaway for $900 per person, which includes five-nights in Superior Cottage accommodations, a three-meal-per-day plan plus a voucher for their exclusive waterfront French Verandah Restaurant, a 60-minute massage at Spa Kalina, a scuba diving course, use of the resort's watersports and tennis amenities, and a welcome bottle of wine in your room.

These are just two of my favorite promotions that have come our way recently, but a ton of other Caribbean resorts are offering similar Girlfriend Getaways, so here's the perfect excuse to start shopping.

Helping the Earth One Spa Treatment at a Time

Call me devoted to my job, but I'm pretty amenable to getting spa treatments. The stark reality is, a number of Caribbean resorts are home to world-class spas, and someone needs to try them out. Sometimes I'll play hard to get at first, pretending I'll skip it...but I always give in and sample the spa menu in the end, and rarely do I need a pep talk before going in there. It's just what professionals do.

But for those of you who need just a little bit more convincing, Elite Island Resorts has come up with a spa incentive you can really feel good about. To celebrate Earth Day - as well as the company's one year anniversary of being green-certified - the hospitality group will make a $5 donation to Sustainable Travel International (STI) for each spa treatment you purchase at select resorts in April. As a global organization, STI promotes sustainable solutions for travel and tourism, helping to shelter the Caribbean from some of the not-so-great effects of mass tourism.

The resorts include Galley Bay Resort & Spa, The Verandah Resort & Spa, and St. James' Club & Villas - all on Antigua - as well as Palm Island on the Grenadines. So I guess now the real question isn't whether to check out the spa...it's how many treatments can you squeeze in?

PS - Galley Bay's Indulge is our Featured Spa this week...click here to check it out.

Adventures in Aruba

Sometimes, in this line of work, people get hurt. Bad. It’s all part and parcel of the grueling on-the-ground gonzo reporting we’ve got to do to keep our readers abreast of everything new under the Caribbean sun. Here’s how it went down.

I recently submitted to an 80-minute massage and body scrub at a spa in Aruba. Everything was progressing just as it should: Strange new-agey music playing softly? Check. A slight smell of — what is that, sandalwood incense? Check. A solicitous masseuse with hands capable of melting a knotted back to butter? Check. And then it happened. “Scoot up,” she said innocently, indicating that I was to place myself face down in the head-donut at the top of the table. I gave myself a little push, underestimated the distance between the bottom of my chin and the edge of the hard, wooden massage table, and landed squarely short of my target, hitting my jaw on the table with a tooth-shaking thwack. Unwilling to give up on the story, I said nothing to the masseuse, suffering in silence for the next 40 minutes. Not until the next morning, when I awoke with a blueberry bruise the size of a quarter did I realize what I’d actually suffered.

I believe this is the first massage injury on our staff; that’s how far I’m willing to go.