From musketeers to amigos, wishes to stooges, good things come in threes. That’s also true for this London deal, which lets you spend your third night at the acclaimed Park Lane Hotel absolutely free.

OK, we know what you’re thinking—surely you’ll have to pay sky-high rates for the first two nights, right? As the Brits would say, “That’s bloody madness.” That’s right dear reader, we found rates as low as $282 per night when booking this package—over $200 less per night than the standard rate for a single night at this luxurious, centrally located property—and that’s before factoring in the free night! So you really are getting everything for nothing on your third night’s stay…bringing your adjusted nightly rate under 200 bucks .

What do we mean by “everything?” Twenty-four-hour concierge service, a brand-new fitness facility and full afternoon tea served in an art deco courtyard. Knightsbridge, Bond Street and the West End theaters are within walking distance, and we think you’ll like the neighbors—Buckingham Palace is literally across the street.

If you think this free third night’s a charm, be sure to sign up for our weekly travel alert. In it, we tell you about jolly-good travel deals like this one, so you can vacation like Her Majesty without pawning the crown jewels.

Checking In: Macau
Checking Out: Las Vegas

A couple of months ago an old friend, now living in Hong Kong, wrote me an e-mail about coming out to San Francisco. Here is how he opened his message:

Greetings from the Venetian Hotel in Macau, now the gambling capital of the world in terms of revenue. This place sucks and only reinforces in my mind why I always avoided Las Vegas.

I have to admit, at the time, Macau didn’t register on my radar. But in the following months it started popping up everywhere; in conversation, in newspaper articles, on the radio and online. Macau’s sudden and constant presence in my consciousness was no coincidence. As my friend pointed out in his scathing review, Macau officially surpassed Las Vegas as the World Champion of gaming revenue in 2006, and it continues to out-earn the struggling dessert city by increasing margins. Naturally, Las Vegas casino owners have flocked to Macau to get in on the game.  According to the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau of Macau, the number of casinos in the former Portuguese colony more than doubled over the past five years. To give you an idea of how Macau became the Vegas of the East—I mean the world—I’ve put together a point-by-point comparison of the world’s two most successful sin cities.

The History
Macau: Macau has a long history in trade dating back to the Silk Road and the Roman Empire. In the 1500s, the Portuguese settled the area to benefit their own trade, butchering the name A Ma Gao, and erecting their own Westernized trade colony, Macau. In December 1999, the Portuguese government returned partial control to China under the “one country, two systems” formula, recreating Macau as a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China. However, before they threw in the towel, Portugal legalized gambling in Macua, setting it up to become the gaming mecca of the East.
Las Vegas: The Spanish first discovered the Las Vegas Valley in 1829, but Vegas wouldn’t officially become a city until the early 1800s, with the establishment of railways. Strangely, in 1910, the State of Nevada outlawed gambling. Twenty years later, the state uncorked the damn, and gambling was legal again. That year, the first gambling license was issued, and by the mid-50s, Las Vegas had become the gambling center of the world.

The Setting
Macau: Located on the western bank of the Pearl River Delta on the southeast coast of China, Macau enjoys a subtropical climate with cool winters and warm summers. Macau’s mainland is connected to the islands of Taipei and Coloane by three bridges.
Las Vegas: Located in the desert of the southwestern United States, in the Las Vegas Valley, this sandy city is one hot mother. Really. Summer temperatures typically exceed 100 degrees. Thank God for air conditioning.

The People
Macau: Population close to 550,000. About 94% are ethnic Chinese.
Vegas: Population exceeds 500,000. Nearly 70% of the population is white.

The Development
Macau: In 2001, Macau opened its local gaming industry to foreign competition. The following year the Chinese government decided to loosen travel restrictions, opening doors not only to casino developers, but also to the tourists who would make those casinos viable. By 2006, Macau had surpassed the Vegas strip in terms of revenue. Today, everyone from Hugh Hefner to Sheldon Adelson, owner of the Venetian and the Sands, are turning their eyes and wallets toward Macau.
Las Vegas: Unfortunately, Las Vegas is also in a major development boom, which wouldn’t be a problem if gambling hadn’t reached an all time low. Add to that growing caution among investors and bankers, and you’ve got a whole world of hurt. Many Las Vegas casino owners are currently piled under millions—if not billions—in debt, which might explain their interest in the East.

The Underbelly
Macau: Prostitution*, human trafficking, money laundering and organized crime plague the booming gaming city.
Vegas: Ditto.

* Prostitution is legal in Macau; pimping, however, is not.

The small spits of granite paradise, way out 1000 miles east of Africa in an isolated part of the Indian Ocean, are looking better and better these days. While both getting there and staying there are not cheap, the lucky few who can dish up the cash will find unmatched scenery and luxury.

