Ritz-Carlton hotels are popping up in prestigious, exotic locations all around North Africa lately, with properties under construction in Marrakech, Morocco (around the Jenan Amar Polo Fields); within the Royal Golf Dar Es Salam in Rabat; and east of Tangiers on the Mediterranean at Tamuda Bay. And over in Japan, The Ritz-Carlton, Kyoto will open in early 2014.

If North Africa is a bit out-of-the-way for your immediate travel plans, no worries: there are plenty of fabulous (and affordable) Ritz-Carltons nearer to you. One of my favorite things in life is a big hotel breakfast, which makes me a fan of the Comfort You package. It includes accommodations, breakfast for two, and a resort credit of $50 to $100. A few locations where this package is extra-affordable include:

• Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia, $219
• Ritz-Carlton Naples, Florida (the Golf Resort), $259
• Ritz-Carlton New Orleans, $299
• Ritz-Carlton New York (Battery Park), $325
• Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes, $319
• Ritz-Carlton Marina del Rey, $329
• Ritz-Carlton Washington D.C., $269
• Ritz-Carlton Phoenix, $249
• See more locations

^{Image courtesy Ritz-Carlton Hotels}

POLL: Do you leave a tip for hotel housekeepers?

1) Yes, every night of my stay
2) Yes, at the end of my stay
3) No, I rarely remember to leave a tip
4) No, I don't think it's necessary

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This is where I want to spend the rest of my afternoon, on a private island owned by Sandals Royal Bahamian.

^{Image courtesy Charlyn Keating Chisholm}

Jumping ahead just a few short years from Downton Abbey, the 1920s will be the focus this weekend when The Great Gatsby hits theaters. A few packages in Manhattan and beyond are affordable enough so you'll have plenty left over for swilling 1920s-style cocktails.

• The Jane Hotel in Manhattan, in a faded-grandeur century-old building, has rooms that start at a jaw-dropping $99. Yes, they're tiny--inspired by train and boat cabins, they are a mere 50 square feet. But if you want to spread your wings, spring for a Captain's Cabin at $250 per night.
• Over at the Jade Hotel, book the "Gatsby Getaway" Package. You'll get reimbursed for your movie tickets, loaned a hardcover copy of Fitzgerald's book, and handed a complimentary signature Gatsby cocktail. Rates are from $350.
• The Bowery Hotel's lobby has the perfect after-party atmosphere, where you can unwind with a couple of Sidecars. If you want to sneak upstairs, I won't tell; rates start from $445.
• In Atlantic City, the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa is celebrating in its new "euro-inspired gastro pub," 28 West, with two signature cocktails: Gatsby's Old Fashioned and Fitzgerald's Manhattan.

Cheers! Just leave the car with the valet.

^{Image courtesy Bowery Hotel CR:Gregory Goode}