Ready to trade your snow shovel for a sand shovel? Enter for a chance to win a three-night getaway for a family of four at Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort, a 2,400-acre waterfront paradise on Northwest Florida’s Emerald Coast, an area recognized as one of the top destinations in the world by Frommer’s. The prize consists of lodging in a three-bedroom deluxe villa or condo, complimentary round of golf for four people, tennis and bike rentals.

No one could blame you if you confused The Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort for a small town.  Spread out over 2,400 acres on Florida’s northwest Gulf Coast, the resort's accommodations are grouped into 30 "village neighborhoods," with 1,800 lodging options ranging from high-rise beachfront condos and dockside villas to bayfront condos and golfcourse townhomes. There's a pedestrian village with shops, restaurants, nightly entertainment, and the Baytowne Adventure Zone with a zipline, ropes course, and eurobungy. You'll also find four golf courses, 15 tennis courts, multiple swimming pools, miles of bike and jogging paths, half a dozen kids' play areas, a five-acre nature park, plus a fitness center and spa. Head to the marina for sailing and fishing, or the beach for free rentals of kayaks and boogie boards. There’s also a kids’ club, teen sailing classes, a teens-only pool area, and an arcade. 

The Sandestin has announced three offers that promise savings on spring stays at the resort. The one with the widest family appeal looks to be the “Spring into a Free Night” promo, which offers a fifth night free when you pay for four. When we test-booked a five-night stay in April, we were glad to see that the promo rates (starting at $139 a night for a standard guest room) are identical to the resort's regular rates. (This is important, because some resorts increase the nightly rate to recoup some of the cost of the "free" night. Not the case here.) With a fifth night free, the average nightly rate for that standard room drops to $111.

No matter what kind of accommodations you need, you're in luck.  The promo delivers a 20% savings across the board, so you could also nab a one-bedroom beachside condo for $241 a night (instead of $339) or a three-bedroom golfcourse villa for $267 a night (instead of $409).

The "Spring to the Beach" promo is valid for stays from March 1 through May 23.  Rates exclude the nightly resort charge, taxes and departure cleaning fees.  Book online or call 800/622-1038 and use promo code FREE5.

We’re excited to be giving away a four-night stay for a family of four in a one-bedroom suite at Divi Golf & Beach Resort, located on beautiful Druif Beach in Aruba (see our review).

Has your family got a case of the winter blahs?  Gaylord Hotels' Winter Weekend Getaway package might be just what the doctor ordered.  Gaylord Hotels—with locations in Nashville, Dallas, Kissimmee, and Washington DC—are known for their flawless service and wondrous interiors.  Each property features an enormous climate-controlled atrium where it's always 72 degrees, no matter the weather outside.  The indoor spaces are filled with lush gardens, cascading waterfalls, shops, restaurants, spa, swimming pools, and daily entertainment.  The newest property is the Gaylord National, overlooking the monuments and skyline of our nation’s capital. The world-class property is the crown jewel of the newly developed National Harbor, a dynamic waterfront community set along the historic Potomac River in Washington DC. Kids will love the nightly fountain shows and Potomac Playzone arcade. 

The Winter Weekend Getaway offer features a 15% discount off best-available weekend room rates, plus a $50 dining credit good for breakfast or in-room dining.  When we price-checked a Saturday stay in February at Gaylord National, we found a regular nightly rate of $209 for a double room. With the package, that room was priced at $177, which does work out to a discount of 15%.  Factor in the $50 dining credit and you're paying that much less to put smiles on the kids' faces.

The offer is valid on one-night stays on a Friday or Saturday through February 29.  The rate does not include taxes, fees or parking; other restrictions apply. Book online or call the individual hotel's reservations line (phone numbers are available on the website) and ask for the "Winter Weekend Getaway" offer.

Want a Valentine’s Day getaway, but have a pint-sized “third wheel” in tow? While three (or four or five) may be a crowd at most hotels around Valentine's Day, the Hilton Garden Inn Carlsbad Beach is offering a package that makes an all-family Valentine’s Day seem like a great idea.

The 161-room hotel on the north side of San Diego is across the street from a public beach, has a pool, and is just a short shuttle ride from Legoland. Its Romance Package—which includes niceties such as an early check-in, sparkling wine or cider in your room and a late checkout on request—also packs some surprisingly kid-friendly value. It includes free breakfast for everyone (worth about $50) and a dinner option: steak or salmon, the trimmings and chocolate-covered-berries for $36 per adult, plus a free dinner for kids 12 or under, featuring kid-friendly cuisine with sundaes for dessert.

