Holly waxes poetic about this find in Monterey: "If location speaks a thousand words, then this hotel speaks a romance novel." Perched over the Pacific Ocean, the Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa in California features an 11,000 square foot oceanfront spa with a rooftop deck, two notably good restaurants and a fabulous setting at Cannery Row. All rooms are non-smoking and have Biedermeier-inspired feather beds, Gilchrist & Soames bathroom amenities and Wi-Fi.

Pictures: Take a Photo Tour of Monterey Plaza Hotel and Spa
Reviews: California Hotel Reviews

^{Image courtesy Monterey Plaza Hotel}

It's not often I can tell you about a deal this good at Disney World. The new Holiday Inn Hotel in the Walt Disney World® Resort, next to the Downtown Disney Marketplace, is offering a $57-a-night deal for the first lucky families to book it. The special rate is good from the hotel's opening date of November 15 to December 21, with no minimum stay required.

Once the special rates are gone, even the regular rates of $110 are a deal considering the freebies: parking, wireless internet and kids' meals (with Kids Eat Free™) are all included. For families, there is a refrigerator in each room, rooms with two queen-sized beds (not doubles) or a king with a pull-out sofa, an arcade and a brand-new zero-entry swimming pool.

The resort is walking distance to Downtown Disney, which has free admission and plenty to see and do, including a 24-screen movie theater, a hot-air balloon attraction which gives a panoramic view, an interactive fountain and tons of family-friendly restaurants. A free shuttle from the hotel connects you with the rest of Disney's theme parks.

Examiner.com's Jeff Titelius reports that the hotel originally "opened as a Howard Johnson's in 1972 and was one of the four original hotels comprising Hotel Plaza at Lake Buena Vista...Through the ages, Howard Johnson's later became a Courtyard By Marriott and it was during that time when the hotel suffered significant damage from the hurricanes in 2004 resulting in shuttering the hotel. It's been closed ever since."

Well, no more. I spoke to Doug Smith, director of sales and marketing at the only Holiday Inn within the Walt Disney World property, who told me, "It's more than a renovation. Everything's been stripped to the bone, to the concrete. Power, electrical, everything is brand new. It's basically a new hotel, with a totally different look. This hotel will symbolize Holiday Inn's new brand look."

Why $57? Holiday Inn is celebrating 57 years, and it seemed like a fitting tribute by the newest addition to the chain. Book online at Holiday Inn Downtown Disney Resort Area or call (800) 467-1538.

^{Image courtesy IHG}

Feel like dreaming big? Peek into a few of the most upscale, luxurious hotels in Los Angeles:

• How's this for an amenity: At the new Montage Beverly Hills, a quarter of the guest rooms are suites. Book one and you drive one of their fleet of Mercedes-Benz automobiles.
• The Hotel Bel-Air is a lush, romantic retreat; celebrities enjoy the privacy of individually decorated guest rooms with private garden entrances and wood-burning fireplaces.
• The Beverly Hills Hotel's red carpet entrance and gauzy canopy bed effuse the romance of Old Hollywood. American Spa raved recently about their in-room treatments and Art of Bath kits.
• The Langham Huntington in leafy Pasadena was, not long ago, a Ritz-Carlton. Luxury still resides, and Sunday brunch at its Michelin Star'd Dining Room is a hot ticket.
• More Los Angeles hotel pictures and reviews

Kathy Hagood checks in to the Peabody Little Rock in Little Rock: "Set in the heart of the Little Rock's River Market District on the banks of the Arkansas River, the Peabody Little Rock hotel offers high-rise views river and city views. The hotel features tasteful accommodations, generous amenities, Southern hospitality and those darling marching ducks. Guests who stay on the concierge level (17th and 18th floors) have private access to their floors and the Peabody Club."

Review: Peabody Little Rock
Photo Tour: Peabody Little Rock
More: Little Rock Hotel Reviews

^{Image courtesy Peabody Hotel}