When I first visited England on a study abroad trip in 1992, the British pound was worth more than two of my American dollars. Needless to say, because of that exchange rate my semester in England was way more expensive than I’d hoped it would be. It wasn’t until many years later that I finally realized that the British pound is just seriously a strong currency, and a trip to the country is always going to be an expensive proposition. Over the last several months, however, the pound has weakened quite a bit; and when you couple that with the usual wintertime travel bargains to Europe, you find some excellent deals that make a trip to England much less costly than it used to be.

One such deal is for a great London hotel that’s offering rooms that normally go for more than $300 per night for the low price of $134 per night to people who use a special discount code from Travelzoo. The Mandeville Hotel is in the Mayfair neighborhood a quick 10-minute walk from the Bond Street London Underground station, and landmarks like Hyde Park and Regent’s Park aren’t far away, either. And another perk you’ll get with that low $134/night rate is breakfast thrown in for no extra cost (getting breakfast for free is a great way to save money on any trip you take, so this is a great extra).

To take advantage of this deal, you’ll need to book by January 31, 2009 – but the deal is good from December 19, 2008 through February 28, 2009 (with a few dates blacked out). Read all the deal details on the Travelzoo site and don’t forget to use the promotional code “travelzoo” when you’re booking online (or “travelz” when you’re calling the hotel directly).