Luxe For Less In B+ Destinations

[trip style = budget conscious + luxe]

{Editor's Note :: Stay tuned for a follow-up piece on B+ hotels---just as nice, sans the globally recognized brand name.}

"A", as in "it" destinations command A pricing. Take: - Wailea in Maui, - NYC in New York, - Miraflores in Lima, - Hong Kong Island in Hong Kong.

Stay in an A area of an A city and you'll pay the price. Sometimes it's what we want as far as convenience, and it's possible to save on the hotel with discount booking sites like Priceline or Hotel Tonight, however, to save an extra dollar or 75 of 'em, B can be best!

Consider the area just on the outskirts of A to achieve a luxe experience for less. B+ destinations can save you a ton of money because they have less international acclaim and less marketing dollars devoted to promotion. This doesn't mean they're a second-class choice or an inferior tourism option, just not as visible in the shadow of their successful sibling!

Some Brilliant Bs

• A = Manhattan, NY. B+ = Brooklyn.
• A = Seattle, WA. B+ = Bellevue.
• A = Newport Beach, CA. B+ = Laguna Beach.
• A = Palm Beach, Aruba. B+ = Eagle Beach.
• A = Serengeti, Tanzania. B+ = Masai Mara, Kenya.
• A = Sydney, Australia. B+ = McMahons Point {North Sydney}.

What are some of your "Brilliant Bs"?

—————————————————– New here or faithful TS reader? Get daily trip style tips delivered right to your inbox or RSS reader, AND interact with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! ——————————————————

[photo by @tripstyler taken in Aruba]

Think Outside The Airport

[trip style = budget conscious]

————————————————– New here or faithful TS reader? Get daily trip style tips delivered right to your inbox or RSS reader, AND interact with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! —————————————————

One common money-saving tactic used by trip style = budget conscious travelers is to think outside the airport by comparing and contrasting the same flight route at close-by departure points. Sometimes this five minute search can result in $400+ savings per airline ticket.

Whenever I travel a new route, my first order of biz is research which nearby airports would expand my departure and arrival options, especially to the following destinations with overlapping flights: Florida, Vegas, LA, Palm Springs, the Hawaiian islands, Phoenix, etc... Thirty percent of the time it makes sense to use an airport other than YVR {my home airport}.

In January I took a trip style = {extended} weekend trip to Honolulu. To find the best price, flight schedule and carrier to accrue air miles, I checked direct flights from three airports: Vancouver, Bellingham and Seattle. Here's an example of the return fares I found: Vancouver, BC: $750 /// Bellingham, WA: $370 /// Seattle, WA: $450.

I chose the Bellingham flight for the following reasons: a} price, b} it's only an hour away, c} I can cross the border quickly with Nexus, d} parking is easy at BLI, d} I collect air miles with my flight's carrier: Alaska Airlines, and e} it had the best flight times for an efficient trip style {extended} weekend trip: depart Thurs 6pm, return Tues at 7.10am.

How To :: The Three-Min Think Outside The Airport Search 1/ Determine which airports surround you. 2/ Do a google search for similar flight routes at each airport {Google "direct flights from <insert airport here>" to find results quickly, see example in Google Traveler Tricks} 3/ Go to kayak.com and manually enter the departure and arrival airport options. See example below between Vancouver and LA. 4/ Survey the results, does it make sense to travel from an alternate airport?

Similar Content Google Traveler Tricks Book A Hotel Online With Expert Recommendations STOP, Are You Using A Promo Code? Trading Airline Points The Six-Week Rule For Buying Airline Tix Dashboard To Wall Hotel Tonight

[graphic by @tripstyler, image pulled from kayak.com]

Roam+Board :: Llipimpac Guesthouse

[trip style = budget conscious]

{Editor’s Note: A few years ago my husband and I met some friends in Cusco, Peru before trekking to Machu Picchu. We stayed here.}

What
Anchored by a small, grassy courtyard filled to the brim with morning sun, this stone-built property personifies charming with its pocket-sized quadrants for barbecuing, eating breakfast, acclimatizing to the altitude and sleeping.

Depending on where you read about it, Llipimpac is either called a guesthouse or a hostel, the former being more accurate given it has private rooms with attached bath{s}, daily housekeeping and service so discreet it's done with a whisper.

Where
Cusco, Peru, perched at a lofty 11,000ft above sea level.

When
With the crowds descending from June - August, an attempt to visit in mid-April, May, September or early October will leave you with greater flexibility and choice. Avoid winter, aka, the rainy season.

Who/Why
You want to stay at a private, local enclave that jives with local architecture—away from any garden variety hotel.

Cost
From $50usd/night for a single, $65 for a double room with private bathroom. Includes a breakfast of eggs and plump buns with jam and butter, WiFi, coca tea, parking and an airport shuttle. Note: rooms can get a little cold at night, so ask the front desk to rent a heater.

