Summer Hotel Rates

Hilton Hotels has joined the ranks of properties offering special summer rates.

Until Sept. 7 you can get a flat rate of $59 a room at more than 200 Hilton Hotels in the United States, for an average saving of about $40, according to a Hilton spokesman.

This $59 room rate is on a single or double occupancy basis, and children can stay free. There is no system-wide age cutoff point for when children stay gratis. Generally, there is a limit of four people per room.

Guests, under this program, can also get free continental breakfasts each day of their stay. These breakfasts would be at the hotel’s coffee shop, not through room service.

The two restrictions to keep in mind are that your stay has to include a Saturday night, and reservations have to be booked at least two days in advance. You can stay for as long as 10 nights at the $59 rate.

Rates may be higher at some resorts, such as in Hawaii. In Las Vegas the $59 rate is available weekdays only.

Check with travel agents or Hilton at (800) HILTONS to see if a property you are interested in is taking part in the program. Rooms at the $59 rate are capacity-controlled, so getting your reservation in early is advisable.

Another possibility, depending on the city you’re going to, is the series of three-day, two-night packages offered by Tourpak International. These packages all include accommodations for two nights at a variety of hotels ranging from inexpensive up. Taxes, which have risen in some states, are included. You also get a discount packet with coupons providing a variety of savings, primarily on sightseeing tours and attractions.

These “Big City Bargain” packages are available to New York, Washington, Boston, Miami, Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Atlanta on the East Coast. In the middle part of the country, New Orleans, Chicago, San Antonio and Nashville are available. In the West the cities include Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego, Anaheim, Las Vegas, Phoenix/Scottsdale and Honolulu.

Rates on a per-person basis vary from city to city, as well as from hotel to hotel. Contact travel agents or Tourpak International at (800) 468-0468.