Howl if you love waterparks! We’re thrilled to be giving away a stay at any Great Wolf Lodge Indoor Waterpark Resort, where every day is a pool day. With eleven locations in North America, a Great Wolf Lodge is never far away.

The prize is a one-night stay in a family suite for 4 people at the Great Wolf Lodge of the winner’s choice; one breakfast, lunch and dinner for 4 people during their stay; two-day waterpark admission for 4 people; and a wolf pup plush.

A stay at Great Wolf Lodge translates to great value for families that love waterpark fun. The rate always includes unlimited access to the enormous indoor waterpark with waterslides, bodyslides, raft rides, lazy rivers, wave pools, climbing structures, and more. Best of all, you can use the waterpark from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave and, since attendance is limited to hotel guests, the lines never get crazy long.

But that’s not all. Families can also have fun playing the MagiQuest adventure game and enjoying nightly fireside Story Time. Great Wolf Lodge offers a weather-proof family vacation that will leave you all howling for more.

For a chance to win this family getaway, just head to our giveaway page. You can enter once a day through June 30, 2012. So come back again tomorrow!

It's baa-ack! The InterContinental Hotels Group is bringing back its popular Vacation Pay program, which pays travelers to stay the weekend  in its hotels this summer. If you spend a two-night weekend stay before Labor Day, at any of IHG properties, you'll be rewarded with a $75 prepaid credit card to use anyway you like. The only condition is that reservation has to be for two consecutive weekend nights — Friday and Saturday or Saturday and Sunday — at the same hotel. Stays do not qualify if guests are paying special discounted or group rates.

You can use this promotion for up to four weekend stays, for a total of $300 in credit back. 

IHG hotels include many family-friendly chains: InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites.

To get the card, register and print rebate forms at www.ihg.com/get75 starting May 14. The only caveat is that you won't get your pre-paid credit card immediately. Once your stay is completed, you have to mail in the rebate form along with your hotel receipt. Still, free money is free money.

Thinking about a  trip  to NYC or DC this summer?  While many business-traveler-friendly hotels give families big-city sticker shock, Affinia hotels in the Big Apple and Washington DC are offering a deal that seems tailor-made for families.

Starting at just $139 in DC and $179 in New York City, the deal offers  a fourth night free, and up to 5,500 reward points in the hotels’ rewards program (therein lies the sole catch: you have to join the Stash Rewards program, which it's free).

The hotel in Washington, DC is in the Capitol Hill area, and there are five options in the Big Apple,  including locations near Central Park, Rockefeller Plaza and Madison Square Garden. Many of the hotels offers suites with fully-equipped kitchens, too—a sure-fire way to save on the cities’ high restaurant bills.

When we checked June dates using the deal at the Affinia Manhattan, near Madison Square Garden, we found a starting rate that averaged out to $245 a night—almost $75 less than the regular rate of $319 a night—and a clean 25% savings. (Alternatively, you could opt for a non-refundable rate for $268 a night.)

Here's a  case, however, where it pays to tinker with different specials on the hotel site. When we looked at the standing Stay More Save More deal, our nightly rate went down $5 to $240 a night. And if we only stayed three nights, the nightly average went down to a more noticeable $219 a night.

To get the Stash Rewards deal, you must book by May 31 for travel through September 2.  You can book by calling reservations at 866/246-2203, or by booking online and using promotional code Stash5K. For the Stay More Save More deal, use promotion code SVMORE.

The Hard Rock Hotel chain isn't know for being understated—and its first all-inclusive property, in the Dominican Republic, is doing things in a big way. Sprawling over 121 beachfront acres in Punta Cana, the resort has 1,800 rooms, 15 pools, nine restaurants, 60,000-square-foot spa, and a Nicklaus-designed 18-hole golf course. It's also serving up a sizable promotion: guests staying five nights or more before December 23 will receive a resort credit of up to $1,500 per room, per stay.  The credit can be used toward a room upgrade, spa services, private dinners, golf, and special tours such as beach horseback riding or snorkeling.

A family of four might decide to use the credit to upgrade from a standard room ($410 per night in August) to a two-room Caribbean Family Suite ($664 per night), equipped with an Xbox 360, flat screen TVs, and nearly twice the room (1,500 square feet) to spread out.  

We often hear visitors to the Turks and Caicos raving about the islands' spectacular beaches, and topping many lists is Grace Bay Beach. This 12-mile crescent of powdery white sand is a popular spot for families, with calm, clear and shallow waters. Set on six acres overlooking the beach is The Sands at Grace Bay, a laid-back resort that boasts complimentary watersports, three free-form pools, tennis, and 114 studios and family-friendly suites with kitchens and washer/dryer.