More Roam+Board
Postcard Inn At Holiday Isle – Florida Keys
Nira Alpina – Switzerland
Rockhouse – Jamaica
Hotel Bellevue – Near Seattle
Rolling Huts – Methow Valley {WA}
From ice hotels to Anna Wintour’s steal-of-a-deal holiday escape, find all featured R+B properties here.

[photos via llipimpac]

Roam+Board :: Postcard Inn At Holiday Isle

[trip style = beach + sun]

{Editor’s Note: We haven't been to this newly revamped hotel, but this Florida Keys property is on our list.}

What Transplant a whimsical Nantucket cottage onto a prime, shore-front plot along a hundred mile chain of small islands, and the result is the Postcard Inn At Holiday Isle. With a beachy colour scheme---headboards and benches wrapped in rope, whitewashed wood plank feature walls, driftwood-base lamps---this property re-imagines the family vacation destination without skimping on design.

Fifteen acres of private beach, two pools, fishing, diving, snorkeling, water sports and the world famous onsite "Rumrunner" tiki bar make this trip style = beach + sun spring break spot a win-win with every member of the fam.

Where Islamorada, Florida Keys, about a 1.5 hour drive from the Miami, Fort Lauderdale or Key West airports.

When December to May is high season with agreeable temperatures and droves of winter escapists. June through October are the transitional months with a rainier forecast, which also happens to coincide with hurricane season. November and May are the travel sweet spot: warm temperatures and fewer crowds.

Who/Why You want a Caribbean experience---balmy weather, laid back locals, world-class above- and below-surface water activities----without traveling too far or leaving the US.

Cost From $230/night in high season. If you're traveling as a family, ask for a room with mini fridge and microwave. A $15 per room/night resort fee covers self-parking, wifi, etc...

—————————————————– New here or faithful TS reader? Get daily trip style tips delivered right to your inbox or RSS reader, and find and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! ——————————————————

More Roam+Board Nira Alpina – Switzerland Rockhouse – Jamaica Hotel Bellevue – Near Seattle Rolling Huts – Methow Valley {WA} Golden Rock Inn – Nevis The Ace NYC – New York The Viceroy – Palm Springs Sorobon Beach Resort – Bonaire From ice hotels to Anna Wintour’s steal-of-a-deal holiday escape, find all featured R+B properties here.

[photos via PCI beach resort & marina]

Spotlight :: Harrison Hot Springs

[trip style = spa + weekend getaway + active & adventure + budget conscious]

{Editor's Note: Today is Trip Styler's introduction to Harrison Hot Springs, look out for some of the area's foodie stops and wilderness adventures on Friday.}

—————————————————– Dear Harrison, At multiple junctures we've almost brushed shoulders. It's not that I didn't want to meet you, our paths never crossed.

And then, late in 2011, mutual friends connected our interests and a date was set. Harry, apparently you were making up for lost time, pulling out all the stops with a soak in the spring-fed mineral pools, massage in the spa and an evening of dinner and dancing. xoxo, Trish —————————————————–

It was a cold and rainy late-November day and with a weekend bag and still-warm Creme De La Crumb scone in tow, I made the arrow-straight, highway journey to Harrison Hot Springs from Vancouver. This road is well traveled in summer; in winter the lake-front destination is quiet and cozy with budget-friendly appeal.

The area's farm-to-table foodie stops and world-class nature exploration notwithstanding {more on this Friday}, the natural hot springs and spa at the Harrison Resort & Spa are the pièces de résistance. Luxuriate in the mineral pools in the early morning or at night {fewer spa-goers at this time} to watch the steam dance and water glow against the surrounding blue-black mountains.

When the clock strikes eight, get dolled-up like Marilyn Monroe and Cary Grant, and go back in time {literally} at the hotel's legendary Copper Room supper club. Dressed-up tables with dimly lit lamps are intimately arranged around the well-heeled dance floor, used every night thanks to the longtime crooners, The Jones Boys. Watching "Erma and Norm" storm the dance floor at the first hint of Moonriver, will make even the most timid dancers bust out their limited moves in the name of love.

—————————————————– Harry, I wish our first date would have resulted in a rose ceremony, but I'm a modern girl, so I'll settle for an itinerary filled with romantic gestures instead.

What To Know

• Getting There: Harrison is about an hour and a half from Vancouver and three hours from Seattle.
• Hotel/Spa/Mineral Pools: A series of adult and family-friendly pools at varying temperatures fit everyone's needs. Comfortable hotel rooms with modest bathrooms start at $99 {includes access to the spa's pools, complimentary parking and wifi}.

—————————————————– New here or faithful TS reader? Get daily trip style tips delivered right to your inbox or RSS reader, and find and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! ——————————————————

[photos c/o abundantc, harrison resort & trip styler, taken while a guest of tourism harrison]