Looking for The Ultimate Romance Getaway This Valentine’s Day?

 

From extravagant “Will You Marry?” packages to one of the greatest natural wonders of the world, here are a few romance hot-spots sure to please.

 

Arguably Dublin’s most romantic hotel, The Merrion offers a Will You Marry Me? package designed to make a proposal as memorable as it should be.  And one of the ingredients, a beautiful Jaeger LeCoultre watch, literally pays for the hotel stay. Will You Marry Me? costs 4,750 Euros (approximately $7,000) per couple and includes a deluxe room for one night in the historic Georgian main house; a bottle of champagne; full Irish breakfast for two; rose petal turndown service plus the pièce de résistance: a Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso watch engraved “Will You Marry Me?”  The watch alone retails for appoximately $7,000…which means the rest of the package is on the house.

 

Inspired by Robert Doisneau’s Le Basier (The Kiss), photographed in Paris in 1950, Hotel Fouquet’s Barriere, a palace hotel on the Champs Elysées, has created an unprecedented opportunity for guests to recreate this special moment.  The new Paris C’est L’Amour package includes a one-hour photo shoot with a professional black-and-white photographer on the streets of Paris and even includes a make-up session. To top it off, couples enjoy a “Paris-by-Night” tour in either a chauffeur-driven 2CV convertible or a Peugeot C6.  The package also includes caviar and champagne, breakfast each morning, a champagne dinner at the hotel’s Le Diane restaurant and transportation to and from the airport.  The cost is 1,599 Euros (approximately $2,400) per night based on double occupancy for a minimum of two nights.



The Hassler Roma’s famous view from atop the Spanish Steps is as good as it gets on the ground but now the hotel takes views to an even higher level with the Roman Skyline Package.  The package includes three nights in a Classic Suite, a 30-minute helicopter ride over the rooftops of Rome, private limousine service to and from the heliport, daily buffet breakfast, an exclusive tasting dinner at Imago, a bottle of Prosecco, a signature body-care gift, daily fruit, flowers and transfers to an from the international airport for 6,570 Euros (approximately $9,500).  Valid until February 28, 2008. 

The legendary Venice Simplon-Orient-Express is a luxurious setting for the World’s Most Romantic Celebration, a journey from Venice to Paris showcasing the glamour of train travel.   After three nights in a deluxe suite at the Cipriani Hotel in Venice, guests dine in style and enjoy a cabin suite while the legendary VSOE train travels through the Italian, Swiss and French countryside to Paris where a one-bedroom suite at Le Meurice is waiting. From there, guests take a sidetrio by private Mercedes to Reims in the Champagne region for tastings and lunch at the two-star Michelin Chateau Les Crayeres. Shopping, touring and a candlelight dinner cruise along the Seine round out the experience which runs $24,750 per person for seven nights.


With a location only fifteen minutes from Iguazu Falls in Argentina, one of the greatest natural wonders of the world, the new Panoramic Hotel Iguazu is the place to keep “falling” for your chosen one.Set magnificently on a hill where the Parana and Iguazu rivers meet, the hotel has panoramic views of the rivers and the triple border of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay.  And just in time for Valentine’s Day, the hotel is offering a special honeymoon package that includes two nights in a Standard Garden View room with upgrade to river-view room or suite, depending on availability; a bottle of champagne and fresh fruit platter on arrival; complimentary breakfast in bed the first morning and dinner for two one night at the lauded Patio Restaurant. US $533 plus VAT.


Reopening this month (January 2008) after a 16-month restoration program orchestrated by the noted design team of Sills Huniford, the historic St. Regis, Washington, D.C. is once again the top address in the nation’s capital.   To celebrate, the hotel’s Affair to Remember package includes accommodations in a premier suite, a bottle of Krug Grand Cuvee Champagne, a hand-crafted welcome creation from the pastry chef, breakfast in bed for two each morning and a limited edition St. Regis gift not to mention the pampering attention of one of the butlers for which St. Regis is so well known.  Rates start at $675 per night (depending on the date and suite) for a minimum of two nights.   The memories are simply priceless.


Out of Africa forever romanticized the African Bush, and CC Africa’s 10-day East African adventure offers guests a chance to experience their very own African love affair.  Days are spent viewing exceptional game in the Serengeti National Park while nights are spent in Ngorongoro Crater Lodge’s private suites featuring awe-inspiring views of the Crater below. In perfect contrast, the last few nights are spent off the coast of Tanzania at Mnemba Island Lodge, renowned as the world’s most romantic private island, where guests enjoy candlelit dinners on the white sand beach, delicious fresh seafood, scuba diving, snorkeling and kayaking.  Rates start at USD $ 7,404 per person in double accommodations and range up to USD $ 10,259 per person in double accommodations.



Also on the Romance Radar:


  •  Amanresorts specialize in romance 365 days of the year with exquisite facilities and pampering service at exotic locations around the world from Bali to Jackson Hole, Wyoming.   Visit www.amanresorts.com for more inspiration and give the gift of an unforgettable experience.


  • Pezula Resort Hotel & Spa has opened Pezula Castle on Poetize Beach. Situated on one of the most secluded beaches in South Africa, the castle offers breathtaking panoramic views of the beach and Indian Ocean.  A resident chef, housekeeper and butler add to the romance. Visit www.pezula.com


  • The Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne, Switzerland (www.brp.ch), Ashford Castle in County Mayo, Ireland (www.ashford.ie) and The Virginia hotel in Cape May, New Jersey (www.virginiahotel.com) all have Valentine’s Day packages filled with ingredients to enhance romance in extraordinary surroundings.

 

 

SOURCE: Geoffrey Weill Associates 

 

 

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Ellen Barone is an American writer and wanderer. She co-founded and publishes the group travel blog YourLifeIsATrip.com and is currently at work on her first book "I Could Live Here".