Package rates are advertised starting at $193 a night, but when we checked the weekend before Valentine’s, we found a double room for $183 a night. Regular rates start at $159 for the same night, so unless you skip breakfast, you will definitely save at least $25 with the romance package—a decent (if not spectacular) 12%. Even so, the deal is a nice value for this time of year, when Legoland crowds are at their thinnest (the San Diego Zoo and Sea World are about 30 minutes away, too).

Since Valentine’s Day falls on a school night this year, the deal also offers a lot of flexibility: the Valentine's menu offer is available through February and March, and the Romance package is good through August. You can book the offer through the specials page or mention the Romance package when calling 760/476-0800.

The holiday decorations may have come down at Disneyland, but the magic of 2012 has only just begun. It is officially low season at the Happiest Place on Earth, when you’ll find thinner crowds and the opportunity to actually trim your costs. 

The three hotels at Disneyland are offering a winter sale that cuts up to 35% off  stays for most nights during Janurary and February. At Paradise Pier, you can save 35% on stays of 3 or more nights, and 30% on stays of 1 to 2 nights. At the recently renovated Disneyland Hotel, and the arts-and-crafts-style Grand Californian Hotel, the three-night savings go up to 30%, while 1- or 2-night stays get you 20% off.

The only catch?  "Most nights” means weeknights, not weekends, and the discounted rates run higher during the winter-break week following Presidents Day. But the prices are still pretty tempting: At Paradise Pier, they start at a very reasonable $156 a night (then $189 a night during Presidents week); at the Disneyland Hotel, rates starts at $225 a night ($289 during Presidents week); and at the Grand Californian, rates start at $267 ($345 during Presidents week).

For contrast, we tested regular weekend rates at the Disneyland Hotel, and found a whopping $620 a night—more than twice as much as the weeknight deal. That’s a great excuse to come here with preschoolers during the week, or even let your school-age kids play hookey.

A bonus: when you book the winter deal, even for weekend stays, you get two Fastpasses for each person in your party. Even during “low season” at Disneyland, there will still be lines.)  Come during the week and you can also take advantage of the early-entry “Magic Mornings” on Tuesdays or Thursdays.

The winter deal with Fastpasses is good for stays through February 29. You must book your stay by February 18. There’s a limit of two rooms per reservation and five people maximum per room. You don’t need a code to book the deal online, and you can also call reservations at 714/520-5045.

Bigger in the Bahamas? Mega-resort Atlantis, on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, has kicked off one of its tempting "escape winter" promotions, offering a free night and airfare credits of up to $400.   The 4,000 room resort has an endless supply of kids’ activities, including dolphin interactions, a toddler camp, a tweens arcade and a dance club for teens. For the whole family, there’s a 141-acre “waterscape” with pools, saltwater lagoons and a huge waterpark. 

With the 4th Night Free promotion, if you book a trip by January 23 and  travel by June 20, and you'll get a fourth night free. In February, room rates start at $469 a night so that free night will save you some serious cash. Plus, if you book an air-inclusive package you'll snag a $250 airfare credit on a stay of four or five nights, and a $400 airfare credit if you stay at least six nights. 

As usual, there are some restrictions and blackout dates (for example, there's no airfare credit available on travel March 15 through April 14).  Book online or call 888/877-7525 and ask for the "4th Night Free" offer.

Dreaming of getting away for a weekend in the big city?  Affinia Hotels, a group of seven boutique hotels in three of America's most-visited cities, has announced a three-day sale that will run January 11 to 13.  Nightly rates start as low as $89, and are valid on stays through March 31 at Affinia properties in Chicago, Washington, DC, and New York City.  The hotels boast central locations and roomy accommodations, including suites with kitchens and outdoor terraces, which can be hard to find in urban hotels.  

At the newly-renovated Affinia Manhattan, in the heart of midtown, studios and suites all have kitchens, and guests can easily walk to hot spots such as the Empire State Building, Times Square and Broadway. During the sale, nightly rates start at $139, a discount of nearly 40% when compared to the lowest best available rates. When we price-checked a Saturday night stay in January, rates started at $234 a night.  Similar discounts can be found at Affinia locations in Chicago (sale rate starts at $89 a night) and DC (from $109 a night).

Interested? Bide your time for a few more days, since sale rates can only be booked January 11 to 13. Blackout dates and other restrictions may apply.  Book online or call 866/246-2203 and use promo code JAN3DY.

We’re delighted to be giving away a three-night stay for four at the luxurious Chateau on the Lake Resort & Spa, a AAA Four Diamond resort in Branson, Missouri. The prize includes accommodations for four in an Ambassador Suite, plus daily breakfast buffet in the Chateau Grille and tickets for the family to the nearby Silver Dollar City theme park.

For a chance to win this family getaway, just head to our giveaway page. You can enter once a day through January 31, 2012. So come back again tomorrow!