Where to Find Last-Minute July 4th Deals

by  Karen Gardiner | Jun 27, 2014
Monument Valley, Arizona
Monument Valley, Arizona / Bill_Vorasate/iStock

As with other major holidays like Thanksgiving, it hasn't been easy to find great discounts for the Fourth of July. But if you're still on the lookout for a last-minute getaway, not all hope is lost. Here are a few ideas for savings next week:

1. Check out the L.E Hotel Collection.
All 40 L.E. Hotels member properties across the globe are telling travelers "the longer you stay with us, the more you save" with their Stay N Save package. The package is valid for stays of three or four nights, for bookings through August 31 using promo code SNS14. Perks vary from hotel to hotel but can include anything from fourth-nights free to special amenities. A few examples: 20 to 30 percent off at The Wyvern Hotel, Punta Gorda, Florida (from $98); 25 percent off best available rates, a bottle of champagne, and cocktails and breakfast for two at Luxe Rodeo Drive Hotel (from $318); and 25 percent off rates with free breakfast at the Hotel Lumen Paris Louvre (from $230).

2. Go to Arizona.
We shared the Tequila and Tan Lines special at Kimpton Hotels' Arizona properties with you last month, but the good news is that it's still roaring on with reasonable, off-season rates and pitchers of margaritas as a tasty welcome gesture. Valid through Labor Day, the package starts at $119 a night at the Hotel Palomar Phoenix and $179 at Kimpton's Amara Resort and Spa in Sedona. Put those savings to good use by booking a treatment at the Amara Resort's spa – one of our favorites. (Treatments start at $120, for example, for a 60-minute "healing hands" massage.)

Over at The Westin La Paloma in Tuscon, rates for the holiday weekend start from $164, compared to rates over $200 during cooler seasons. A minimum of two nights is required, but you'll also be treated to a laser light show against the Santa Catalina Mountains, live entertainment, and other poolside activities on offer just for July 4.

3. Consider other sizzling destinations.
It's really during the winter when everyone wants to go south, which means that it's off-season right now at those steamy destinations. Look to the rest of the Southwest as well as Florida destinations for rates that are generally low during the summer, even without holiday-specific specials.

In Miami, the quirky-luxe Lord Balfour is celebrating their one-year anniversary with a 25% off sale. There are still rooms available for the long weekend, from $195 on Thursday night and $285 on Friday and Saturday nights, for an average of $255 per night. It'll be a modest splurge, but you'll enjoy a stay in a quiet location in the midst of the fashionable South of Fifth neighborhood -- as well as significant savings off the best available rate of $339.

Closer to the beloved theme parks, Hilton Orlando -- set on five whopping acres that encompass a lazy river, two pools, fire pits, golf course, and more -- still has rooms at $159 for next weekend. For comparison, the same rooms go for closer to $250 in the winter months.

4. Or look for rainy destinations.
As long as you're willing to schedule your activities around potential showers, you can find deals up to 50 percent off in the Caribbean. Here are some that we found earlier in the month, and The Cotton House in Mustique also has a Summer Travel package with availability over the holiday weekend. The promotion offers two complimentary Garden House nights when you book five nights at $450 each, compared with high season rates of $950. It also includes a smattering of perks like a scuba dive session, 60-minute massage, and daily breakfast per person, coming out to a total savings of up to $1,470 total.

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