I'd like to take my (grown) daughter to a spa for a few days early in 2005. We live in the Northeast; some place we could drive to would obviously be least expensive. On the other hand, warmer weather would be nicer. Any suggestions?

goldie, spa and bargains is somewhat of an oxymoron but with some serious research, you may luck out.

What is your budget?

What do you consider warm weather?

Can you use priceline?

What about low cost carriers?

Three nice spas that are not as expensive as others:

Marriott Harbor Beach resort Fort Lauderdale
Safety Harbor Tampa area
Sanibel Harbor Resort and Spa, Fort Myers, not on Sanibel.

The Sanibel Harbor Resort might be a good idea as the areas bookings are down a little due to the hurricanes last summer. This resort had little damage and is all cleaned up and ready to go. It is not on Sanibel but has lovely grounds and an extensive spa. Fort Myers airport is a very busy one but Jet Blue flies there and flights are competitive.

LMF

check www.spafinders.com

I have never found a spa vacation that I could truly afford. I could go to Europe for the price that I would spend at a weekend spa. Another alternative is to go to Puerto Vallarta. I did that last February, stayed in the downtown area in an inexpensive nice hotel (there are plenty of reasonable ones to choose from) and went to a spa right around the corner called "Venus" I believe. It was a wonderful spa and dirt cheap. I went there everyday and received treatments much cheaper than at any spa/resort. I felt like that was a spa vacation for a fraction of the cost.

Your best bet is to find a budget airline to Mexico - about $200RT from major Northeast cities. Stay away from resort areas and you can get a really nice hotel for about $50 and a nice spa for even less.