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INDAGARE’S GUIDE TO LAST-MINUTE HOLIDAY AVAILABILITY 2008

One of the benefits of Indagare membership is that we will scout out the best places with rooms left during the holidays and hold options for you. Please note these may go quickly and some have minimum-day requirements. To secure preferential rates and special amenities, contact our Bookings Service at 212-988-2611.

We’ve saved some of the best properties by member level. Click on the Indagare Plus sign for details.

Read about availability for exotic locales and for those interested in active trips.

CARIBBEAN & BAHAMAS

Little Dix Bay, on Virgin Gorda, a Rosewood resort, is fantastic for families, with calm waters and a low-key atmosphere. There’s a kids club and many of the recently renovated rooms and suites have connecting options. One of our editors was just there. Read her review.

Peter Island Resort, set on its own 1,800-acre private island, combines high luxury with Caribbean charm.

The Ritz-Carlton in the Cayman Islands offers kayaking and snorkeling, a spa and a golf course. www.ritzcarlton.com.

The esteemed villa rental company Wimco has a number of houses still available in St. Barth’s, Barbados, Turks & Caicos and Virgin Gorda.

On Anguilla, there is a stunning 14,000-square-foot villa with seven bedrooms.

Located on Grace Bay in the Turks & Caicos, the Somerset is easy to reach and wonderful for families.

The Four Seasons Great Exuma (www.fourseasons.com/greatexuma) offers a Greg Norman-designed golf course and a spa with outdoor treatment cabanas. Also, read a member’s posting in the Indagare classifieds about a charming home on Harbour Island.

Kamalame Cay (www.kamalame.com), located on a private ninety-five-acre island in the Bahamas, makes for a low-key getaway with private bungalows and cottages and lots of water activities.

MEXICO

Tides Riviera Maya is a great place for young couples, friends traveling together and singles. Guests love the romantic jungle palapas and excellent food, and the small Mayan-themed spa offers massages and facials with locally grown ingredients.

Exclusive Costa Careyes still has space in both the hotel and the larger villas.

We also have access to gorgeous, fully staffed homes in Punta Mita and nearby Sayulita.

For a super-chic Mexican hideaway, there’s the Tides Zihuatanejo, situated along Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo’s Playa La Ropa beach. Individually-decorated accommodations are scattered about the property in terracotta-tiled villas. (www.tideszihuatanejo.com)

CALIFORNIA

With its gorgeous gardens, the fairy tale-like Hotel Bel-Air is the perfect enclave for a romantic Los Angeles getaway.

An Auberge resort, Calistoga Ranch, in Napa Valley wine country, offers fantastic hiking trails, spa treatments and plenty of privacy.

Chances are you won’t get one cloudy day in Palm Springs, the SoCal city with over 360 days of sunshine a year. The Viceroy Palm Springs (www.viceroypalmsprings.com) recalls the glamour of the Rat Pack era with its Regency-style villas and features a renowned spa center.

Montage, the Laguna Beach resort renowned for its progressive spa program, is perfect for those who want some holiday pampering.

Another spa option: Ojai Valley Inn & Spa, a historic hideaway tucked into the Topa Topa Mountains. The signature spa treatment is the Kuyam, which combines a mud treatment with inhalation and a guided meditation.

San Ysidro Ranch, in Santa Barbara, is a magical hideaway. In the words of our reviewer, its grounds offer “sweeping views from the Santa Ynez foothills to the Pacific Ocean and are full of birdsong and the scents of orange blossoms, rosemary, and eucalyptus.”

We also have some great hotel options in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles.

ARIZONA

The red rocks of Boynton Canyon make a stunning backdrop for Enchantment Resort. Situated on seventy acres in Sedona, the resort is sprinkled with adobe casitas. www.enchantmentresort.com

FLORIDA

The Breakers in Palm Beach has a few rooms available.

A short drive from the Fort Lauderdale airport, the Acqualina Resort has a wide beach, an in-house ESPA and an active kid’s club (plus all-important babysitting service). www.acqualinaresort.com

On Captiva Island, off the Gulf Coast, the South Seas Island Resort is low-key and family friendly.

Located in an Art Deco building on Ocean Drive, Tides South Beach epitomizes Miami cool. Hip designer Kelly Wearstler redid the interiors in 2007, upping the property’s overall glam factor. (www.tidessouthbeach.com).

GEORGIA

The recently renovated Sea Island resort is a knock-out, with a world-class spa, multiple championship golf courses, and plenty of family activities, like fishing and horseback riding on the beach. www.seaisland.com. Read about Sea Island on our Discussion Boards.

HAWAII

Set on 40 beautifully landscaped acres overlooking Wailea Beach, the Grand Wailea Resort in Maui is perfect for a family escape. A five-night minimum stay is required. www.grandwailea.com

The Ritz-Carlton in Kapalua has a tri-level swimming pool and a new pool for children. www.ritzcarlton.com

COSTA RICA

Set on a peninsula that juts into the Pacific, the Four Seasons Costa Rica offers a lovely location, tranquil beaches and access to fantastic wildlife.