Tag: romantic

You, Me & The Pooch – Vero Beach Hotel Valentine’s Day Special

The Vero Beach Hotel & Spa, a lovely hotel on Central Florida’s Treasure Coast, is offering a romantic Valentine getaway for threesomes. That’s a Valentine’s Day weekend special called Pooch n’ Smooch for couples traveling with a pet (or pets). Package incudes:-

Vero Beach Hotel & Oliver

Vero Beach Hotel & Oliver

•Pampered Pooch Picnic at the Dog Park with a basket that includes a picnic blanket, two wine spritzers, organic treats for mom and dad, dog treats, ball, water and a collapsible dog bowl, and a clean-up bag.
•Turn down amenity of Champagne and homemade doggie treats from local pet boutique, Hearth & Hound.
•$5 donation to Indian River County Humane Society.

If you want to make your pet feel extra-special, package upgrades include a couple’s photo shoot with your pet on the beach, and/or two Kimpton bathrobes and a dog bed.

The Vero Beach Hotel & Spa is a Kimpton Hotel, which makes it a pet-friendly hotel (see Kimpton’s pet policy). Oliver, the hotel’s pet director, will be at hand to ensure that you and your pet(s) enjoy a comfortable stay.

Use promo code POOCH if you’re booking online, or call 1-866-602-VERO and request the Pooch n’ Smooch package.

Photos courtesy Vero Beach Hotel & Spa/Kimptom Hotels

Info: 3500 Ocean Drive Vero Beach, FL  32963; (772) 231-5666; www.verobeachhotelandspa.com/

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Elm Hurst Inn and Country Spa is a Quaint Getaway for Two

elmhurst-inn-ingersolMy husband and I stayed at the Elm Hurst Inn and Country Spa in Ingersol Ontario, and truly enjoyed our stay.  It was certainly a quiet hotel, and had crisp, clean rooms to accommodate us. We were there for a Christmas party and the decorations made the Inn look that much more picturesque in the snow and lights.

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Georgia’s Most Romantic Hotels

If you live in or around Georgia and are looking for a hotel to impress a loved one on a romantic retreat, look no further! I tried to select hotels across different price ranges – you obviously don’t have to spend a lot of money for a romantic getaway, but some of the pricier hotels were so nice I couldn’t help but include them.

Cheateau Elan in Braselton, Georgia

Cheateau Elan in Braselton, Georgia

Chateau Elan – Braselton, Georgia

LOVE this hotel.  It’s a hotel/winery/spa in Braselton, Georgia, about 40 minutes north of Atlanta. You can snag rooms for about $100 in certain months, and they’re not usually above $150. The winery is great fun to tour (actually take the tour, the tastings are way better than the ones in the store!) There’s also a golf course, so everyone can be happy . The hotel looks like a 17th century French mansion, very European and chic looking. You definitely do not feel like you’re still in Georgia, which is part of the romantic charm.

Barnsley  Gardens Resort- Adairsville, Georiga

You’ll pay at least $200/night here, but oh the amenities. This gorgeous resort is tucked away at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains about 60 miles from Atlanta. You will be pampered. Choose between a room, a suite or an entire cottage. Enjoy tennis, golf and more. The property is over 160 years old, so you’re surrounded by history as well. Don’t forget about the Fairy Godmother (see the site).

Foundry Park Inn and Spa - Athens, Georgia

I adore Athens, Georgia. It’s a lovely, picturesque college town with big oak trees that make canopies over the streets, big green parks and a quirky assortment of very good cafes, restaurants and bars. Athens is a fun place to escape to for a romantic weekend, and Foundry Park Inn and Spa will leave you feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. It’s a remarkably affordable retreat – rooms are usually $110-$130/night.

Romantic Athens, Georgia

Romantic Athens, Georgia

The Gaslight Inn Bed & Breakfast

This is a very high quality B&B located in one of central Atlanta’s most enchanting neighborhoods, the Virginia-Highlands. You’ll be within walking distance to a host of shops, cafes and bars, and you’re a two minute drive from beautiful Piedmont Park. If you’re looking for a distinctive Craftsman type hotel for your stay, you’ve found it. This is the perfect starting place to explore downtown Atlanta without staying in one of downtown’s more generic high rises. There’s plenty of character and charm to go around.

