Great deals sometimes come at great personal cost, like the super-cheap airfare you scored from L.A. to Europe that makes three stops and takes 20 hours to get there. By the time you touch down, you might be in need of a soft landing. So consider this summer offer from the InterContinental Hotels & Resorts luxury chain: a free night on a five-night stay plus 100 euros (about $148) in hotel credit.
The deal: InterContinental hotels aren't cheap; room rates start around $300 a night in top European cities. The Summer Package is available at 24 hotels in various cities, including Rome, London and Paris and as far afield as Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. The deal requires a five-night stay to get the free night and the credit, which is good for food and beverages.
When: The offer is good for stays from July 14 to Sept. 11, with some exceptions. Tested: I went to the website and checked on availability at the InterContinental de la Ville Roma for a room for five nights starting Aug. 21. I opted for an online chat with a reservation agent (you can call too) to find out how the savings work for this deal.
She explained that the "Summer Package" calculates a percentage off the cost of each night that is equivalent to a free night. In my case, the average came out to $315 a night, excluding tax. I went back to check rates on the same dates without the package and found the best "flexible " (refundable) rate to be $395 a night, excluding tax.