In the fall, school calendars are dotted with three-day weekends, and Doubletree Hotels hope you'll make the most of them with its Fall Weekend Getaway Package. Stay two or more nights at a participating Doubletree Hotel through December 27, and you'll get a food and beverage credit worth $50. To figure out if it's a good deal, follow our recession travel rule no. 28 and compare the package rate to the hotel's lowest available rate, then factor in the $50 credit.

Leaf peepers might like the looks of the Doubletree Hotel in Bedford, Massachusetts, less than a 30-minute drive from Boston, and also near notable New England sites such as Minute Man National Historic Park and Thoreau’s Walden Pond, especially beautiful when leaves are ablaze and reflecting off the water. For Columbus Day weekend, the $134-a-night package rate is $25 more expensive than the $109-a-night best available Internet (unrestricted) rate and $41 higher than the $93-a-night advance purchase (restricted) rate. On a two-night stay, the $50 credit works out to a value of $25 a night.

Deal or no deal? We're not impressed. Compared with the best available Internet rate, the package is a wash and delivers no net savings even after factoring in the $50 bonus. Your best bet is locking in that $93-a-night rate by paying in advance with a credit card.