Photos: Bruce Tuten, Vzach

Celebrity Hotel of the Week: Cheeca Lodge & Spa, Florida Keys

Cheeca Lodge Front Entrance, Florida Keys

Cheeca Lodge and Spa

HOTEL SITE

Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey

CELEBS SPOTTED: President George Herbert Walker Bush, Chrissie Evert, Gisele Bundchen, Adriana Lima, Salma Hayek, Kevin Costner, Jack Nicklaus, Forest Whitaker, Jim Carrey, Brooke Burke, Denise Austin, Pink, Billy Idol, Jennifer Lopez, Bruce Campbell, Jane Seymour, Katie Couric, Jason Alexander

Called the “Queen of the Florida Keys,” the Cheeca Lodge & Spa is located in the beautiful Islamorada in the Keys, and you’re likely to spot a number of famous people while staying there. It’s kind of a hideaway for the stars. Everyone from Salma Hayek to Katie Couric to even President George H.W. Bush has stayed at the Cheeca, and with good reason. It’s on a glorious 27-acre estate, full of luxurious views. NOTE: the Cheeca is due to reopen in December, 2009.

cheecaoutdoors_cheecasite

Cheeca Lodge Dining Outdoors

With rates starting as low as $250 per night, you’ll find the classic Keys style, mixed with West Indies decor…something the Cheeca calls “barefoot elegance.” There are 212 rooms, suites, and bungalows – you won’t be disappointed.

Beautiful rooms and amazing views at the Cheeca

Beautiful rooms and amazing views at the Cheeca

The new Oceanfront and Island View Suites give you over 840 square feet, gorgeous ocean views, hot tubs, rain showers for two…all very romantic. And the Spa is nothing to sneeze at, either. Lots of different packages for you to choose from.

The Spa at the Cheeca

The Spa at the Cheeca

Casual Keys meets West Indies at the Cheeca Lodge

Casual Keys meets West Indies at the Cheeca Lodge

Amenities include oceanfront pool, a wooden fishing pier, tennis courts, golf course designed by Jack Nicklaus himself, private beach, fitness center, Camp Cheeca (for the kids), biking, Starbucks and Tazo Teas in your room, wifi, and several restaurants to choose from.

Dock at Cheeca Lodge & Spa

Dock at Cheeca Lodge & Spa

Islamorada has amazing restaurants, and the Cheeca Lodge & Spa has some of the best. In fact, Florida Trend magazine calls the Cheeca’s eating spots one of “Florida’s 500 Best Places to Dine.” There’s Atlantic’s Edge, with delicious seafood and steaks, as well as a magnificent hot breakfast buffet. The Lobby Bar serves cocktails, and the Tiki Bar is a beachfront spot with a view of the ocean, as well as drinks and Bahama stone crab claws. Nikai is the newest restaurant, offering fresh sushi and Asian cuisine.

Hot Tub at the Cheeca

Hot Tub at the Cheeca

Salma Hayek

Salma Hayek

It’s no wonder the likes of Gisele Bundchen and Jennifer Lopez love the Cheeca. They get treated like the stars they are, and so can you. Think I’ll make it a point to head down to the Keys. I mean, I live in Florida…how have I never been there? Papa Hemingway awaits.

Photo Sources: Hotel Photos taken from Cheeca Lodge web site, Celebrity photos

If you know of a place that makes a good fit for Celebrity Hotel of the Week, please let me know. I can be reached at southernyank01@gmail.com

Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island Truly is Grand!

Painting by Jane Seymour outside the Somewhere in Time Suite

Painting by Jane Seymour outside the Somewhere in Time Suite

A while back I wrote a post about Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, also known as “The Somewhere in Time Hotel.” I had every intention of visiting there, someday, but never dreamed it would happen as quickly, or as magically, as it did.

To celebrate turning 40, my best friend Stefania and I cooked up a wacky road trip that included driving a Ford Mustang up to the Michigan peninsula and a visit pilgrimage to the setting for the time traveling romance movie, Somewhere in Time, which starred Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour and Christopher Plummer.  Fun idea, but who would sponsor a thing like that?

Turns out Ford was willing to let us drive their car, and Grand Hotel was willing to put the two of us up for two nights! All we had to do was get to Detroit to start the adventure. Oh, and pay for gas. No such thing as a (totally) free ride.

