In Stockholm, a city known for high design and high fashion, travelers can avoid high prices at a hotel where rates have been slashed by as much as 50% for weekend travels through April. Stay Fridays and Saturdays for $191 including taxes (1206 SEK) per night, or Sundays-Thursdays for an extra $70 (444 SEK) per night.

This rare package from the Sheraton Stockholm Hotel, which received a TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice award this year, includes:

• A guaranteed upgrade to a superior room
  
• Full breakfast buffet for two (reg. $80)
• A bottle of sparkling wine in room (reg. $50)

Superior rooms feature Sheraton's signature beds and views of the historic surroundings. Reception staff speak English and can help plan an itinerary to explore what Lonely Planet calls "one of the most beautiful major cities in the world."

A bridge connects guests to the Old Town, where the sea hugs an island of cobblestone streets and quaint historic buildings. Other noteworthy sites worth exploring include City Hall, where the annual Nobel Prize ceremony is held, and the scenic Lake Mälaren.

Just two minutes away by foot, the Stockholm Central station connects guests to the airport via an express train, and T-Centralen station gives access the city's metro system.