photo courtesy of The Westin, Lake Las Vegas
By Maryann Hammers
The Omni La Costa, San Diego
Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad (just outside San Diego) welcomes active duty and retired servicemembers with deep “Salute to Service” discounts, with rates starting at $142 (regular rates start at $294). The 607-room hotel features an adults-only pool and cocktail venue, athletic club with dozens of fitness classes, and 36-holes of golf on two courses. The 43,000-square-foot spa includes a private pool, waterfall showers, café, and therapeutic reflexology path. Servicemembers also enjoy a welcome amenity, reduced pricing on golf, discounts on spa treatments and dining, and special rates at the kid’s center. Call (800) 854-5000.
Hotel Viking, Newport, R.I.
Throughout the years, the historic Hotel Viking in Newport, built in 1920, has hosted President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy, the Astors, and the Vanderbilts. Now it’s your turn to stay at the landmark, luxurious property. With the Salute to Heroes rate, you’ll get 50-percent off the best price, any day of the week. Also enjoy a 25-percent discount on spa services, a complimentary sauna session, and a free appetizer at the hotel restaurant. The offer is slated to expire at the end of December 2015, so act fast. Call (800) 556-7126.
The Broodmoor, Colorado
Stay at least two nights in a classic guestroom at the five-star, five-diamond The Broodmoor in Colorado Springs, with military rates (for active duty and veterans) starting at $105. Pretty as a scene from an antique postcard, the 1918 hotel is framed by the Rocky Mountains and faces a picturesque lake, complete with swans, footbridge, and old-fashioned streetlights circling the banks. With crystal chandeliers and gold-filigree mirrors, nostalgia permeates the place: Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers once graced the hardwood floors of the hotel’s ’30s-era ballroom. Additional military perks include free dining for children age 10 and younger (must be accompanied by paying adult), complimentary golf greens fee (the resort boasts three championship courses), and complimentary $50 resort credit. Offer is valid through Feb. 29, 2016. Call (855) 477-5771.
The Wigwam, Arizona
The Wigwam, an 85-year-old adobe-and-timber resort in Litchfield Park (about 10 miles outside Phoenix), offers military “Hero” rates up to half off for active duty servicemembers, reservists, and retired men and women of America’s armed forces. Also, ask for your “Everyday Patriots” perks, including a discount book with offers such as complimentary wine, free ice cream for kids, and spa and dining discounts. The family-friendly hotel features four pools, 25-foot water slides, game nights, live entertainment, nightly movies, character breakfasts, and free refills of water, soda, iced tea, or lemonade for kids. Call (623) 935-3811.
The Westin, Nevada
The Westin Lake Las Vegas Resort & Spa in Henderson calls itself “the other Las Vegas” because its lakeside setting is peaceful, serene, and scenic — everything that Sin City is not. Still, it’s a short drive to the Strip and all its temptations, so you can vacation however you like. The resort offers servicemembers 50-percent off the best available rate with its Salute the Heroes program, plus discounts on food, beverage, and spa treatments. Book online, using special rate code: SALUT. Or call (866) 716-8108 and mention special SET number 244042.
Luxury Boutique Hotels, Nationwide
Gemstone Hotels & Resorts, a full-service management company that owns and operates independent boutique, luxury, and upscale urban hotels and resorts, offers a “Military Honors” 50-percent discount. And if you’ve returned home from overseas deployment in the past six months, your nightly room rate is just $65 with the company’s "Welcome Home" program. Stay in luxurious ski resorts, on the shores of sunny lakes, or in the heart of Manhattan, all for half price. Thirteen hotels from coast to coast currently participate, from The Maison140 in Beverly Hills to The Copley Square in Boston. Click here for more information or to find participating locations or call (435) 658-2175.
More Deals
Want to see more discounts? Check out these previously posted deals, with half-off offers at a four-diamond bed-and-breakfast farmhouse near Knoxville, Tennessee, a historic Victorian home in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, and a dude ranch in the Trinity Alps wilderness of Northern California (active duty only).