Luxury guide to college football bowl games

Forget camping out in a parking lot and try these opulent hotels instead

	The Catalina, a boutique hotel on Collins Avenue in South Beach, Fla., whose rates typically start at $130 per night, has put together the “Catalina’s College Football FANatic” package, which is good for both the Orange bowl and BCS Championship.
The Catalina Hotel

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By Jenn Bain

updated 2:22 p.m. ET Dec. 30, 2008

Die-hard college football fans are willing to do whatever it takes to see their teams in action — especially when it comes to the all-important bowl games. But why camp out in a parking lot when high-thread-count sheets are nearby?

Hotels are catching on that plenty of football fans want top-notch amenities with their touchdowns. So gridder fanatics looking to avoid gritty digs at the Orange, Rose, Sugar and Fiesta bowls — as well as the national championship — will find some opulent choices.

The following finds from travelandleisure.com offer gorgeous settings, rousing activities and impressive places to lay your head after yelling it off.

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Miami: Orange Bowl (Jan. 1), BCS Championship (Jan. 8)
Two Miami hotspots, the Avalon Hotel and the South Seas Hotel, are offering an “Orange Bowl Football Fantasy Weekend.” The four-night package (starting at $1,895 for two) includes tickets to the 75th Orange Bowl to see Virginia Tech play Cincinnati, private transportation to Dolphin Stadium and New Year’s Eve dinner. And to show that there’s nothing wrong with a little tailgating, the package includes tickets to the Budweiser Bowl Tailgating Party.

Or check out South Beach’s Catalina Hotel + Beach Club; its “Catalina’s College Football FANatic package” is good for both the Orange bowl and the BCS Championship (Oklahoma vs. Florida). The $195-per-person price includes accommodations, along with a game-day meal and after-party.

Glendale, Ariz.: Fiesta Bowl (Jan. 5)
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See the Ohio State Buckeyes and Texas Longhorns battle it out with the Fiesta Bowl package from the Four Seasons Resort Scottsdale at Troon North. Rates at this secluded desert resort start at $195 per night for a three-night stay.

Or go cowboy-style at Rancho de los Caballeros, a dude ranch one hour from the stadium, where the Fiesta Bowl Package includes golf, horseback riding and accommodations for $325 per night. A ride to the stadium will set you back $100 more.

New Orleans: Sugar Bowl (Jan. 2)
Watching the Utah Utes play the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Louisiana Superdome? Stay at the Astor Crowne Plaza in the French Quarter — it’s within walking distance of the stadium — and reserve their Sugar Bowl package, which includes accommodations and end-zone tickets for $675 per person.

And to go all out, travel with Chief Executive Air, which will pick up fans anywhere in private jets, whisk them to rooms at the W Hotel French Quarter and give them premium seats at the game. The price starts at $15,000, but depending where you’re coming from, it can go way up.