Howl if you love waterparks! We’re thrilled to be giving away a stay at any Great Wolf Lodge Indoor Waterpark Resort, where every day is a pool day. With eleven locations in North America, a Great Wolf Lodge is never far away.

The prize is a one-night stay in a family suite for 4 people at the Great Wolf Lodge of the winner’s choice; one breakfast, lunch and dinner for 4 people during their stay; two-day waterpark admission for 4 people; and a wolf pup plush.

A stay at Great Wolf Lodge translates to great value for families that love waterpark fun. The rate always includes unlimited access to the enormous indoor waterpark with waterslides, bodyslides, raft rides, lazy rivers, wave pools, climbing structures, and more. Best of all, you can use the waterpark from the moment you arrive to the moment you leave and, since attendance is limited to hotel guests, the lines never get crazy long.

But that’s not all. Families can also have fun playing the MagiQuest adventure game and enjoying nightly fireside Story Time. Great Wolf Lodge offers a weather-proof family vacation that will leave you all howling for more.

For a chance to win this family getaway, just head to our giveaway page. You can enter once a day through June 30, 2012. So come back again tomorrow!

It's baa-ack! The InterContinental Hotels Group is bringing back its popular Vacation Pay program, which pays travelers to stay the weekend  in its hotels this summer. If you spend a two-night weekend stay before Labor Day, at any of IHG properties, you'll be rewarded with a $75 prepaid credit card to use anyway you like. The only condition is that reservation has to be for two consecutive weekend nights — Friday and Saturday or Saturday and Sunday — at the same hotel. Stays do not qualify if guests are paying special discounted or group rates.

You can use this promotion for up to four weekend stays, for a total of $300 in credit back. 

IHG hotels include many family-friendly chains: InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites.

To get the card, register and print rebate forms at www.ihg.com/get75 starting May 14. The only caveat is that you won't get your pre-paid credit card immediately. Once your stay is completed, you have to mail in the rebate form along with your hotel receipt. Still, free money is free money.

Thinking about a  trip  to NYC or DC this summer?  While many business-traveler-friendly hotels give families big-city sticker shock, Affinia hotels in the Big Apple and Washington DC are offering a deal that seems tailor-made for families.

Starting at just $139 in DC and $179 in New York City, the deal offers  a fourth night free, and up to 5,500 reward points in the hotels’ rewards program (therein lies the sole catch: you have to join the Stash Rewards program, which it's free).

The hotel in Washington, DC is in the Capitol Hill area, and there are five options in the Big Apple,  including locations near Central Park, Rockefeller Plaza and Madison Square Garden. Many of the hotels offers suites with fully-equipped kitchens, too—a sure-fire way to save on the cities’ high restaurant bills.

When we checked June dates using the deal at the Affinia Manhattan, near Madison Square Garden, we found a starting rate that averaged out to $245 a night—almost $75 less than the regular rate of $319 a night—and a clean 25% savings. (Alternatively, you could opt for a non-refundable rate for $268 a night.)

Here's a  case, however, where it pays to tinker with different specials on the hotel site. When we looked at the standing Stay More Save More deal, our nightly rate went down $5 to $240 a night. And if we only stayed three nights, the nightly average went down to a more noticeable $219 a night.

To get the Stash Rewards deal, you must book by May 31 for travel through September 2.  You can book by calling reservations at 866/246-2203, or by booking online and using promotional code Stash5K. For the Stay More Save More deal, use promotion code SVMORE.

One lucky family will soon be packing for the Big Apple! We’re excited to be giving away a two-night stay for a family of four at the luxurious Affinia Gardens Hotel, located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side just blocks from Central Park, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Madison Avenue shopping. The prize includes two nights in a junior suite for a family of four, plus a welcome amenity and high speed internet access.

Set under the backdrop of the Green Mountains' highest peak, Vermont's Stoweflake Mountain Resort & Spa has been welcoming guests for 50 years.  This AAA four-diamond property offers a range of accommodations—from guest rooms and suites to roomy townhouses—and boasts a 50,000 square-foot spa, two restaurants, tennis courts, pool, golf, hiking and biking trails. There are plenty of off-property activities, too (think skiing, hot-air ballooning), making it a popular year-round destination.  

To celebrate the resort's 50th birthday, Stoweflake has kicked off a 50 on 50 promotion, offering 50% savings on lodging through May 24. The discount is valid on weekend stays of two nights or more in a luxury category or higher guestroom. When we price-checked a weekend stay for a family of four, we found a nightly rate of $119.50 for a luxury two-queen room, which is, in fact, a 50% savings off the regular nightly rate of $239.  Families looking to spread out will find the same savings on roomy townhouses; a two-bedroom "Stoweflake" will run $199.50 per night instead of $399. Over the course of a two-night stay, the promo will reduce your total lodging spend from $800 to $400—and keep a hefty $400 in your wallet. (If you feel like spending some of that cash in the spa, you're in luck: the 50 on 50 offer will also get you a 20% discount there on a Monday.)

