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The winter holiday season is a traditional time for families to come together, put on funny looking sweaters, and huddle by the fire with eggnog in hand. It’s also a time to endure frigid temperatures and heaps of obnoxious snow. So why stay home in the cold? We firmly believe that heading south during the holidays can do a body good (get some Vitamin D and avoid the Christmas cookies), so we’ve rounded up some great beach hotels that are on sale for travel during the last week of December. Book now and spend your holidays lounging in the sun with a smile on your face — instead of bundled up shoveling snow out from under your car.

All prices shown are for December 24 through January 2, 2011, but freel free to visit any hotel on our site in order to plug in your exact travel dates.

Mondrian South Beach

• Location: Miami
• Price: $409/night $348/night
• You Save: 15%

Why we love it: Debuting in 2009 and designed by Marcel Wanders, the off-the-beach Mondrian is as stylish as its party-centric South Beach siblings, the Delano and Shore Club, but lacks the hyped-up clubbers. Its impeccable service, kitchen-equipped rooms, and notable after-parties at the Sunset Lounge draw well-heeled singles but also families seeking more than the PG-13 kitsch of most family hotels.

Stanza Mare Coral Comfort

• Location: Dominican Republic
• Price: $356/night $224/night
• You Save: 37%

Why we love it: More like a beachside condo than a hotel, the Stanza offers full kitchens in its 103 clean, modern, 1- to 3-bedroom suites — they’re some of the D.R.’s largest and snazziest for the price. It’s a small property, with no gym or spa, but some excellent restaurants can be found both on-site and off. But the beach comes with some annoying vendors.

Gran Ventana Beach Resort

• Location: Dominican Republic
• Price: $615/night $339/night
• You Save: 45%

Why we love it: Located inside the Playa Dorada resort complex, a safe, mini-tourist city, the Gran Vantana is a relaxed, uncommonly friendly resort with clean rooms, excellent service, and a large though slightly crowded beach. Features like free bikes, a zero-entry pool, a kids’ club, and animated movie screenings make it great for families.

Viva Wyndham Dominicus Palace Resort

• Location: Dominican Republic
• Price: $599/night $366/night
• You Save: 39%

Why we love it: Viva’s beach has some of the softest sand and calmest water in the D.R., and it’s clearly the main draw at this Italian-owned, Italian-focused, 330-room resort. The outdated rooms are pretty basic, but the food and activities are a notch above, and the beach is reason enough to head to this all-inclusive.

Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort

• Location: Bahamas
• Price: $465/nightt $349/night
• You Save: 25%

Why we love it: The Sheraton Nassau Beach Resort has great rooms, a gorgeous beachfront, three great pools, a top-notch gym, and a friendly and cheerful staff. It’s a massive property –694 rooms — and while there’s little to eat nearby and the on-site food isn’t great, it’s all-in-all still a very good value.

Palms Hotel and Spa

• Location: Bahamas
• Price: $501/night $376/night
• You Save: 25%

Why we love it: A clean, lively beachside resort in sleepy Mid-Beach, the Palms takes style lessons from the hip boutiques — think poolside house music, a fun tiki bar, updated rooms, a new Aveda spa, and free yoga classes. But for nightlife, revelers must head to South Beach, a five- to 10-minute taxi ride away.