Mix deals with pleasure

MY daughter, Reggie, thought she had stumbled into heaven. The oversized Jacuzzi tub, the king-size bed, the giant chocolate-chip cookies and milk waiting on the table, the mountains beckoning outside the big picture windows all added up to far classier digs than the 7-year-old had at home.

“This is the life!” she said happily as she plopped onto the bed.

Ten years later, Reg is much harder to impress. In fact, she’s apt to get more excited about pitching a tent in the backcountry than staying at a fancy resort. But we still use her “wow” index to see whether a hotel measures up.

When we’re on vacation, we want more than a place to sleep; we want a fantasy. We want to live like royals. We want people to do our bidding -- with smiles. One mom I know even insists on bathrooms that are better than hers at home. Overworked parents certainly deserve the white-glove treatment. Kids want to feel special.

The trick is to manage a luxurious getaway without paying big bucks for the privilege. These days it’s easier than you might think, as hotels and cruise lines clamor for your family’s business.

Here’s how to pull it off:

* Comparison shop: You need to know a good deal when you see one -- a $450 hotel room for $199, for example. Major travel sites such as www.orbitz.com, www.expedia.com and www.hotels.com can save you 50% or more on rates. This summer, Expedia is touting bargain rates at four-star hotels from Cambridge, Mass., to Las Vegas for less than $100 a night. Orbitz makes it easy for you to figure out the cheapest days to fly.

Visit www.seeamerica.org and link to the official Web site of the state you want to visit. The state Web sites are packed with the latest deals and discounts. If you have an I-always-wanted-to-stay-there fantasy, check out that hotel’s Web site for last-minute offers or special deals; many have them this summer. Be forewarned that prices change daily, so when you see what you want at a good price, grab it.

* Don’t be bashful. If you can’t find exactly what you want, invest in a phone call or a fax or send an e-mail to see what the resort will do for you. Looking for a second room for the kids for half price? Free nights with a minimum number of nights booked? A deal that includes kids’ activities or breakfasts? Ask to speak with the manager. Remember, he or she wants to fill rooms as badly as you want to get a deal.

The manager also wants happy customers, so make sure to speak up if you’re not happy once you arrive. (The maid never came; the room overlooks a parking lot when you paid extra for a view.)

* Think packages. You can save 15% or more (and afford that fancier hotel) through special negotiated deals that you can’t get on your own, says Geoff Silvers of Orbitz, who helps put them together. Rocky Mountain Tours, www.skithewest.com, is known for great deals on trips to ski country, where you’ll be surprised by how far your vacation buck will stretch in summer. Check www.virgin-vacations.com for deals to London.

* Try a new place. Introductory rates are often good deals. Stay at the luxurious, newly opened Grande Lakes Orlando resort, www.grandelakes.com, where rooms at the Ritz-Carlton start at $199 this summer and rooms at the larger JW Marriott start at $159.

The newly renovated Inn of the Seventh Mountain, www.innofthe7thmountain.com, in Bend, Ore., in the foothills of the Cascades, is the place to stay if you want to hike, bike, fish or rock-climb. Check out the “See the Sun” packages, which start at less than $200 a day for parents with two kids 12 and younger. The deal includes $110 in daily activities vouchers.

* Play your cards right. See what sort of extra discounts the AAA card and AARP card in your wallet are worth. Marriott will knock 15% off already discounted “Come Out and Play” weekend rates if you use your American Express card.

* Invite your friends. Not only can you split costs, but you also can swap child-care chores. The travel club Hideaways International, www.hideaways.com, has villas on the north shore of Oahu that sleep 10 people and cost $2,000 a week. There’s one just as big in Vermont that runs $2,500 a week. Others in the Caribbean and Mexico are even less.

* Relax. Once you’re on vacation, stop thinking about how much you’re spending. Your family is worth every penny.

Taking the Kids appears twice a month. E-mail Eileen Ogintz at Eileen@takingthekids.com.