Journey Back in Time, or Just a Journey – You Decide

A quick 20 minute ferry rides gets you from the mainland to Mackinac Island, where it really does seem like time stood still. There are no cars on the island, so we caught a horse drawn “taxi” up the gentle hill to the hotel.

Walking into the lobby, the feeling of going back in time stays with you. But at the same time, it’s a thoroughly modern feeling resort, with every kind of store or service you could want. It’s just packaged in a slightly more genteel manner.

For example, there is a tea shop just off the lobby where you check in. It’s charming and quaint, and lends itself to afternoon tea which you perhaps have in a china tea cup  and enjoy at a table in the gallery-like long hallway. Or you can get a latte to go, just like at Starbucks.

That’s one of the nice things about Grand Hotel — you can control you level of escapism.

The Rooms

This was the biggest surprise of the trip. The incredibly generous people at Grand Hotel put us each in our own First Lady Suite — the ones designed by famous interior decorator Carleton Varney, in consultation with the actual First Ladies after whom they are named.

The Roslynn Carter Suite, Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, MI

The Roslynn Carter Suite, Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, MI

I was handed the key to the Rosalynn Carter Suite, which featured “Georgia Peach” walls, a romantic faux canopy, and a most impressive star design on the carpet. Best of all, I had my own private deck, overlooking Mackinac Bridge, the Straits of Mackinac, and the mansion-like “cottages” that line the neighboring streets.

Jacqueline Kennedy Suite, Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, MI

Jacqueline Kennedy Suite, Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island, MI

Stefania’s room was equally awesome, the Jacqueline Kennedy Suite! The room featured blue and white stripes, a lot of fringe and several photos of Jackie. It’s a fan’s paradise.

Portraits of Jackie in her eponymous suite

Portraits of Jackie in her eponymous suite

Somewhere in Time Suite

Picking our favorite room is impossible, they are both so luxurious and beautiful. But if we were forced to choose, the Jackie suite would win just because it was two doors down from the Somewhere in Time suite.

We knew which one was the Somewhere in Time suite because there is a name plate over the door. But we would have been able to tell anyway, because the walls outside the room are covered with paintings by Miss McKenna herself, Jane Seymour. I had no idea she had that kind of artist talent!

Self-portrait of Jane Seymour, in costume as Elise McKenna

Self-portrait of Jane Seymour, in costume as Elise McKenna

Just to make it even better, we got a tour of the room from Bob Tagatz, the Grand Hotel concierge, official historian and chief blogger. It was pretty exciting! He told us stories about when the cast was filming at the hotel, although he was unable to confirm my long-held suspicion that Christopher Reeve and Ms. Seymour had a passionate affair during the production.

Historian

Bob Tagatz, the Grand Hotel concierge, official historian and chief blogger

Don’t take my word for it, watch the movie yourself — housekeeping will bring you a copy to watch in your room during your stay!

The Dining Room

One of the neat things about Grand Hotel is that it’s an inclusive property, meaning that breakfast and dinner are included in most packages. And it is so worth it!

Dinner is the more formal affair, with “evening attire” required for guests in all areas of the hotel, but specifically for dinner. It’s an event! It was really fun to get dressed up to go eat, and to see all of the other guests at their scrubbed up best. Particularly sweet were the big families in their Sunday best. One four or five year old little girl stopped us in the hallway to show us her pretty dress. We complimented her on the excellent twirly skirt, and smiled when we saw her later on, showing off for another guest.

Fancy dinner - that was duck confit in aspic

Fancy dinner - that was duck confit in aspic

The food is sort of “High Resort” — a bit formal, with indulgent ingredients like foie gras and truffles, and maybe just a bit heavy on the salt.

Booze note: wine is not included in the packages, so be prepared to sign the cost of your bottle/cocktail up to your room.

Things to Do

Bike rides can be fun! Just watch out for horse poop!

Bike rides can be fun! Just watch out for horse poop!

The weather was gorgeous the weekend we visited, so it was all about the outdoor activities. Far and away the most popular thing to do is rent a bike, either at the hotel Tennis shop, or at various locations down in the village. We took a leisurely ride around the island, with a stop for hotdogs and french fries at the halfway point. The whole trip — which is nice and flat, no sweaty hills! — took less than two hours. Remember the sunscreen, and watch out for dive bombing seagulls at the hotdog place!