 If Money is No Object: Frégate Island
Starting Rate: 1200 Euro ($1877) per person per night; minimum three night stay
Frégate Island is like an elite club for billionaires and their families. The private three square kilometer granite island has room enough for 40 guests, along with a marina for visiting yachtsmen. Each of the 16 jaw dropping colonial-style villas made of native mahogany has a huge private terrace and an infinity pool overlooking the ocean, a Jacuzzi, a personal golf cart and private butler service. Seven powdery beaches including Anse Victorin (oft considered the most beautiful in the world), two restaurants, a beach bar, a kid’s clubhouse, PADI dive center, guided nature hikes, windsurfing and sailing lessons are all found on the tiny island as well. And the resort is eco-sensitive to boot: their giant tortoise nursery is one of the leading nature conservation projects in the Seychelles.

Smart Luxury: l’Archipel
Starting Rate: Doubles from 367 Euro ($574) per night
This small, secluded resort is one of the more budget-minded properties in the über-luxe Seychelles, but still posh enough for the honeymoon of your dreams. l’Archipel is submerged in tropical gardens on the northeast coast Praslin. There are 30 rooms and suites ranging from 44 to 120 square meters, all with additional verandas where your breakfast will be served. The resort hosts poolside candlelight dinners twice a week and arranges fly fishing, scuba diving and windsurfing in the turquoise Seychellois waters. When you get tired of your own private stretch of Talcum powder sand, you can hop on a water taxi over to the Saint Pierre islands or to Anse Lazio or Anse Georgette beaches, where the rates are double.

Smart Family: Banyan Tree Seychelles
Starting Rate: Hillside pool villas from 1010 Euro ($1,578) per night
The land that the Banyan Tree is set on—on the island of Mahé, the largest in the archipeligo—was once owned by Beatle George Harrison. The resort breathes privacy in its contemporary plantation-style villas, each with its own private plunge pool and veranda. While younger children might not appreciate the resorts private feel, Thai spa, contemporary Thai food with African influences or 75-foot infinity pool perched above the ocean, they will enjoy the public beach, Anse Intendance, right in front of the resort. And Banyan Tree just recently added a two-bedroom, 800 square foot villa with two pools and a 24-hour villa host; one of the most family friendly accommodations in the Seychelles.

The Montage Laguna Beach bills itself as “an idyllic backdrop for romance,” and their Art of Romance Package  promises everything from Ocean View accommodations and valet parking to rose petal baths, complimentary dinners and couples massages, all for the bargain price of $5,000 for two nights.  Sounded like a real stinker to us, but when we did the math, things weren’t as cut and dry as we had initially suspected.

The base rate for an “Ocean Surf View” suite at the Montage is $1,900 a night, so you’d spend $3,800 without the benefit of any romantic extras. The package includes a welcome amenity (this writer has yet to determine the meaning of that term), price unknown; valet parking during your stay, a $60 value; a couple’s massage, the price of which ranges from $440–$600; a rose petal bath drawn for the two of you, value unknown; daily breakfast in bed for two; and fine dining each night—once in your suite, and once at the Loft restaurant on the fourth floor. With a total price thus far of $4,380 (using the median massage price), the important question is this: How much can you spend on food?

Answer: a lot. For example, oatmeal ordered for breakfast from room service is $18, plus tax, 18% gratuity and a $3 delivery fee. If you and your lover want something more substantial—say two eggs and the marinated flank streak for $34—plus coffee and juice, your breakfast-in-bed cost could easily run you $100. The in-room dinner menu is impressive, but a bit pricey—with $40 entrees such as the 28-Day Dry-Aged Coffee-Crusted New York Strip or the Pan-Seared Local Halibut. A meal with an appetizer (about $20) and a bottle of wine ($35 - $896 … but $100 will get you a nice Napa Valley vintage) would cost around $250. Dinner at the Loft is comparable, with entrees like Roasted Atlantic Monkfish going for forty bones. If the Loft dinner costs you $250 as well, the total cost of your included meals would be $700, putting the total pay-for-everything-individually price at $5,080. And the package wins out…barely.

However, the Montage doesn’t mention if wine is included in your meals or not, or if there is any sort of cap on how much you can spend per meal. Also, the rose-petal bath and welcome amenity might be worth some money…or might not. So, after all this nickel-and-dime calculating, we can say conclusively that the Art of Romance package might save you some money, or might not.

If you’re spending $5,000 dollars for a two-night romantic getaway, chances are you’re not all that concerned about saving a few bucks, so this package may be worth the convenience, and the extra load off your mind might free up some room for romance. And after all, who knows what that welcome amenity might be?