What's in your toolbox when you need a quick 'n easy, guaranteed-to-be-great hotel deal? The place to be is Travel Ticker's Hotels Under a Hundred page, where every deal slides in at under $100 a night and savings can reach 65% or more. Property locations can run the gamut from beach to mountain to theme park, but it's often the savings at a swish downtown city properties that really get our eyes a-popping. Case in point: Chicago, where two outstanding hotel deals just might get you thinking about a spring getaway in the Windy City.

• $89 a night for weekend stays at the very-posh-indeed Palmer House Hilton, across from Millennium Park in the Loop District, and just $109 a night for midweek. That's a 40% savings. Available March 3-May 15.
• $79 a night + room upgrade + free Continental breakfast and Internet access at the Hotel Blake. This is a 40% discount before the room upgrade, which is worth $50 a night alone. Available through April 30.

If you've been dithering about whether to head to Disney World this summer, a brand new sale may give you a push. At Disney's official hotels, prices are slashed 25% to 40% below peak summer rates for most dates between June 4 and August 15. You can expect savings of:

• 25% at Value Resorts (such as Disney's All-Star Movies or All-Star Music resorts)
• 30% at Moderate Resorts (such as the Coronado Springs or Port Orleans resort)
• 35% off Deluxe Resorts (such as the Polynesian or Grand Floridian resort)
• 40% off Deluxe Villas (such as Beach Club Villas or Saratoga Springs Resort)
  

When we test-booked a two-night weekend stay in early June across several price categories, we found that the sale prices consistently delivered the promised discount. In the Moderate Resort category, our test at the Coronado Springs Resort landed a rate of $143.50 a night, exactly 30% less than the regular weekend summer rate of $205 a night. Similarly, in the Value Resort category, the sale rate of $100.50 a night for a standard double at the All-Star Movies Resort is exactly 25% less than the regular weekend summer rate of $134 a night.

Set on 20 lushly landscaped acres along a spectacular seven-mile stretch of beach, the resort offers a wide array of fun activities for the whole family. Take your pick of five heated pools, explore the grounds by paddleboat along a meandering river, or head to the white-sand beach for water sports and a ride down a giant inflatable waterslide. You can play tennis, have a round of mini golf, take in a dive-in movie, or simply kick back in a cabana or hammock and sip your umbrella drink. Then let the kids play at the supervised KONK Club while you enjoy a massage or a romantic dinner.

For a chance to win a beach escape at TradeWinds Island Grand Resort for your family, just fill out the form on the giveaway page. You can enter once a day through March 16, 2010. Good luck!

But what if you have your heart set on staying inside Grand Canyon National Park? As luck would have it, Xanterra, the company that operates lodges and dining facilities inside so many of our national parks (and it happens to run the Grand Canyon Railway) is offering a "Spring Breakaway to the Grand Canyon" package that includes lodging at either Maswik Lodge ($165 a night) or Yavapai Lodge East ($150 a night), free sightseeing tours, and other perks. This package includes:

• accommodations at either Yavapai Lodge East or Maswik Lodge North (end-of-March rates are $153 and $170 a night, respectively)
• Sunset or Hermits Rest motorcoach tour of South Rim ($20/adult for Sunset tour; $25/adult for Hermits Rest tour; always free for one child 16 and under per paying adult. Value of $40-$50/day) 
• breakfast for two adults at lodge cafeteria (estimated value of $12 x 2 adults = $24/day)
• discount of 10% to 20% on gift shop purchases
  

Both lodges enjoy stellar locations within a short walk of the canyon's rim, but Yavapai Lodge East seems like an especially convenient choice for families. Each room features a mini refrigerator and the lodge sits adjacent to a handy market plaza with a general store, bank, and post office.