Seriously, Don’t Tip. Don’t Even Try. No. Just Stop.

You know how some places say, “No tips” but you still do it, and sometimes the staff lets you? Not here. After the first awkward interaction we didn’t even try again. Relax and enjoy not having to figure out if you should be palming $2 or $5 or a 20. You’re on vacation!

Also, empty your pockets of change before you get to the hotel, or your vacation could end precipitously, with you suddenly transported back to your home at a moment’s notice. (It’s a joke/reference to the defining plot point in Somewhere in Time, oh, just watch it already!)

Housekeeping will bring a copy of the movie!

Housekeeping will bring a copy of the movie!

Photo credits:

Cat Lincoln #1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 9

Grand Hotel #3

Stefania Pomponi Butler #7, 8

Celebrity Hotel of the Week: The Guanahani in St. Barthelemy

Aerial view of the Guanahani Hotel and Spa

Gisele Bundchen

Gisele Bundchen

Last time we covered St. Tropez’ Byblos Hotel. And we have another French hotel and celeb hotspot for this week’s Celebrity Hotel of the Week. Smack dab in the middle of the French West Indies is the Hotel Guanahani and Spa in Saint Barthelemy. A fave amongst celebrities such as Naomi Watts, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Jon Bon Jovi, the Guanahani is the finest of luxury hotel resorts.

Located on a private 16-acre peninsula, you’ll find amazing beaches, dining, Creole-styled rooms and suites that’ll blow you away, shopping…it’s all there at the Guanahani, just waiting for your arrival. And talk about some incredible free activities and services!

The luxurious Guanahani

The luxurious Guanahani

Included with your room stay: free Continental breakfast either in your room or at the Indigo restaurant, canoes and pedal boats, snorkeling, windsurfing, tennis courts, a fitness center, and daytime Kindergarten for children 2-6 years of age. By the way? Kids six and under stay for free. And for a little extra, there’s jet-skis, boat rentals, scuba diving, bars on the beach, and instructors for tennis and windsurfing.

Guanahani Room, Feel like a celeb!

Guanahani Room, Feel like a celeb!

Guanahani Bedroom

Guanahani Room

The Guanahani has 68 rooms, all in private bungalows with private terraces. There are 34 suites (some with private pools), 24-hour room service, satellite TV with LCD flatscreens, DVD players (DVD library available at the front desk), and free Internet.

Bed with a view, Guanahani Hotel & Spa

Bed with a view, Guanahani Hotel & Spa

Gastronomically speaking, there are lots of good eats around, including Indigo (a wonderful poolside restaurant on the beach) and Bartolomeo (gourmet dining and lounge bar). Scrumptious Mediterranean/Italian dishes at Bartolomeo are faves of Marisa Miller and Gisele Bundchen alike, and you can’t beat a romantic meal at night with the stars overhead.

Guanahani Restaurant

Guanahani Restaurant

The spa at Guanahani rocks, too. Get a look at some of these views. Steam room, massages, rejuvenation packages. There’s even a salon on the premises.

Guanahani Spa

Guanahani Spa

Rates. Right. Well,depending on the room and the time of year, prices start at 360 Euros (currency converter here) and work their way up from there. A Superior Gardenview Room, for example, is 360 Euros a night during the summer and 915 Euros a night during the Christmas holiday. An Ocean 1-Bedroom Poolside Suite, with private pool overlooking the sea starts at 1,095 Euros in the summer and goes up to 1,655 Euros over Christmas and New Year’s.

Guanahani Hotel, Private Suite Pool

Guanahani Hotel, Private Suite Pool

Jon Bon Jovi

Jon Bon Jovi

But if you’re really going for the celebrity treatment, you can get a suite with butler service! Yeah, baby! The most expensive one – La Villa – starts at 2,800 Euros a day and tops out at 5,700 Euros a day. Think I’ll stay for a month. Or maybe just for 15 minutes, because that’ll only cost me 60 Euros. How much can a butler do in 15 minutes, anyway?

Fine beaches, luxurious rooms, poolside bars, the warm sunny climate…yeah. I can’t wait to get there. Who wants to be my Sugar Mama?

