Great Time for a Vacation

In the Caribbean, travelers seeking bargains this winter are finding big ones: beachfront rooms in famous resorts for less than $100 a night; cheap inter-island cruises; all-inclusive stays (including breakfast, dinner and water sports) for less than the normal room rate; and island-wide promotions. On St. Kitts, for example, the Feel the Warmth promotion offers free room nights; food and beverage credits of $75; and even 10 percent off airfares.

The bargains in Las Vegas are so gigantic that I couldn’t figure them out myself. I called Howard Lefkowitz, the chief executive of Vegas.com, for a little help. After a little patter promising that “everything is 25 to 30 percent” less than last year, Lefkowitz agreed to a real-time test.

“What would a room at the Bellagio cost me tonight?” I asked. After a few keystrokes — I heard his keyboard clacking over his website — he found a $129 rate for a standard room at the five-star property. “That probably would have cost $225 last year,” he said. “What would $129 have gotten me last year?” I wondered. Lefkowitz didn’t hesitate: “A night at Paris, a nice four-star resort.” What was Paris charging tonight?” I asked. A few more keystrokes and Lefkowitz had an answer: $90.
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“Call me,” the general manager at a new hotel in Miami advised. “I’ll offer you a price you won’t find on the Web.”