Black Friday 2011 deals: 23 hotels, five days, endless getaway ideas

Black Friday’s dirty little secret: The West Coast has a bit of an edge for some online sales because of the time difference. It doesn’t mean earlier access to a sale, just that there’s no need to stay up past midnight to catch a deal.

Case in point: Shell Vacations Hospitality is reducing hotel room rates up to 50% starting around 9 p.m. PST the Thursday before Black Friday. No need to set the alarm clock.

The deal: Shell Vacations Hospitality offers discounts at 23 properties in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Some examples: Rooms starting at $65 a night at the Inn at the Opera in San Francisco; $55 a night at the Orange Tree Golf Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz.; $50 a night at the Desert Rose Resort in Las Vegas. Prices exclude tax and fees.

When: The sale begins at 9:01 p.m. PST Nov. 24 and ends 9:01 p.m. PST Nov. 28. Travel period for sale rooms vary by hotel.

Details: I couldn’t test this deal, but I did check the best available nightly rates at Inn at the Opera (starting at $139) and the Desert Rose Resort (starting at $109 for a one-bedroom suite) to gauge the potential savings. Looks like Black Friday could be a good time to lock in rates on a future getaway at these hotels.

Contact: Shell Vacations Hospitality, (866) 729-7182