The Best End-of-Summer Beach Bargains
MAUI, HAWAII
You save: 29%
The Four Seasons Maui at Wailea is the only resort on the Valley Isle without a resort fee. Go in low season (September to November) to nab a room overlooking the Haleakala volcano for $499, vs. $699 in August—a great deal on a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Among the complimentary amenities: scuba lessons, canoeing, snorkeling, a kids program, and pool cabanas. The black-sand beaches at Waianapanapa State Park are nearby, and entry is free. September temp: 88°
MONTAUK, NEW YORK
You save: 27%
When posh Manhattanites helicopter out to this hamlet on the tip of Long Island, they flock to Gurney's Montauk Resort & Seawater Spa. Swap a mid-August stay for a mid-September one, and you'll pay $360, vs. $495, for an ocean-view studio, complete with a private terrace. (For a more affordable getaway, try the Ocean Resort Inn, with rooms for $169 in September.) Once you've worked up an appetite, BYOB and try the lobster dinner ($33) at Duryea's Lobster Deck. September temp: 74°
GALVESTON, TEXAS
You save: 22%
Sinatra and F.D.R. slept at the Hotel Galvez & Spa, and for $139 a night (down from $179 in August) you can too. The mission-style building has prime views of the Gulf, or you can hop on one of the hotel's loaner bikes and go for a surfside ride. Don't leave without taking a free tour of the sea turtle research center at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's lab. September temp: 87°
SEA ISLAND, GEORGIA
You save: 29%
You'll get access to all three of Sea Island's legendary golf courses—and the amenities at the lavish Cloister hotel—when you book at the Inn at Sea Island. It's a new property with 85 marine-themed rooms, free breakfasts, and five miles of soft-sand beaches at the ready (rates are $195 in September, down from $275 in August). For a nautical change of pace, you can clamber up the 104-foot St. Simons Lighthouse ($12), which has been guiding ships into port since 1872. September temp: 85°