The resort has kicked off a 4th Night Free promotion when you stay three or more consecutive nights through December 22. When we test-booked a four-night stay for a family of four in mid-summer, we found a regular nightly rate of $385 for a one-bedroom oceanview suite.  For a four-night stay, the average rate drops to $289 per night, which translates to a 25% savings. The offer is good on all room categories, though occupancy limits require families of four or more to book a suite.

There are some blackout dates, and restrictions apply. Book online or call 877/777-2637 and mention promo code 4NF.

One lucky family will soon be packing for the Big Apple! We’re excited to be giving away a two-night stay for a family of four at the luxurious Affinia Gardens Hotel, located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side just blocks from Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Madison Avenue shopping. The prize includes two nights in a junior suite for a family of four, plus a welcome amenity and high speed internet access.

Set under the backdrop of the Green Mountains' highest peak, Vermont's Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa has been welcoming guests for 50 years.  This AAA four-diamond property offers a range of accommodations—from guest rooms and suites to roomy townhouses—and boasts a 50,000 square-foot spa, two restaurants, tennis courts, pool, golf, hiking and biking trails. There are plenty of off-property activities, too (think skiing, hot-air ballooning), making it a popular year-round destination.  

To celebrate the resort's 50th birthday, Stoweflake has kicked off a 50 on 50 promotion, offering 50% savings on lodging through May 24. The discount is valid on weekend stays of two nights or more in a luxury category or higher guestroom. When we price-checked a weekend stay for a family of four, we found a nightly rate of $119.50 for a luxury two-queen room, which is, in fact, a 50% savings off the regular nightly rate of $239.  Families looking to spread out will find the same savings on roomy townhouses; a two-bedroom "Stoweflake" will run $199.50 per night instead of $399. Over the course of a two-night stay, the promo will reduce your total lodging spend from $800 to $400—and keep a hefty $400 in your wallet. (If you feel like spending some of that cash in the spa, you're in luck: the 50 on 50 offer will also get you a 20% discount there on a Monday.)

The fine print: the offer is based on space availability, and reservations must be pre-paid and are non-refundable.  Book online or call 800/253-2232 and ask for the 50 on 50 offer.

When it comes to destinations that offer big-time family appeal, San Diego is hard to beat. Start with a near-perfect climate, add 70 miles of sparkling beaches and world-famous family attractions, and top it off with a bevy of spring hotel deals. Here are the best of the bunch:

• Available through June 30, the Paradise Point Resort & Spa, located on a private 44-acre island on Mission Bay, is offering the 1962 Rates Sale Deal. Celebrating the resort's 50th anniversary in 2012, the deal includes a fourth night of accommodations at the resort's 1962 rate of $8 per night. Rates starting at $171 per night for a minimum three-night reservation. Use promo code PP62.
• Available now through June 10, the Westin Gaslamp Quarter San Diego, located in the heart of downtown, is offering the San Diego by Land & Sea Package. The package includes complimentary breakfast for two each morning, two San Diego Seal Tour tickets and two Passport to Balboa Park tickets. Rates start at $440 for a two-night stay.
• Available now through June 19, the Embassy Suites Hotel San Diego Bay in downtown San Diego, located within a short walk from The New Children's Museum, is offerings the New Children's Museum Package. The package includes two complimentary tickets to the museum, complimentary breakfast, parking and an invitation for parents to enjoy an evening manager's reception. Rates start at $199 per night.
• Available now through June 30, the Hyatt Regency Mission Bay Spa & Marina on Mission Bay is offering the Mission Bay Adventure Package. Designed for the whole family, the package includes 20% off attraction tickets to the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, SeaWorld San Diego or LEGOLAND California (maximum four tickets for one attraction), complimentary self-parking each night and 20% off at the hotel's Red Marlin Restaurant & Terrace and SWIM Bar & Lounge for up to four people. Rates start at $179 per night.
• Available now through October 31, Hotel Solamar San Diego, located across from PETCO Park in the downtown's historic Gaslamp Quarter, is offering the Play Ball! Package. The package includes deluxe accommodations at 20% off the hotel's best available rate, two beers in the hotel's Jsix restaurant or LOUNGEsix rooftop patio, in-room morning coffee and tea service, a hosted evening wine reception and 24-hour access to the in-house fitness room. Rates start at $149 per night. Use promo code PBAS.

Heads up, nature lovers: We’re giving away a three-night getaway for a family of four at the Plantation on Crystal River, the only place the North America where you can legally swim and interact with manatees in the wild. The prize includes three nights in a junior suite, four manatee tour tickets, one breakfast for four, and one dinner for four at West 82 Bar and Grill.

For a chance to win this family getaway, just head to our giveaway page. You can enter once a day through April 30, 2012. So come back again tomorrow!