Unforgettable Holiday Escapes

Good for Giving

Inn at Ellis River, Jackson, New Hampshire: Stay two nights between December 16 and 22, pay the regular rate on the first night, and get the second night for $100. All proceeds from the second night's stay will be donated to Angels and Elves, a nonprofit that helps 500 local kids have a special holiday.

Good for Getting Something Back

Participating hotels, Portland, Oregon: Through December 30, more than two dozen participating hotels are offering the "Portland Perks" package that includes a two-night stay, daily continental breakfast for two, free hotel parking, and discounts at local shops, restaurants, and museums. Plus, you'll get $50 cash to spend however you like. Our check yielded December weekend rates from $83 per night.

Good For A Neon-Lit Holiday Season

Tropicana Casino, Atlantic City, New Jersey: The Tropicana "Casino and Show Package" bundles two nights' accommodations, two comedy show tickets, two buffet tickets, and local shopping and dining discounts for $150. The package is available through January 31 for Sunday through Thursday stays.

Good For A Posh Post-Christmas Break

Dromoland Castle, County Clare, Ireland: The Holiday Inn just not going to cut it this year? How about a stay at the luxurious Dromoland Castle in Ireland? The "Post-Christmas Break Two-Night Package," available from December 27 to 30, costs about $465 per person and includes accommodations, a full Irish breakfast each morning, and one dinner for two. Indulge in the spirit of your surroundings with afternoon tea—or maybe a falconry lesson.

Good For Glimpsing The Ghost Of Christmas Past (West Coast)

Embassy Suites, San Luis Obispo, California: Embassy Suites' "Tour Hearst Castle" package gets an extra-special twist during the holidays, when the castle is decorated as it might have been around Christmas in the 1920s or 1930s. The package, priced from $254 per night, includes accommodations, transportation to and from Hearst Castle, a tour of the castle, a picnic lunch, and stops for wine-tasting and elephant-seal watching.

Good For Glimpsing The Ghost Of Christmas Past (East Coast)

Williamsburg Lodge, Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia: The three-day, two-night "Holiday Stories Package" immerses you and a guest in history and holiday cheer. The rate of $119 per person per night includes accommodations, daily breakfast, length-of-stay admission to Colonial Williamsburg, a Holiday Decorations Tour ticket, and a $100 activities card that can be spent on spa treatments, golf, dining, or shopping in Colonial Williamsburg. The offer is valid through December 31.

Good For Shopping

Hotel Palomar, Dallas, Texas: The "All That Glitters" shopping package from Kimpton's Hotel Palomar in Dallas bundles 50 percent off the best available room rate with a $40 dining credit, complimentary transportation to local shopping areas, and shopping tips from the concierge, starting at $139 per night. The package is available through December 30 with rate code "GOLDEN."

Good for Skiing the Holidays Away

The Grand Lodge, Crested Butte, Colorado: Four nights' accommodations, three days of skiing (or riding), and tubing, ice-skating, and bungee trampoline access makes up "The Grandest Christmas" package at The Grand Lodge. Prices start at $1,199 for two adults and two children 17 or younger, making the cost breakdown just $75 per person per night. The offer is good for stays December 17 to December 28.

Good for New Year's Celebrity Spotting

Participating Hotels, Beverly Hills, California: The "And to All a Free Night" promotion offers guests at 10 Beverly Hills hotels a third or fourth night free, plus complimentary cocktails, a holiday shopping card, and other perks such as breakfast, dining credits, or free local transportation. The offer is available through January 8. Rates vary by hotel and by night, but the most affordable stays start at around $219 per night.

Good for Christmas at the Beach

Trump International Beach Resort, Miami Beach, Florida: The "Merry Room Rate" promotion offers guests a free night's stay on Christmas Day with a minimum stay of five nights beginning December 21 to 25. Nightly rates for deluxe studios for the available period are currently $351 per night.

Where are you traveling this December?