Sunday, February 10, 2008

Top 10 Romantic Hotels for Couples

For romantics looking for an intimate hideaway this Valentine's Day that stretches beyond chocolate, champagne and dinner for two, luxury travel site globorati.com has come up with the top 10 hotels for couples.

1. Las Ventanas al Paraiso: Los Cabos, Mexico

Cabo's celebrated beach retreat takes its loving so seriously it's hired a director of romance. Pick from a menu of amorous experiences, including "cinema on the beach for two," "sea & stars massage for two," and the "men in white" program - where male guests learn how to prepare a meal.

2. L'Hotel: Paris, France

A "Pavillion d'Amour" in the early 1800s, L'Hotel is now among the most seductive Small Luxury Hotels in Paris. Its six-story atrium leads off to 20 lavishly designed bedrooms, while the original cellar is home to a private steam room and Roman bath that can be booked for couples' private use.

3. Nam Hai: Hoi An, Vietnam


Nam Hai's private villas are set on a secluded stretch of the famed China Beach. If a private butler, outdoor shower and ocean-view vistas aren't enough, couples can slip into the spa and have a specially prepared Love Bath, laced with "love potion" (a blend of essential oils) and flowers, topped off with champagne and canapes.

4. Maxim Bungalows: Cofresi, Dominican Republic


The magazine that gave us "Secret Sex" and "Celebrity Bastards" has, improbably, opened one of the hottest resorts in the Caribbean. To get your blood pumping, Maxim marries high luxe with high adrenaline (think kiteboarding and couples yoga). Alternatively, you can charter their 55-foot yacht for a private sunset cruise.

5. Tides Zihuatanejo: Zihuatanejo, Mexico


Terracotta-tiled suites with personal plunge pools kiss this exclusive patch of Pacific shoreline. But it's the resort's private isle in an azure lagoon that sets the scene for a romantic candlelit dinner. After reaching your table by canoe, dinner begins with champagne and a menu delivered in a bottle.

6. Mykonos Grand: Mykonos, Greece

Perched above the beach where "Shirley Valentine" was filmed, the white sugar-cube boxes of Mykonos Grand offers a romantic package: Book a suite with a private pool and the hotel will throw in a personal chef, a rose petal turndown service and a Kamasutra Seduction box -- which includes naughty delights like vanilla creme body souffle and sweet honeysuckle dust.

7. The Fairmont Orchid: Big Island, Hawaii

After a massage in Fairmont's waterfall gardens, retire to your oceanview suite for a special "Make Room for Romance" turndown. Then follow a trail of orchids leading to a floral heart on the bed. Champagne and chocolate-dipped strawberries prep you for a steamy bath laced with salts, bubbles and floating candles.

8. Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire: Hampshire, England

Reenact Darcy's love for Elizabeth at this Georgian manor presiding over gorgeous heritage gardens. Couples can tour the estate by horse-drawn carriage or drift down wooded canals in the hotel's own cruiser. Pause for a picnic lunch, or better yet, learn to make "a romantic meal for two" from the executive chef in a private demo.

9. The Rania Experience: Maldives

The ultimate fantasy-island experience where couples stay on their own private atoll in a three-bedroom villa serviced by 30 hosts (including chefs, butlers, spa therapists and scuba instructors.) The $12,000-per-night package also features exclusive use of an 86-foot yacht with a jacuzzi and cinema.

10. Jade Mountain: St. Lucia

Only 24 three-walled "sanctuaries" compose this exclusive hillside resort. With open floor plans, you can slip straight out of bed and into your couple-sized chromotherapy tub -- or into your glass-tiled infinity pool with views of St. Lucia's green-peaked Pitons.

1 comments:

Anonymous said...

Nice pictures, lovely area to go visit