French Quarter-Inspired Inn with Onsite Restaurant

Though it's in the heart of Texas Hill Country, Crescent Quarters channels New Orleans, the Crescent City, in both name and design. The hotel exudes French Quarter charm, from its wrought-iron balconies to the hanging planters and gas lanterns. N'awlins also inspired some of the guest rooms, including one decorated with the famous Blue Dog paintings of Cajun artist George Rodrigue and another furnished in festive Mardi Gras purples and golds.

The rest of the rooms and suites carry out much different motifs. The Far East room features Buddhist images against bamboo-covered walls, and the French room channels continental elegance with a fireplace, French boudoir, and life-size cardboard cutout of Napoleon Bonaparte. Some rooms come with other chic touches such as granite vanities and polished hardwood floors, and the two suites come furnished with hot tubs.

Complimentary breakfast is served every morning in the common room. For lunch and dinner, head to the in-house restaurant, Cypress Grille and Wine Bar, run by chefs who trained at the Culinary Institute of America and Le Cordon Bleu. The casual eatery serves comfort-food favorites with creative twists, such as dried-fruit ravioli and smoked barbecue pork sandwiches with grilled pineapple. As a bonus, Cypress Grille and Wine Bar will give Groupon customers a complimentary dessert with the purchase of an entree.

Boerne, Texas: Historic German Town in Texas Hill Country

A popular summer escape for Austinites and San Antonians, the Hill Country of west-central Texas usually enjoys cooler temperatures than surrounding areas thanks to its higher elevation. Among the region's towns, Boerne stands out for its unique history as an early 19th-century German settlement. Some vestiges of the old days are still around, including the bilingual, German-style street signs. Crescent Quarters overlooks Boerne's Main Street-or Hauptstrasse-which features a smattering of shops and restaurants that cater to the influx of out-of-towners that use the town as a convenient home base for exploring the Hill Country.

Boerne is also home to a few limestone caves that have been paved through with walkways and lights for public tours. Cascade Caverns, 4 miles from the inn, features a half-mile stretch of stalactite and stalagmite formations and plunging caves inhabited by a rare and endangered salamander. Tours of the caverns lead through narrow passageways and end with a view of a 100-foot waterfall cascading into a pitch-black pool.

Read the Fine Print for important info on travel dates and other restrictions.

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There are certain destinations so idyllic and serene that their beauty impersonates art. Experience sketches of Spain in Southern California when you Escape to a one-night stay for two at Ojai Valley Inn & Spa. Mediterranean temperatures perfectly complement the Tuscan architecture at this AAA Five Diamond property, only 30 miles from Santa Barbara and 80 miles from LA. Craft a plan to visit on Sundays through Thursdays, from June 1 to July 31 ($289) or August 1 to October 31, 2012 ($309), or Fridays and Saturdays, from August 1 to October 31, 2012 ($329); two vouchers can also be combined for a two-night stay. The signature Ojai Nest linens and California-chic decor earned the hotel a spot on Conde Nast Traveler's Gold List in 2010, but it also was named one of the magazine's Top 25 Spas in North America and one of the Top 100 Golf Resorts in the World. And those are just a couple of the awards. Allow the hotel staff to draw up a breakfast of regional fruits, house granola, and organic eggs at Oak Grill. Then, it's off to enjoy still life with spa passes for two, which give you access to the spa pools, sauna, and locker room facilities. It's easy to be tempted by the spa's menu when it includes treatments like the Shangri-La--a sugar foot scrub, lavender body buff, and warm-oil scalp treatment--alongside a number of massages and facials. With your body of work feeling like an objet d'art, dip into one of four invigorating pools. And for a truly avant-garde resort experience, visit the Apothecary. There, you can create your own unique collage of scents to wear on the town. In the afternoon, you'll want to canvas the resort's 220 tree-covered acres, including its renowned 18-hole championship golf course. Scale Meditation Mount and take in picturesque views of the valley, stroke the waters of Lake Casitas by boat, or rent bikes and carve a path into town. There, you can brush up on Ojai Valley's local flavors at the farmers' market and take in performances at Theater 150. At night, sate your palette with fine dining at Maravilla while you witness the day's best exhibit: the Ojai's Pink Moment. Watch from the veranda as the sunset colors the mountains a gorgeous pink while you enjoy a gallery of locally sourced dishes, including baby beets topped with Ojai Pixie tangerines, and Cypress Grove Chevre Purple Haze goat cheese; sauteed prawns served with parmesan polenta; and rhubarb-glazed pork with quinoa and barley pilaf. Paint yourself a picture-perfect getaway that will be a masterpiece of a memory no matter how you frame it.

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Spacious Southwestern Suites in the Heart of Santa Fe

When you walk down the streets of downtown Santa Fe, it can feel more like a rustic Old West town than the thriving capital city of New Mexico. Some big businesses and skyscrapers have sprouted up throughout Santa Fe, to be sure, but right among them in the heart of downtown, you'll see historical mission churches and adobe pueblos. It's all set against the ruddy backdrop of the Sangre Cristo Mountains. Villas de Santa Fe are situated right in the foothills of these mountains‚ about 16 miles northeast of downtown. Warm, southwestern-style decor and well-appointed rooms make the property a comfy home base after you explore colorful downtown Santa Fe, which is rich in Native American and Mexican history.

Inside the pueblo-like villas, modern amenities complement the rustic and colorful decorative scheme. There's Santa Fe-style art hanging on the walls in one of the standard one-bedroom suites, and you can find colorful woven fabrics on the couch in the separate living area. Each of these suites features a partial kitchen, where there's a full-size refrigerator, a stovetop, and honey-colored wood cabinetry. It makes the place feel more like a comfy apartment than a hotel room.

After waking up to the bright sun of a Santa Fe morning, you can feel free to unwind in the outdoor hot tub or practice chasing after mail carriers on the treadmills in the onsite fitness center. The hotel also has a complimentary shuttle that can zip you around the property; that allows guests to save their energy for scenic walks through nearby downtown area.

Santa Fe, New Mexico: Old West Architecture and Fiery Southwestern Cuisine

Just a short walk from the Villas de Santa Fe, you'll find the perpetually sun-soaked downtown area. It's a historical center with a vibrant mosaic of cultural influences made up of fragments from the Native American, Latino, and western traditions. The 400-year-old site of the St. Francis Cathedral Basilica dons stained-glass windows, which cast rainbow colors onto the stone floor. Handmade leather treasures line the shelves at a custom-cowboy-boot store in the city.

Fiery chili is a standby garnish for chefs in Santa Fe; on a food tour of Santa Fe, you can sample zesty southwestern fare from popular local vendors. At day's end, the tour stops at the rooftop of a beloved downtown restaurant, where guests may sip a glass of wine, admire the brilliant sunset, and drop water balloons onto evil school principals.

New Mexico's varied terrain and seemingly nonstop sunshine make the area a great place for hiking and biking. It's worth it to visit the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, which have peaks that stand at about 12,000 feet high; they're just a short trip from Villas de Santa Fe.

Read the Fine Print for important info on travel dates and other restrictions.

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