My boyfriend and I are planning a little romantic getaway to Chicago, Illinois in the near future, and we’re looking for some really nice, romantic hotels. We’re prepared to splurge a bit, which is a good thing since Chicago’s nicer hotels will cost you. What are we looking for? We’d love a hotel that’s very close to downtown, that has a spa and maybe an indoor pool, spacious rooms and big bathrooms with jet tubs (ok this isn’t a total necessity) — and great room service so we can just chill out and relax in the room.

Champagne for two

After poking around on the Internet for a bit, one of my top romantic hotel pick is the Park Hyatt Chicago. This place even has butler service! Huge bathtubs, flat screen TV’s in the rooms and the bathrooms, a pool and a luxurious spa is starting to sound really good. And, we’d be able to walk to the Magnificent Mile Shops, which is a plus. This one might be a little out of our price range (standard rooms start at over $400 a night), but it’d be awesome for even one night. Soaking in a bubble bath in a huge tub while drinking a glass of champagne…I’m fighting to keep this one on the list.

I’m also looking into the Palmer House Hilton. We could even bring our dog on the trip if we wanted to (dogs under 85 pounds are fine), though frankly she’s like a kid and I don’t want a kid on a romantic getaway – sorry, Penny! I really like the look of this hotel, very elegant and historic, without seeming stuffy. This hotel’s been around for more than 100 years, and it’d be neat to stay in a place that’s got a little history to it. There’s a sauna, nice! And the price is a little better, too – all the rooms are under $300, and some are under $200. The Palmer House Hilton may not be as fabulously luxurious as the Park Hyatt, but we could use the extra change to treat ourselves to a very fancy, romantic candlelit dinner. It’s a thought.

The Hotel Monaco looks really wonderful too, and at about $300/night, it would definitely be a luxurious romantic weekend. This looks like a really cute French botique hotel and it’s very close to the theater district, which would be fun. And get this — they provide you with a complimentary goldfish for the room to keep your company if you are staying alone. Hah! My 6’4″ boyfriend was excited about the “tall” rooms you can reserve which have nine foot king sized beds and tall shower heads. Talk about attention to detail. I’m tickled about the possiblity of in-room spa services!

Thank you to Deeg, jazzman24 and dotw for their photo contributions.

I grew up in San Diego, California, and when I lived in the Bankers Hill neighborhood near downtown, I used to drive the short ten minutes over to Coronado Island and the Hotel Del Coronado about twice a week. Sometimes I would bring my laptop and work, sometimes I would stroll around the gorgeous grounds and sometimes I would just nap or read on the beach. In August, my sister and I stayed in one of the Del’s supposedly haunted rooms – the Kate Morgan room. It was a fun (and spooky!) way to have some sister bonding time.

The Hotel Del Coronado (or “The Del,” as locals refer to it) is one of the world’s most beautiful hotels, and it sits on one of the country’s most beautiful beaches. I adore Victorian-period architecture, and The Del captures every romantic aspect of the time.

The lobby feels dark, plush and well, old – but in a good way. It’s one of those hotels which, although it is kept up extremely well, every so often a creaky board or an extremely narrow hallway will remind you that the hotel is aging, though gracefully. When you step outside though, you are greeted by bright San Diego sunshine being reflected off the ocean and the hotel’s whitewashed exterior. It almost feels as though you are on a ship – I can’t help imagining I’m on the Titanic when I stroll around!

The rooms feature dark woods, small bathrooms with stand alone sinks and plush, comfortable beds. Seriously, the bed was amazing, I never wanted to leave! And of course, the service is second to none. About ten minutes after we had arrived at our room, before we had even begun to unpack our bags, there was a knock at our door. We both jumped, as we were already getting into the haunting mood. But, I opened up the door and found a man standing there with a wine bottle and two glasses. “Um, I don’t think I ordered any wine…” I began. “Oh no, this is a complimentary gift to all guests who check in.” Score!

My sister and I only stayed at the Hotel Del Coronado for one night, so we weren’t able to try out any of the three restaurants or the wine bar, but we still had a great time. We explored The Shops, this cute little shopping area beneath the hotel. At night we walked down the street for a great meal of pizza and pasta at one of Coronado’s dozens of eateries within a five minute walk from the hotel. During summer, the hotel has live bands playing until late in the evening so we enjoyed a bit of that as well.

But mainly, we just hung out at the beach and relaxed. Coronado beach is a wide, lovely beach. You can find sand dollars in the mornings if you’re lucky! And as for the haunted room? Yes, we did hear some strange things…but that’s a story for another blog!

Thank you to Jlantzy for the photo from Flickr.

Incredible view from the top of the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, CA

Check out this view! This is from the top of the gorgeous Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, California. This hotel is posh, and is definitely one of San Diego’s nicest. It’s located on Harbor Drive, right next to Seaport Village in downtown San Diego and it affords spectacular views of the bay. Think marble floors, fancy-schmancy restaurants, very lofted ceilings, hip bars and a clientele that ranges from families to celebrities. Thanks to Priceline, I got a ridiculously sweet deal on the hotel for two nights. And get this – there’s even a firepit for roasting s’mores right next to the huge pool! That’s right,  during the summer (and most of the year, I think – it’s San Diego after all), there are poolside waiters who walk around with trays of s’mores for your nibbling pleasure. Now that’s what I call service.

Toast yummy s'mores by the Manchester Grand Hyatt's pool!

As would be expected of a 4+ star hotel, the rooms at the Manchester Grand Hyatt were very comfortable and quite spacious. And the beds…what is it about hotel linen in nicer hotels? After staying here, I even found out that for a pretty penny, I could order the sheets online! There’s a good request for Santa. And ladies – yes, the bathroom was actually roomy!

A very spacious Corner King room at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, CA

Room service was great (except they didn’t really have a chocolate cake per se…it was more of a little brownie with some raspberries on top), and chocolates were placed on the pillows during the nighttime turn down service. This is definitely a great spot for a romantic getaway, even if it’s for just the weekend. The Manchester is within walking distance of San Diego’s famous Gaslamp Quarter, Seaport Village and is very close to the Convention Center as well. I really want to go back, so it’s time to start looking for holiday deals.

Can’t you just imagine yourself sipping on a tasty beverage next to this pool? Now that’s what I call relaxation.

The Manchester Grand Hyatt's gorgeous pool

Photos courtesy of The Manchester Grand Hyatt

Sea turtle, Hawaii

Situated on the western shores of the sleepy Big Island, the Fairmont Orchid sits amid golf courses and resorts on the Kohala Coast.

When we visited last year,  I loved the palpable sense of escape: far from laundry bags and shopping lists, we swam in a protected cove frequented by sea turtles and played Scrabble late into the night in the hotel bar. The grounds around the hotel beg for an early morning stroll along the beach.

In April, our fellow hotel-goers included lots of business-types on a corporate retreat, lots of couples and some families. It’s a comfortable day’s drive out to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (and the weird eggy sulfur smell that will cling to your clothes for days) or Kona.

If you’re on a romantic retreat, visit the “Spa Without Walls,” where you can have side-by-side massages on the beach, or clink glasses while you watch the sun set over the ocean at the bar by the pool.

sea turtle image from wikimedia commons