HOTEL SITE

CELEBS SPOTTED: Marisa Miller, Selita Ebanks, Alessandra Ambrosio, Adriana Lima, Gisele Bundchen, Naomi Watts, Laetitia Casta, Stephanie Seymour, Karen Mulder, Yasmeen Ghuri, Jon Bon Jovi.

And if anyone has any tips for hot celebrity hotels, feel free to let me know.

Photo credits: Daylife.com, Celebutopia.net, Guanahani Hotel

How To Plan a Romantic Vacation at a Romantic Hotel

Where do you find romance?

Where do you find romance?

guest post by Sherry Gray

Romance is a subjective and intensely personal preference based on fantasy fulfillment. Finding a romantic hotel starts by defining what makes you feel romantic and includes figuring a comprehensive and comfortable budget for the getaway.

For some people, the key to romance is in simple peace and quiet, a respite from day-to-day stresses with elements of pampered luxury.

Look for a remote location bereft of hordes of noisy tourists and boisterous children, offering opportunity for real relaxation, and absolutely no nearby centers of frenetic activity (theme parks) demanding attention by their very proximity. To fulfill the illusion of privacy, look for a place with individual cabins, lush landscaping and spectacular scenery. Amenities like massage, private hot tubs and fireplaces create the opportunity to get very, very personal with minimal distraction.

Spa at Calistoga Ranch

Spa at Calistoga Ranch

Situated on 157 acres in a private canyon, the Calistoga Ranch in Napa Valley, California offers the rich indulgence of the wine country culture and cuisine in a natural setting. Find the romance in the indoor/outdoor living. Luxuriate in a private outdoor shower garden, relax in front of a crackling fire set in an indoor/outdoor fireplace or soak in a private hot tub on the deck of your lodge. Each spacious lodge is placed for maximum privacy in a heavily wooded setting, and view depends on location. Choose a breathtaking hillside view overlooking the private vineyard, a forested location next to a babbling brook, or the majestic Estate Lodge on the shores of beautiful Lake Lommel. Prices start at $850 per night.

If private cabins are out of your price range, consider a bed and breakfast with only a few rooms and simple, pleasurable activities or a luxury resort out of season, like a beautiful lake resort in the winter. Normally unaffordable luxury can be romantic, even if swimming is out of the question. With prices starting at less than $200 a night, the Arch Cape Inn & Retreat on the Oregon coast is nothing less than spectacular. Dramatic cliff views and ocean views, large rooms and exquisite attention to detail combine to give this resort far more sex appeal than the price tag would indicate.

Tropical paradise holds the key to romance for some. Gentle ocean breezes, exotic tropical foliage and the opportunity to wear as little clothing as possible can set the stage for unforgettable romantic adventure.

For a really special occasion, splash out on a hotel set on a private island resort just off the Florida Keys. My favorite place for tropical romance is Little Palm Island Resort & Spa. The price is a bit steep, starting at nearly $1000 per night with a 2-night minimum, but you’re not paying for an ordinary room. You’ll stay in a luxurious bungalow decorated in tropical style, surrounded by exotic foliage. You may choose to dine in suite, in the gourmet restaurant or right on the beach. Children under 16 are not allowed, and there are only 30 bungalows on the entire island. You can reach the island only by seaplane or boat from Little Torch Key, and there are no noisy cars on the island to interrupt your romance, only the seductive sound of the waves punctuated by the cry of seagulls and the rustling of the palms.

Baby, it's cold outside...

Baby, it

Ski lodges offer a classic opportunity for a romantic getaway. After an energetic day on the slopes, snuggling in front of a warm fire with a hot toddy fulfills the deepest romantic fantasies of many people. The Castle Hill Resort and Spa offers elegantly appointed rooms or private resort homes and a majestic view of Vermont’s Green Mountains.

For some, exuberance is romantic, which explains why more than 2300 couples get married at Walt Disney World every year. Suggestions for Disney romance include taking in the fireworks aboard the Breathless, a beautiful boat that accommodates up to 6 guests, or only two, or dinner in Cinderella’s Castle.

Hotels that cater to every fascination are available, from haunted paranormal experience to bird watching to extreme sports, and the choice is up to you and your partner.

