Your vacation requirements don’t seem so out-of-this-world: You want to go somewhere interesting and stay someplace nice — say, a few significant steps up from the mildewy Miami motel room you shared with your college roommates on spring break. Not a problem. The perfect accommodations can be had for the right price when you know what type of place — hotel, villa, all-inclusive resort — best suits your needs. Whether you want to stay somewhere with a “pillow concierge,” unlimited snorkeling, or just meals included, you’ll find it. And that spring-break trip will remain a vague, mildewy memory.

Real Simple consulted more than a dozen travel pros — including travel agents, hotel executives, online bookers, and website editors — for advice on how various lodging choices stack up and to find out what travelers can do to score a room with both savings and a view.