4. Toronto getaway
Don`t let winter deter you from visiting one of North America`s premier vacation spots. True, Toronto has one of the colder climates on the continent, but our Canadian neighbors have devised plenty of incentives to lure you north of the border.
Consider: Through March 31 more than 65 hotels in metropolitan Toronto will offer a 50 percent discount off the regular double room rate from Thursday to Sunday. In addition, some hotels are offering their own packages. The Best Western Carlton Place, for example, offers deluxe accommodations, two tickets for Andrew Lloyd Webber`s ”Aspects of Love,” champagne, a fruit basket, Sunday brunch for two, extra night at reduced rate, free parking and savings on car-rental discounts at the hotel for $245 a night per room.
If you make arrangements through ”Toronto`s Value Plus Packages”-a travel service provided by the Metropolitan Toronto Convention & Visitors Association in association with more than 100 of the city`s hotels, restaurants and stores-and charge it on your American Express card, you will receive ”VIP privileges” that include a room upgrade and late checkout.
What`s there to do in Toronto in the dead of winter?
Plenty.
You can visit the city`s many art galleries and museums or enjoy an evening at the theater-Toronto has more than 130 professional theater companies. Other cultural events include the Toronto Symphony through Feb. 29 at Roy Thomson Hall or ”The Nutcracker” Dec. 17 through Jan. 5 at the O`Keefe Centre. Then there`s ”Walt Disney`s World on Ice” at the SkyDome Dec. 26 through Jan. 5.
There are also the indoor pleasures of Toronto`s shopping complexes, including the mammoth Eaton Centre and Harbourfront`s Queen`s Quay Terminal
(both enclosed). North of Bloor between Bay and Avenue Road is Yorkville, Toronto`s trendy shopping and retail district. And don`t forget Second City, for a guffaw or two, lots of ethnic restaurants or the warm pleasures of a hot toddy at a Toronto pub.
For information, contact: Metropolitan Toronto Convention & Visitors Association`s Visitor Infoline at 800-363-1990.
5. European quickie
If you prefer the warmer climate of a Mediterranean setting, consider a quickie weekend to Milan or Rome. It really isn`t as outrageous as it sounds; that is, if you can recover from the jet lag in time.
Through Dec. 11 and from Jan. 4 through March 27, Alitalia Airlines and American Airlines are offering round-trip fares from Chicago to Rome and Milan for $500.
You can depart any day of the week, but you must return no sooner than the first Sunday after your departure, and all reservations must be booked 10 days in advance and you cannot stay longer than 5 days. Check with travel agents for package rates.
Another European bargain are the Scandinavian countries. Scandinavian Airlines has three-day weekend packages to Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm that include airfare, hotel and breakfast with packages ranging from $540-$690, depending on city choice, date of departure and hotel. Prices are per person, double occupancy (single supplement available). Departures are on Thursdays through May 14, and tickets must be purchased 21 days before departure.
Special fares to other foreign cities are available on various carriers. For more information, contact a travel agent.
6. Jamaica and Mexico
Three- and four-day packages to Jamaica and Mexico are available that include air and lodging at reasonable rates. Apple Vacations, for example, is offering a four-night package to Ixtapa, Mexico-departing Thursdays and returning Mondays-for a starting price of $479 to a maximum rate of $639, while three nights in Cancun (Thursday/Sunday arrival and departure days) runs $369 to $579.
Similarly, four nights of lodging in Jamaica, which features a Saturday departure and a Wednesday return, is being offered for $429 to $589. (Unless otherwise noted, prices quoted are per person, double occupancy for January departures and include round trip non-stop air service, hotel accommodations, airport transfers, hotel baggage handling, hotel taxes and the services of an Apple Resort representative.)
Many hotels in Jamaica cater to singles. ”Single shares,” for example, are offered to individuals traveling alone who wish to share a room to avoid paying the single supplement. Hotels that offer this service assign a roommate upon arrival.
Increasing in popularity, among singles and couples, is the ”all-inclusive” concept: Everything is included, from air fare, hotel
accommodations, meals, nightly entertainment, drinks, tips, water sports and land sports.
The Ciboney Villas, a deluxe all-inclusive hotel in Ocho Rios, Mexico, is a popular choice of couples who value its privacy, its free massages and its large villa suites (your own cook is provided). Prices start at $999, per person, double occupancy for a four-night stay.
The Grand Lido in Negril, Jamaica-a Super Clubs Resort for couples only-pampers its customers with free manicures, pedicures and yacht cruises. The minimum price for four-night January stay is $1,219 per person, double occupancy.
For those with humbler needs, the Westin Ixtapa in Mexico is offering a January base price (which does not include meals) of $639 for a four-night stay and $579 for three nights, per person, double occupancy. Air fare is included.
Suggested Jamaican resorts for singles include Hedonism in Negril, which offers single shares in an all-inclusive format beginning at $999 for a four- night stay, and the Jamaica Jamaica in Runaway Bay with a starting price of $1,039.
Similar packages are available through MTI and FunJet Vacations. Contact a travel agent for details.
7. The American Club
A great spot for a getaway weekend is the American Club, the only AAA five-diamond resort hotel in the Midwest, is in Kohler, Wis., one hour north of Milwaukee.
Established in 1918 as temporary housing for immigrant workers of the Kohler Co., the American Club was converted to a hotel in 1981. Each room features handcrafted woodwork, furnishing and a whirlpool bath.
The American Club has four restaurants, including regional American cooking and Continental cuisine at the Immigrant, ice cream and desserts in the Greenhouse or casual dining and drinking in the Horse & Plow tavern. There`s also the Emporium country store, which sells antiques and
collectibles, Wisconsin cheeses and sausages.
Other highlights: the Sports Core, a health and recreation center with indoor and outdoor tennis courts, racquetball, swimming pools and exercise rooms and the Parcours, a 2.2-mile jogging and exercise trail. The rural setting also is conducive to hiking, canoeing, hunting, fishing, cross-country skiing and golfing.
Nearby is the Kohler Design Center, a 36,000-square-foot exhibition hall with three levels of of kitchen and bathroom exhibits; the Waelderhaus, a replica of an Austrian chalet; and the Shops at Woodlake, a shopping mall consisting of specialty stores and boutiques.
Christmas events include ”Mistletoe Brunch” on Dec. 15 and the hotel`s premier holiday event, ”In Celebration of Chocolate” on Dec. 19. Using more than 600 pounds of chocolate, the American Club`s pastry crew will create truffles, tortes, cakes and ice creams. In addition, hundreds of domestic and imported chocolate candies will be presented on a buffet built around this year`s theme of ”The Nutcracker Sweets.”
Other holiday events include horse-drawn carriage rides, Christmas caroling, a ”Holiday Afternoon Tea” and an ”Olde English” Christmas dinner done up in Dickensian style.
Holiday rates: the Holiday Preview Package at $158 (plus tax and gratuities) per room, which includes two double beds and standard whirlpool bath, breakfast buffet for two, a Christmas ornament and a $25 gift certificate valid at the Sports Core`s Pro Shop, Blackwolf Run`s Pro Shop or the Emporium. The holiday package is available Sundays through Thursdays through Dec. 26 (based on availability). Other packages also are available.
The American Club, Highland Drive, Kohler, Wis. 53044; 800-344-2838.
