There's nothing like a great sale to get you in the door—especially at a resort that you might otherwise assume was way out of your budget. Terranea Resort opened this past June in Rancho Palos Verdes, about 20 miles south of LAX and set in a lush, quiet corner of Los Angeles county. Now that it's been open a few months, Terranea is making some noise to introduce itself to travelers. If you book by October 27, you can chop 50% off rates for stays through December 17. (The hotel is trumpeting its availabiltity and huge buffet for Thanksgiving.)  Fifty percent off anywhere is a boon, but at Terreanea, where regular rates range from $420 to $1,500, a starting price of $210 a night is a great enticement to check out this plush spot.

The 360-room, Spanish-style hotel is spread over a 100 acres along the rugged coastal bluffs, and blends a clubby vibe with down-to-earth family activities. You can hike coastal trails that extend from the resort (and include a beach cove), or make the most of a 9-hole golf course, spa, three pools (including a water slide and splash zone) and a kids’ club ($15/hour for one child, $10/hour for siblings). Looking ahead to the end of 2009, we like how the resort will also offer seasonal kids’ workshops on movie-making, fashion design, video-game production and the ever-useful Jedi training.

Use the code FALLTR when booking online, or call the reservations line at 866/802-8000. Rates don’t include parking or the $25-a-day resort fee.