Last-Minute Memorial Day Travel Ideas

If summer has snuck up on you and caught you with no getaway plan, we have a few ideas to help with that well-deserved break.

According to the Auto Club, travel will be up this Memorial Day weekend by 5.4 percent, with approximately 32.1 million of us taking a trip away from home. Last year, 30.5 million Americans traveled during the same period. What are you waiting for?

Palm Springs Fling
The endlessly hip Ace Hotel in Palm Springs is serving up quite the dealio to kick-start summer: a Memorial Day Week promo of rooms starting from $79 good May 27- June 3 (we just checked and the 80-buck rooms are gone, cheapest available are $89, still such a deal). What to expect: Thursday, May 27: DJ Day, a Palm Springs favorite, represents in the Amigo Room. He hosts one of the coolest nights in the desert, Reunion. Fri, Sat and Sun, May 28-30: Pool parties and late night in the Amigo Room with DJs Howie Pyro, Otter Magic, Victor Rodriguez, Susan In Accounting, and Alf Alpha. Mon May 31: The legendary Rose Tattoo Bingo with Linda in the Amigo Room. Call 760-325-9900 to book, or book at Ace Hotel online.

Party with the Princess
Beginning Memorial Day, Monday, May 31 and continuing throughout the summer, the nightlife impresarios at the Gerber Group are starting retro, themed pool parties at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess. Called Starlet Sundays Pool Parties, the poolside fests celebrate Hollywood glam, each month spotlighting a different decade of films, starlets, fashion and music. First up on Memorial Day weekend is the 1950s and ’60s with a Brazilian beach theme inspired by “The Girl from Ipanema,” which continues Sundays in June. Fourth of July kicks of the ‘70s era and August is totally ‘80s, culminating with an end-of-summer prom party on Labor Day, Monday, September 6. The summer pool parties take place every Sunday at the resort’s South Pool from 11:00 a.m. to sunset. Resort guests and local Valley residents, 21 and older, are invited and admission is complimentary.

For guests wanting to play past sundown, the resort is offering a special overnight “Starlet Sunday” room rate of $149 plus $50 food and beverage credit at Stone Rose Lounge or the South Pool. For more information, or to reserve a summer getaway, spa or dining reservation,  call (480) 585-4848 or visit the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess online.

Omni’s Tweet Deal
Omni Hotels and Resorts is celebrating the start of summer by offering savings of up to 30% at select hotels across the country.  Guests who book the Memorial Day package at participating Omni properties save 10 percent off a one night stay, 20 percent off a two night stay and 30 percent off a three night stay. To further sweeten the deal, guests can tweet about their stay before arriving and receive a complimentary Memorial Day Pomegranate Margarita during their visit when they book the package. A few options include getting historical in our nation’s capital while staying at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, DC; soaking in cowboy culture while staying at the Omni Fort Worth Hotel; or lounging by the pool at the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate. Check out details, terms and conditions at omnihotels.com, or call 1-800-The-Omni.

Put it in Park
National Parks are always a good-to-go, affordable vacation alternative. National Geographic has come to the rescue this Memorial Day with new and improved National Parks Guides online, providing great overviews of America’s great national treasures.

Air Travel on the Cheap
Hotel deals are great, but you have to get there, right? Southwest Airlines steps in with some great Memorial Day deals but hurry, you have to book by this Thursday, May 27 and travel is good only through June 1, 2010. Some of the deals include Boston to Orlando for $270 one-way; Chicago to Reno/Tahoe for $342 one-way; and New York to West Palm Beach for $248 one-way.  To get these fares, you must make your purchases online on the Southwest Airlines site.

Happy Travels and TGIS! (Thank God It’s Summer)