Let's suppose a family of four wanted to book a two-night stay at Yavapai Lodge East and take the two-hour Hermits Rest sightseeing tour of the West Rim one day and the 90-minute Sunset tour of the South Rim on the second day. If booked independently, these elements of the trip would cost $306 for lodging ($153 x 2 nights) plus $90 for the tours ($25 x 2 adults + $20 x 2 adults), for a total of $396. Breakfast for four people will cost about $40 each morning, or $80 over two days—bringing the total for these components to $476.

Meanwhile, if the same family booked their two-day getaway with the Spring Breakaway package, they would spend $300 ($150 x 2 nights) for lodging and sightseeing tours. On top of that, we figure they'd also spend $32 on breakfast ($8/kid x 2 kids x 2 days). Comparing apples to apples, the package spend comes to $332.

Deal or no deal? This offer turns out to be a surprisingly good value. While there's virtually no savings on the hotel portion, the free sightseeing tours and adult breakfasts add up to a respectable 30% in savings for the overall getaway—but only if you take a sightseeing tour each day.

The Spring Breakaway is available from March 5 to 25. Book by phone by calling 888/297-2757 (303/297-2757 from outside US) or book online using promo code SPRING. Travelers should book their choice of motorcoach tour at the same time they book the package. 

Today's guest post comes from Amy Whitley, a mom and writer whose blog, Pitstops for Kids, is all about great places to stop with kids on car trips.  She lives in Oregon and shares five of her favorite free things to do with kids in nearby Portland. 

Portland Saturday Market: Located under the Burnside Bridge (SW Ankeny and Naito Pkwy), the Portland Saturday (and Sunday) Market is the place to enjoy the (rare) sunshine, do some peoplewatching, and shop for local treasures in Portland. Open March 6 to December 24, the market showcases every sort of artisan and food vendor in a colorful, fun atmosphere. There's also a stage featuring live entertainment from local bands and performers.

Crown Point Vista House: Built in 1916, Vista House is an observatory and a historic tribute to Oregon's pioneers. Located minutes outside Portland along the Historic Columbia River Highway at the western entrance to the Columbia Gorge, it sits atop Crown Point, 733 feet above the river. (From I-84, take Exit 22 and drive east for three miles.) Kids love exploring the castle-like building, taking in the views (bring binoculars!), and imagining how the river and valleys below them would have looked to Oregon's early explorers and travelers. Open mid-March through October. If you have time, Multnomah Falls is only 8 miles further east, and well worth a visit.

Mt. Tabor Park: Kids love that this park sits on top of a volcano. Located on an extinct volcanic cinder cone (SE 60th and Salmon St), Mt. Tabor Park comprises of almost 200 acres of picnic areas, wooded trails, playgrounds, public art space, and sport courts. Its grassy open spaces and winding paths afford beautiful views of the city. Note: No motor vehicles are allowed in the park on Wednesdays.

Portland Art Museum (PAM): Though perhaps best known for its blockbuster temporary exhibitions, this museum also has a wonderful permanent collection of contemporary and modern art. Kids, it seems, especially love the collection of Native American artifacts. Children 17 and under can always visit for free, but adult admission normally costs $12. The museum is free for everyone on the fourth Friday of each month from 5pm to 8pm, and four Sundays a year for Museum Family Day.

More Oregon with kids:
Land of the Free: 5 fab freebies in Portland
Columbia River Gorgeous! 3 big Northwestern family vacations

Fantastic news for Disney fans: It's suddenly become much more affordable to book an Adventures by Disney all-inclusive escorted tour package, the most exclusive and perhaps least-known way to vacation with Disney. Launched in 2005, Adventures by Disney offers guided, VIP-style tours for families to a wide range of destinations, including the American Southwest, Europe, China, and Costa Rica. Trips are known for delivering top-notch service and unique, VIP-style experiences for families, such as zipling through a Costa Rican jungle, pizza-making at a family-owned farm in Italy, or going backstage at Disney's The Lion King in London. Groups are kept small to ensure an intimate experience, and feature activities geared to adults and kids 8 and up.  And the price? A family of four will typically splurge $13,000 or more for a dream trip.

