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.

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.

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.

Looking for a tropical vacation with zero hassle? Consider Puerto Rico, about as exotic as you can get without a passport or having to use foreign currency. The island is a great destination for families, where everyone speaks English but kids can also practice their Spanish. Even better, flights from the mainland US are plentiful. 

Hilton Hotels has kicked off a Puerto Rico Getaway promotion that promises savings of 20% off room rates, a resort credit, and a 20% discount on spa services. The offer is valid on stays of four or more night before April 30 at five participating properties, including Hilton's flagship El Conquistador Resort.  This sprawling mega-property, set on 500 acres overlooking the island's east coast, boasts 23 onsite restaurants and lounges, seven outdoor pools, a waterpark, casino, spa, kids' camp, and 100-acre private island. It has a stupdendous location, close to El Yunque National Forest and just 31 miles from San Juan's airport.

When we price checked a four-night February stay, we found a best available nightly rate of $329 for a garden view room.  With the special offer, the nightly rate drops to $263, a savings of 20%—which means your four-night stay costs $1,052 instead of $1,316.  You'll also snag a resort credit that accumulates at a rate of $50 for every two paid nights of your stay (up to $200 on an eight-night stay). Families might use the credit toward meals or admission to the water park, or you could pair it with the 20% spa discount and use the credit toward a massage.

This offer must be booked by January 31. There's plenty of fine print, including blackout dates, deposit and cancellation restrictions that vary by hotel.  Book online or call 888/564-1307 and ask for the “Puerto Rico Getaway."

'Tis the season for shopping and school concerts and holiday parties and frazzled nerves.  If the crazies have hit and you're dreaming about an escape, listen up:  Hilton Hotels is running The December Sale, which promises savings of up to 33% at participating Hilton properties around the globe when you book by New Year's Day and stay before January 8, 2012.

Turns out that "savings of up to 33%" doesn't mean you'll always be able to chop a third off your hotel bill. When we test-booked the offer at two family-friendly properties, we found actual savings hovering closer to 20%. At the Embassy Suites Washington D.C. at the Chevy Chase Pavilion, which boasts a location directly on the Metro Red Line, a two-bedroom suite runs $127 a night, which is a savings of 20% off the best available nightly rate of $159.  Want something warmer? Take a look at the Grand Vacation Suites at Sea World.  At that all-suite resort, we found December Sale nightly rates that were also 20% less than the best available rate: $119 for a one-bedroom suite and $199 for a two-bedroom suite (compared to best available rates of $149 and $249, respectively).    

As always, there's plenty of fine print. The rates are non-refundable, full payment is due at the time of booking, there's a seven-day advance purchase requirement, and blackout dates may apply. Book online or call 800/HILTONS.

Feel like a plush holiday getaway in the big city right about now? The Ritz-Carlton Chicago, located on the Windy City's Magnificent Mile, offers lush rooms and suites with marble bathrooms, twice-daily housekeeping service, and a full-service spa.  Families are welcomed into the mix with an indoor pool, babysitting services, complimentary baby gear (think bottles, strollers, diapers), special in-room amenities for kids, and the option for an in-room campout with a kids' tent and s'mores. This month, the hotel rolls out the red carpet for the holidays with dive-in holiday movies and cookie-baking for the kids. Also on the table through December 31: a Third Night Free offer.

The offer lists starting nightly rates of $233 after the third night credit is applied. The room rates are the same with and without the offer, which means this is a straightforward 33% savings.  We found a superior room—the least expensive room category—with a nightly rate of $350 in December. With the third night free offer, a three-night stay will cost $700 instead of $1,050, effectively reducing the nightly rate to the advertised $233. 

Got an only child? This offer is right up your alley. For the rest of us, not so much. The Ritz's least pricey rooms are limited to families of two adults and one child under 18.  A family of four would have to book a suite, the least expensive of which is an executive suite at $495 a night.  With the offer, the tab would come to $990 instead of nearly $1,500, bringing the nightly rate to $330. But that's still nearly $100 more a night than the superior room category.

Even though this offer does translate into savings of a solid 33% off regular room rates, families of four or more will still pay a minimum of $330 a night. Yet if you're looking for an upscale family city getaway, this promo does deliver it for less.  Restrictions apply; book online or call 800/621-6906 and ask for the "Third Night Free" offer. 

Your local big box store isn't the only one slashing prices just hours after the Thanksgiving turkey has been cleared.  Sterling Resorts has announced its third annual Black Friday Blowout Sale, a 24-hour promotion offering up to 60% savings off room rates at select properties in Florida.  The sale begins at 12:01 am on Friday, November 25 and ends at midnight the same day. Sterling Resorts offers more than 1,000 condominiums that boast family-friendly features like full kitchens and plenty of room to spread out, with locations in Panama City Beach, the Beaches of South Walton, and Destin. Nightly rates with the promo begin at $99 for a one-bedroom condominium that regularly rents for as much as $264 a night. Black Friday prices are good on stays from November 26, 2011 to December 31, 2012, but the entire summer season is blacked out.

Book online or call 877/853-1482.  Sale prices are valid on new reservations only. The entire summer season from May 24 to September 10, 2012 is blacked out.

It's barely Halloween, and the winter promotions are already rolling out from warm-weather resorts. Case in point: the Winter Escape offer from LXR Luxury Resorts & Hotels, a group of upscale properties that dot the U.S. and Caribbean.  The special, which is valid at nine participating locations in Florida, offers a $75 resort credit on stays of at least three nights (and $100 on four or more nights). Depending on the specific resort's line-up of amenities, the resort credit can be used toward dining, tennis, golf, spa treatments, and even kids' clubs. Plus, kids 12 and under eat free from children's menus and buffets each day of the stay, which can translate into sizable savings.

Resorts offering the promo include the family-friendly Buena Vista Palace Hotel & Spa in Disney World, boasting three heated outdoor pools, dining with Disney characters, and a complimentary shuttle to all Disney parks.  We price-checked and found a nightly rate of $89 with the offer for a standard guest room in December, and $149 in March, the same as the resort's best available rate.

This special is available through April 27, 2012.  As always, restrictions apply and there are blackout dates. Book online or call 888/886-5111 and ask for the Winter Escape promo.