Unlike staying in your parents' basement, lodging in a hotel includes housekeeping, clean towels, and permission to watch the scary parts of Home Alone. Luxuriate in liberty with today's Groupon: for $124, you get a one-night stay for two in a deluxe suite with a queen or king bed at Svendsgaard’s Inn in Carmel-by-the-Sea (up to a $259 value).

Scents of fresh-baked cookies greet new arrivals in Svendsgaard’s Inn’s lobby—a symbol of the getaway gurus’ charming hospitality and the staff's eagerness to arrange dinner reservations and wine-tasting tours for guests. After landing in the deluxe suite, couples kindle the fireplace and sprawl out on plush queen or king mattresses or gaze out the window at the garden courtyard and expansive heated swimming pool. Jetted bathtubs invite a relaxing dip, and a free WiFi connection allows travelers to handle urgent business such as searching for their sixth-grade teacher’s childhood house.

Each morning, staffers deliver complimentary continental breakfast for two and daily newspapers for bopping croissants. Taking advantage of the inn's central location, visitors can stroll straight from the hotel to nearby destinations such as art galleries, boutique shops, and restaurants. A short drive leads to sandy stretches and the gentle surf of Carmel Beach, and golfers hone their swings on the grassy fairways of Bayonet and Black Horse golf courses. Eco-tourists can partake in whale watching on the shore or explore Monterey Bay Aquarium, checking out local aquatic wildlife such as seals, sea lions, and gilled game-show hosts in their natural habitat.

Svendsgaard's Inn's rates fluctuate based on a number of factors. Though the highest possible rate per night is $259, a rate of $194 per night is much more common.