Want to soften the splurge? Adventures by Disney has just introduced a new line of itineraries, called the "Gateway Collection," that travel to three of the most popular destinations but cost up to 25% less. Here's how these new itineraries stack up:

• Costa Rica: The "Path to Pura Vida" itinerary costs from $3,309 to $4,409 for adults and $2,979 to $3,669 for children, depending on travel dates. Comparatively, the new "Gateway to Costa Rica" costs $2,489 for adults and $2,239 for children regardless of travel dates. Bottom line: A family of four would pay at least $3,201, or 25%, less for the Gateway itinerary.
• London/Paris: The "City of Knights & Lights" itinerary costs from $3,809 to $4,699 for adults and from $3,429 to $4,249 for children. The new "Gateway to London/Paris" comes in at $2,959 for adults and $2,659 for children. Bottom line: A family of four would pay at least $3,240, or 22%, less by going with the Gateway option.  
  
• Italy: The "Viva Italia" itinerary ranges from $3,699 to $4,619 for adults and from $3,329 to $4,159 for children. Comparatively, the "Gateway to Italy" trip costs $2,999 for adults and $2,699 for children. That's a difference of $2,660, or 18%, for a family of four.

Why the difference in price? Guests have more unscheduled time during the day, which is great for families that welcome less structure and the chance to spend some time exploring on their own. The good news is that the Gateway trips still offer access to the one-of-a-kind activities for which Adventures by Disney is known. The price difference between the two kinds of itineraries ranges from just under $1,000 to over $1,500 for each traveler, depending on travel dates. 

The first Gateway itineraries depart this summer from June to August, 2010.

Named one of the “Best Resorts for Family Reunions” by TravelandLeisure.com, Skytop Lodge is a destination resort offering something for every member of the family. For a chance to win a winter escape at Skytop Lodge for your family, just fill out the form on the giveaway page. You can enter once a day through February 15, 2010. Good luck!

Note: As always, some blackout dates apply. The deal does not include the $10.70-a-night resort fee, with covers the housekeeping gratuity, in-room wi-fi, gym access, and parking. 

We know how much our readers love our fabulous giveaways, and our latest prize is a doozy. One lucky family will  win a four-night stay at the one and only Nickelodeon Suites Resort in Orlando, Florida (see our review), where families are guaranteed the slime of their lives.

The Nick Hotel features two water parks with heated pools, 13 slides and flumes, interactive water towers, poolside games and activities, private cabanas, and daily poolside shows featuring Nick’s famous green slime. Guests can experience the high energy of nightly shows in the million-dollar Studio Nick, get a temporary tattoo at the Kid’s Spa, catch a film at the 4-D Experience theater, play video games in the arcade, enjoy arts and crafts in the Nick Workshop, and attend themed parties. The resort also features The Mall, with its two restaurants, food court, convenience store and souvenir shop. Kids can meet favorite Nickelodeon characters like SpongeBob SquarePants and Dora the Explorer at the daily character breakfast in Nicktoons Café.

For a chance to win a getaway at the Nick Hotel for your family, just fill out the form on the giveaway page. You can enter once a day through January 11, 2010. Good luck!

Fresh from a $35-million facelift, a new Holiday Inn is set to open inside Disney World in February, 2010. It’s the newest property in the Downtown Disney area and the first Holiday Inn to open inside Disney World. For parents looking for affordable place to stay, the news is all good, starting with the fab location and a host of complimentary services—parking, shuttle service, Wi-Fi—and Holiday Inn's ever-popular "kids eat free" policy for children 12 and under. The raftload of family-friendly touches includes in-room fridges, 32-inch flatscreen TVs, an ultra-safe zero-entry tropical pool, and prime viewing of Downtown Disney's nightly fireworks display.

Introductory rates start at just $79 a night. The hotel is currently accepting bookings for stays starting in February, 2010.

More Disney World with Kids:
Disney World on the Cheap
Disney Day Planner