What You Need to Know About the Discounted Fairmont Packages Available Today

Today is the first day of week 5 of the US Travel Association’s Daily Getaways.

For those not familiar with Daily Getaways, travel deals and packages are offered on a first-come first-served each weekday from April 10, 2017 through May 12, 2017. For a look at previous offers or to learn more about the Daily Getaways click here.

Today’s deals are for Fairmont hotel stays –

6 Night Hawaii Vacation for $2,178 (10 packages available)
3 nights at the Fairmont San Francisco for $834 (10 packages available)

The packages go on sale at 1pm EST today.

To purchase the deals today, click the individual links above or follow this link to the calendar for the week of May 8, 2017 and select the package you are interested in.

Here’s what you need to know about the discounted packages available today –

1. 6 Night Hawaii Vacation for $2,178 – The package comes in the form of six separate Ovation Rewards certificates for 1 night each, double occupancy, including full breakfast for two each morning (alcohol excluded).

Last year this same package cost just $1,800 while this year it is $2178, so the package price has increased by $378. With slightly increased room rates, this does make some sense though we’ll still take a look to see how much overall value the package has.

The stay certificates are each good at either:

– The Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui (an all-suites hotel)
– The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii

The Ovation Rewards certificates can only be redeemed at the properties listed on the front of the certificates, which are the two Hawaiian properties.

At the Fairmont Orchid, breakfast includes the Signature Breakfast Buffet at the Orchid Court. At the Fairmont Kea Lani, breakfast includes either the buffet at the Kea Lani Restaurant or can be used for in-room dining (maximum credit of $37.75 per person per day).

You can combine the certificates all together for one long stay or redeem them separately to try out both properties or have several short stays. Room, tax, and gratuities for breakfast are included.  If you purchase this package, you’ll receive your paper certificates via Fed Ex within 10 business days. Unlike many of the earlier Daily Getaways Vegas packages, these certificates do not expire, which definitely increases their value.

Selecting the random Saturday night of July 15, 2017 at the all-suite Fairmont Kea Lani property, the best available rate came to $639 a night for a total of $764.31 includes taxes and fees.

If you were to add-on the breakfast buffet, the price is $37 per person. This includes not just Continental cold breakfast items but full buffet with hot and cold items which their website describes as “every breakfast item imaginableâ€.

Note that the Fairmont Kea Lani has a $38 a night resort fee, which is not included in the certificate. If you were to take the $764 as the room rate including all taxes + $74 breakfast buffet for 2, you’re looking at $838 for a single night’s sample stay if booking separately without using the certificates (not including the $228 in resort fees you’d pay whether or not you used the certificates). If you multiply that nightly total by 6 nights, the total comes to $5,028 whereas the Daily Getaways package price is $2,178.

For additional comparison, the Fairmont Kea Lani is running a “family stay and play” promo with the 5th night free that includes daily breakfast for two. Using sample dates of July 16-21, 2017, the total came to $4825.13 (not including the daily resort fee). With the standard suite not available for those dates, the more desirable Poolside Suite was substituted in (though other dates with the standard suite would drop the price some). The promo also includes a $250 resort credit (for use on property at places like the spa, restaurants, etc.)

Regardless of the dates though, the Daily Getaways package for $2178 at the Fairmont Kea Lani seems to be several thousand dollars less than you’d be able to find an equivalent package for.

Checking the same random date of July 15, 2017 at the Fairmont Orchid, the best available rate for a standard room was $424 a night for a total of $512.13 including taxes and fees.

The menu for the breakfast at Orchid Court is available on their website, and it looks like the full buffet cost is $32 per person. They do have an option where you can get $100 dining credit for $75 if you wanted to have a bit left over.

If assuming $32 per person per breakfast though to match the Daily Getaways package, the price for 6 nights at the Fairmont Orchid plus breakfast for two would come to $3456.78 if booking separately.

The Fairmont Orchid has a $30 a day resort fee that is not included in the certificate.

Note that the Fairmont Orchid is currently running a similar promo with the 5th night free that includes daily breakfast for two. Using the same sample starting date so July 16-21, 2017, the total came to $2779.75 (not including the daily resort fee). The promo also includes a daily $25 resort credit (total of $150). The Daily Getaways package price of $2178 is still $451.75 lower than using the promo at the Fairmont Orchid even if throwing in the daily resort credit.

It looks like the Fairmont Kea Lani offers the best value if deciding between the two properties strictly on price alone if you intend to use the 6 nights all at the same resort, plus it offers the option of room service breakfast at the Kea Lani property for up to $37.75 per person per day.

Of course, the locations are very different and there is often more to choosing a hotel than just price. One thing is sure though, that this Daily Getaways package offers really good value regardless of which resort(s) you choose.

2. 3 nights at the Fairmont San Francisco for $834 – this package also comes in the form of separate certificates.  You’ll receive three Ovations Rewards Certificates for a 1 night stay each, with breakfast for two people each day. You can combine them all together or redeem separately. Breakfast is in the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant and includes tax and gratuities (alcohol is not included).

Although the Ovation certificates are meant to be used only at the property listed on the certificate (in this case, the Fairmont San Francisco, the Terms & Conditions has a bit of a goof. They accidentally left the property listed as the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, which is the property from last year’s Daily Getaway.

I’m sure the mailed certificate will be correct, and it wouldn’t be a point you’d want to hold them to since the Scottsdale Princess has much lower nightly rates than the San Francisco property!

Checking the random date of Saturday July 15, 2017 for a standard room at the Fairmont San Francisco, the best available rate came to $499 a night with a total of $581.06 including tax.

There was an add-on option for full American breakfast at $40 per person.

Thankfully there is no resort fee at the Fairmont San Francisco.

If you were to take the $581.06 as the room rate including all taxes + $80 breakfast buffet for two people, you’re looking at $661.06 for a single night’s sample stay if booking separately without using the certificate. If you multiply that nightly total by 3 nights, the total comes to $1,983.18 whereas the Daily Getaways package price is $834.

Here are the terms & conditions for the Ovation Rewards Certificates that both packages give, and perhaps one of the best parts of all of today’s packages is that there are very few restrictions because of special event dates. Interestingly, the Ovation Rewards Certificates say that there are no blackout dates (which is a huge bonus) but the deal description on the Daily Getaways page says that “Limited blackout dates may apply”. It could be that this is just a holdover from another of the packages though.

Overall I think these packages have a ton of value. There are not a lot of them available, so if you want one be ready to go right at 1pm EST. Good luck and let me know if you end up snagging a package!