How to Get a Good Deal at a B&B or Inn

Do you need to get away from the stress of your everyday life but have limited resources? Here are some strategies that may help you satisfy your needs and keep you within your budget:

1) Plan your escape during off-season or midweek. Many innkeepers are willing to negotiate a price during the slower times of year or week. Some offer published reduced rates during the slower season.

2) Look for package prices. Often times, B&B's work with local businesses to offer packages that are very attractive from a pricing perspective. For example, Cromwell Manor Inn in Cornwall, New York developed a "Hudson River Elegance" package with the River Grill restaurant and Hudson River Adventures. The guest receives dinner for two including choice of appetizer, entree, and dessert along with a cruise on the Hudson River including choice of beverage, all for $100. Jack Trowell, owner of Cromwell Manor Inn, says that his objective is to put "heads in the beds" and that he prices packages at his cost to offer an additional incentive for guests to choose his inn over another.

3) Utilize promotional programs. For example, American Historic Inns, Inc. has a program that offers a free night certificate good at over 1450 inns throughout the United States. By purchasing the "Bed & Breakfast and Country Inns" book for around $20, one will receive a Free Night Certificate which may be used with one night at regular price. You get two nights for the price of one, a very substantial savings! There may be restrictions on when the certificate may be used. Visit American Historic Inns website at http://www.iloveinns.com/ to see how you may get the book.

4) Look for last minute specials. Just like the airline industry, many B&B's offer last minute specials to entice guests to their bed and breakfast if they have unbooked rooms. If you are able to plan a getaway close to home, you may be able to find an inn or B&B willing to work with you on price for a stay of that evening or the next. You don't have to travel a long distance to enjoy a romantic or peaceful, rejuvenating retreat.

By being flexible with your schedule and by looking for pricing opportunities, you may be able to enjoy a stay at a great bed and breakfast or inn and save money at the same time.

Five "Must Sees" in the Hudson Valley of New York

Are you planning a trip to New York's Hudson Valley? Well if you are, here are five attractions that you must see:

West Point - Take a tour of the United States Military Academy at West Point. The one hour tour makes stops at the Main Cadet Chapel which houses the largest pipe organ in North America, Trophy Point, the Battle Monument, and the Parade Field. ESPN called Michie Stadium one of the best college football venues in the United States! The two hour tour makes all the stops of the one hour tour and also stops at the Old Cadet Chapel and the West Point Cemetery with an extended tour of the gourgeous Trophy Point. After the tour, visit the West Point museum to see 200 years of military history.

Woodbury Common Premium Shopping Outlet - Spend a day (or more) at the largest premium shopping outlet in the world! A little villagelike mall of 220 stores attracts customers from all over the world to take advantage of fantastic savings on name brand items. The stores include Coach, Ralph Lauren, Dior, Gucci, Versace, and many, many more.

FDR's Home and Library - Visit the home and library of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States. Enjoy a tour of the furnished Home of FDR ("Springwood"), Rose Garden and Gravesite, Ice House, and Stables, maintained and operated by the National Park Service followed by the FDR Presidential Museum (and Library), maintained and operated by the National Archives and Records Administration.

Storm King Art Center - Storm King Art Center is a museum that celebrates the relationship between sculpture and nature. Five hundred acres of landscaped lawns, fields and woodlands provide the site for postwar sculptures by internationally renowned artists. At Storm King, the exhibition space is defined by sky and land. Unencumbered by walls, the subtly created flow of space is punctuated by modern sculpture. The grounds are surrounded by the undulating profiles of the Hudson Highlands, a dramatic panorama integral to the viewing experience. The sculptures are affected by changes in light and weather, so no two visits are the same.

Brotherhood Winery - Take a tour of the oldest winery of the U.S. with the largest underground wine cellar. Enjoy a wine tasting after the tour.

To more fully enjoy your stay in the Hudson Valley, why not experience the ambience of a bed and breakfast? The knowledgeable and friendly innkeeper will assist you in planning your itinerary and assure that your every need is fullfilled.