The fine print: the offer is based on space availability, and reservations must be pre-paid and are non-refundable.  Book online or call 800/253-2232 and ask for the 50 on 50 offer.

Frustrated skiers, rejoice: The northeast just got its first sizable snowstorm of this lean winter, dovetailing nicely with the end-of-season promotions rolling out from ski areas.  Vermont's Okemo Mountain Resort—with 119 trails over 635 acres, a slopeside village and family-focused vibe—rccently announced its Slide into Spring weekend packages.  Book a weekend stay in March and receive 33% off lodging for a three-night "ski & stay" package, and 20% off a two-night package.  Even better? Kids ages 7-18 ski for just $1—a savings of $73 per child.  Guests booking the package also receive 20%-off coupons to use at Okemo’s snowsports shops and restaurants.  

We price-checked a three-night March weekend stay for a family of two adults and two teens at the slopeside Mountain Lodge. With the package, we found a nightly rate of $328 for a one-bedroom condo.  That translates to a total price tag of $984 for lodging, lift tickets, and free skiing on the afternoon of your arrival. Without the offer, that same stay would cost $1,511.  Sliding into spring will save you $527, or about 35%.

The fine print: the offer is based on space available and valid on new reservations only. Rates vary depending on dates of travel, unit type and specific location. Online booking is not available; call 866/706-5366 and ask for the "Slide into Spring" package.

Has your family got a case of the winter blahs?  Gaylord Hotels' Winter Weekend Getaway package might be just what the doctor ordered.  Gaylord Hotels—with locations in Nashville, Dallas, Kissimmee, and Washington DC—are known for their flawless service and wondrous interiors.  Each property features an enormous climate-controlled atrium where it's always 72 degrees, no matter the weather outside.  The indoor spaces are filled with lush gardens, cascading waterfalls, shops, restaurants, spa, swimming pools, and daily entertainment.  The newest property is the Gaylord National, overlooking the monuments and skyline of our nation’s capital. The world-class property is the crown jewel of the newly developed National Harbor, a dynamic waterfront community set along the historic Potomac River in Washington DC. Kids will love the nightly fountain shows and Potomac Playzone arcade. 

The Winter Weekend Getaway offer features a 15% discount off best-available weekend room rates, plus a $50 dining credit good for breakfast or in-room dining.  When we price-checked a Saturday stay in February at Gaylord National, we found a regular nightly rate of $209 for a double room. With the package, that room was priced at $177, which does work out to a discount of 15%.  Factor in the $50 dining credit and you're paying that much less to put smiles on the kids' faces.

The offer is valid on one-night stays on a Friday or Saturday through February 29.  The rate does not include taxes, fees or parking; other restrictions apply. Book online or call the individual hotel's reservations line (phone numbers are available on the website) and ask for the "Winter Weekend Getaway" offer.

Dreaming of getting away for a weekend in the big city?  Affinia Hotels, a group of seven boutique hotels in three of America's most-visited cities, has announced a three-day sale that will run January 11 to 13.  Nightly rates start as low as $89, and are valid on stays through March 31 at Affinia properties in Chicago, Washington, DC, and New York City.  The hotels boast central locations and roomy accommodations, including suites with kitchens and outdoor terraces, which can be hard to find in urban hotels.  

At the newly-renovated Affinia Manhattan, in the heart of midtown, studios and suites all have kitchens, and guests can easily walk to hot spots such as the Empire State Building, Times Square and Broadway. During the sale, nightly rates start at $139, a discount of nearly 40% when compared to the lowest best available rates. When we price-checked a Saturday night stay in January, rates started at $234 a night.  Similar discounts can be found at Affinia locations in Chicago (sale rate starts at $89 a night) and DC (from $109 a night).

Interested? Bide your time for a few more days, since sale rates can only be booked January 11 to 13. Blackout dates and other restrictions may apply.  Book online or call 866/246-2203 and use promo code JAN3DY.

If you're going to be flying over the Christmas week, you can connect with loved ones more easily thanks to Skype. The VOIP service is offering one free hour of wi-fi at over 50 US airports between December 21 and December 27. You can use Skype WiFi to make voice and video calls to computers for free and to landlines and mobile phones using Skype credit.

The offer is available in more than 50 major airports, including  JFK, LaGuardia and Newark in the New York City area, Boston's Logan Aiport, Chicago's O'Hare and Midway airports, Jackson Hole, and Miami. For a full list, see the interactive map.