BudgetTravel

UNITED STATES 

A New Way to Vacation in Vegas for $129  
Last month, Platinum Hotel & Spa became the second condo-hotel to open in Las Vegas (Signature at MGM Grand was the first, in May), but it certainly won't be the last-at least six more are expected in the coming year. How condo-hotels work: Individuals buy a specific condo, and pay the property taxes, insurance, and maintenance fees. When the owners aren't there, the management company rents out the rooms. The result is hotels with less of an emphasis on gaming and more on amenities like restaurants, spas, and gyms. At the Platinum Hotel, suites have kitchens, living rooms with plasma TVs and pull-out sofas, and private balconies. The 17-story hotel has two pools, two restaurants, and a spa; there's no casino, but the Bellagio and Caesars Palace are less than two blocks away. Until the end of the year, the Platinum is offering a special discounted rate of $129 per night to book a one-bedroom suite. When Oct. 1-30; Nov. 6-8; Nov. 12-Dec. 8; Dec. 11-28. Details Prices are per room; there's no single rate. Nevada residents get an additional 25 percent off at the restaurant and spa. Contact Platinum Hotel and Spa, 877/211-9211, lvplatinum.com.

California Road Trip for $609  
A six-day drive down California's coast from San Francisco to L.A. The package includes a six-day car rental, five nights' hotel accommodations, a day-by-day itinerary with directions and information about en route tourist attractions, and 24-hour on-call support and service. Spend two nights in San Francisco, one in Monterey (near Big Sur), one in Solvang (just north of Santa Barbara), and a final night in L.A. When Oct. 1-Dec. 31. Details This is a land-only price. Airfare can be added upon request. Extra nights from $49. Single supplement $460. The same package is available without a rental if you prefer to use your own vehicle. Children 12 and under stay free with two paying adults. Contact Monograms, 800/250-7614, monogramstravel.com.

Fort Lauderdale for $375  
JetBlue Airways flights from New York and two nights at the Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa. The hotel has a pool, a 24-hour fitness center, four restaurants, and the largest private beach in southern Florida. When Oct. 1-2; Nov. 5-6; Dec. 3-4. Other Gateways Boston ($435). Details No extra nights. No price for singles. Contact JetBlue Airways, 800/538-2583, jetblue.com.

Honolulu for $535  
Air from L.A., transfers, and six nights at the Ohana Maile Sky Court, a high-rise hotel on Kuhio Avenue, near the Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center and within walking distance of Waikiki Beach. The price includes a discount dining card and a one-day trolley pass. When Oct. 1-Dec. 15. Other Gateways Phoenix, Seattle ($639); Houston, Kansas City ($785); Boston, Detroit, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia ($855). Details Extra nights $44. Single supplement $217. Contact Leisure Link International, 888/801-8808, eleisurelink.com.

Nantucket for $97  
Guests who are 50 and older save 50 percent on standard room rates at certain Nantucket resorts. Participating hotels include the Jared Coffin House, just off Main Street in the Old Historic District; the Harbor House Village, a 130-year-old complex one block from the harbor; and The Cottages at the Boat Basin, 23 dock-side bungalows near Swain's Wharf and Old South Wharf. When Sundays- Thursdays until Dec. 30 at Jared Coffin House (from $97); until Oct. 23 at Harbor House Village (from $110); and until Oct. 22 at The Cottages (from $163). Details Only one guest has to be 50 or over. Photo ID with birth date is required at check-in. Prices are per room; there's no single supplement. Contact Nantucket Island Resorts, 800/475-2637, nantucketislandresorts.com.

San Francisco for $456  
Air from L.A., transfers, and three nights at the Holiday Inn Golden Gateway in the Nob Hill neighborhood, a 10-minute walk from Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, and the Union Square shopping area. When Until Dec. 31. Other Gateways Chicago ($622), New York ($707), Miami ($714). Details Extra nights $63. Single supplement $180. This package can be booked without airfare; the land-only prices are $289 (October) and $259 (November- December). Contact Monograms, 800/250-7614, monogramstravel.com.

CANADA

Vancouver for $330  
Alaska Airlines flights from San Francisco, transfers, and three nights at the Quality Inn, in the West End neighborhood, within walking distance of the Granville ferry and Stanley Park. When Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday departures until Dec. 31. Other Gateways L.A. ($479); New York, Orlando ($573). Details Extra nights from $41. Single supplement from $131. Contact Alaska Airlines Vacations, 800/468-2248, alaskaair.com.

MEXICO 

Visit the Monarchs in Mexico for $650  
As the weather turns cold, tens of millions of monarch butterflies leave their summer havens in Canada and the northern U.S., and fly up to 3,000 miles south to spend the winter in Mexico's Sierra Madre mountains. At El Rosario Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary, the result is a spectacle of wings that seem like tiny fluttering works of orange, white, and black stained glass. Spend a day there, or at the Sierra Chincua Reserve--depending on where more butterflies choose to land--as part of a five-night Siesta Tours trip to the colonial city of Morelia, in the state of Michoacán. The package includes five nights at the Hotel de la Soledad, half a block from the Plaza de Armas; a city tour; two day trips (one to see the butterflies and the other to visit Lake Pátzcuaro, several indigenous villages, and Janitzio Island); all admission fees; and breakfast daily. When Until Dec. 2007. Details The package does not include airfare. From March through October--when the butterflies have gone--the itinerary substitutes an excursion to the Parque Nacional Eduardo Ruíz for the butterfly preserve visit. Extra nights from $60. Single supplement $250. Contact Siesta Tours, 800/679-2746, siestatours.com.

Cancún for $649  
Air from Dallas, transfers, and seven nights at the Westin Resort & Spa Cancún, 14 miles south of the city. The beachfront hotel has five pools, a gym, two restaurants, three tennis courts, and a variety of water sports. When Oct. 9-Dec. 24. Other Gateways St. Louis ($789); Chicago, Detroit ($899). Details No extra nights. Single supplement $410. Contact Apple Vacations, applevacations.com; book online or through a travel agent.