Vacations Blog

By Thomas Brown of UpTake Networks

UpTake, as everyone knows by now, is all about who you’re traveling with and why you’re traveling – if you’re taking a trip with that special someone in your life, we’ll help you find a romantic place to stay and the perfect things to do.  Or if you’re planning a family vacation with your kids, then we’re the site for you.  But what about old-fashioned deals that are based on price?  UpTake has our Feelin’ Broke listings, but what if I want to start my vacation planning based exclusively on price?  At the risk of offending our Prez (sorry, Yen!), I recently took a trip using exactly this approach.

There are lots of players in the travel deals space – Sherman’s Travel and Dunhill to name but two; but I wound planning my recent trip to Seattle with our friends at Travelzoo.  Their Top 20 lists travel deals that would be aptly described as travel steals, as evidence by this gem that I booked:  A three-night stay at the oh-so-hip Hotel Max for just $139 per night.

If you’ve been to Seattle lately, you know this is a fantastic rate, particularly in the fall. But to appreciate what a sweet deal it was, consider what I got:  Located downtown, the Max is just a ten-minute walk from Pike Market.  It follows an approach similar to the Kimpton brand – take an otherwise ordinary hotel and transform it into something chic and avant-garde, simply by taking chances with style, art and design.  Think tons of tomato-red fabric.  Think original works by Seattle artists throughout the hotel.  Think touches that are simultaneously thoughtful, whimsical, and provocative; such as an in-room “Spiritual Menu” that lists not only the predictable King James Bible, but also the Tao Te Ching and the Bhagavad Gita.  Or the “Pillow Menu” I found on my bed, allowing me to choose from close to a dozen varieties.  And tucked away near the mini-bar, I stumbled across an “Intimacy Kit,” complete with (ahem) . . . batteries.

Rates at the Hotel Max are normally around $200 this time of year, so my Travelzoo deal was just that – a real deal.  It so happens that the Hotel Max could also qualify as a romantic hotel, especially for the younger set.  Hmm . . . do I sense a “romantic deals” category emerging?

(From top – the door to my room; more artwork at the Hotel Max, Photo Credit: Eyeliam )