Planning to to visit the Universal Orlando theme parks this winter? Year round, the two big advantages of staying at a Loews resort are: (a) the stellar location inside Universal Orlando Resort and (b) the ability to skip the lines at both theme parks, since guests get VIP access with the "Universal Express" fastpass.

And nowadays there's a third advantage: The trio of Loews hotels at Universal just announced a "Super Savings Promotion" with savings of up to 30% off normal seasonal rates on select nights through mid-February. The deal is set up on a sliding scale: the longer you stay, the more you save. You'll get the deepest 30% discount with a four-night stay at Loews Royal Pacific Resort before December 28, with discounted rates starting at $150 a night. If you cut back to a three-night visit before February 12, 2009, you can get a 25% discount at any of the three Loews properties: Royal Pacific Resort, Hard Rock Hotel, or Portofino Bay Resort (see our review).