Use caution when deciding. A poorly planned getaway can be a romance killer, especially if a special vacation that misses the mark is meant to be a surprise. Choosing a place that reflects only your tastes and does not consider your partner can be disastrous, and so can an overt romance offensive launched too soon in a relationship. Look for hotels that boast romantic touches without heavy-handed lack of subtlety. Hotels that offer really comfortable beds and high quality linens advertise them.

Find as much comfort, privacy and luxury as your budget will allow, with a beautiful setting, good food and whatever level of distraction makes you and your partner happy. That’s where you’ll find real romance.

Win a Romantic Getaway at the Boston Seaport Hotel

Seaport Hotel, Boston, MA

Seaport Hotel, Boston, MA

Imagine a romantic retreat with that someone special. A beautiful hotel suite, with champagne, homemade truffles and fresh flowers greet your arrival.

Seaport Hotel, Boston, at sunset

Seaport Hotel, Boston, at sunset

After an evening on the town in Historic Boston, you enjoy a relaxing (or exciting!) night in your luxurious suite. In the morning, continental breakfast arrives to start the next day perfectly.

Seaport Hotel, Boston, breakfast

Seaport Hotel, Boston, breakfast

This dream will come true for one lucky winner, who will enjoy the Seaport Hotel Romance Package, with the champagne, the truffles, the flowers and the en suite breakfast!

To enter, simply sign up for the UpTake Hotel blog’s RSS feed and you could be that next lucky winner of a romantic one night stay at the Boston Seaport hotel, courtesy of Seaport Hotels.

Here’s how you can win:
1.    Subscribe to the UpTake Hotel Blog. Just click on the RSS button and add us to your RSS reader check the box to receive an email from us. Your email address will not be published or distributed in any way. Only one entry allowed per person.
2.    Tell us you subscribed in a comment to this post (be sure to include your email in the comment field, when asked, don’t worry, it will never be used by us again or anyone else. See UpTake’s Privacy Policy) http://www.uptake.com/privacy_policy.html. We will contact you via email if you win.

3. Winner will be selected by a random drawing on June 1st, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. by the UpTake president.  Winner will be notified via email by June 5th, 2009.

See the official rules here.

Deadline to enter: All subscribers between May 1, 2009 and May 31, 2009 will be entered to win the hotel stay at Boston Seaport Hotel.  You must be registered to receive the UpTake Hotel Blog RSS feed or email to be eligible to win this contest. The winner will be announced in the hotel blog the week of June 5, 2009.

Contest begins on May 1, 2009 and ends May 31st, 2009 11:59PM PST.

Prize Description: Package includes a one night stay in an executive suite, plus champagne, homemade truffles and fresh flowers upon arrival, continental breakfast for two served en suite, and complimentary use of fitness facilities for two. Meals, airfare, transfers, excursions, and/or any incidental charges not included in the package as noted above are the responsibility of the winner. Dates of travel are subject to availability at time of booking and may be restricted. UpTake Networks, Inc.  reserves the right to substitute hotels of like quality or better subject to availability.

Please note: Rest assured your email address will remain confidential and will never be shared with any other company. This service is private and complimentary, and you may unsubscribe at any time. For more information, please call our main phone number at 650 329 9888.  Approximate value of the prize is: $396.

Romantic Chateau Elan – Perfect for Valentine’s Day

Chateau Elan

If you live in or near Atlanta, Georgia, I think I have discovered the perfect getaway for Valentine’s Day this year! Chateau Elan is a gorgeous winery only forty minutes north of Atlanta, Georgia, and it’s stunning! Check it out – it resembles a 16th century European manor, and it sits on 3500 beautiful acres. The rooms are large, comfortable and really pretty – the suites are expansive, it feels as though you’ve rented your own European apartment for the weekend. I think it’s great because it’s hard to remember that you’re still in Georgia when you’re walking around then grounds, like you’ve escaped to a magical European vacation for the day.

For couples who love wine and wine tasting, Chateau Elan is a great choice – you can tour the vineyards, learn about wine and go to fun wine tastings. There are two restaurants at the winery too, but if you haven’t made reservations for Valentine’s Day yet, do it asap, they fill up very fast. The winery is open from 10am to 9pm every day, so you can make a full day of it.

There are a three Valentine’s Day packages for you to choose from, and they range from $360-$500. Not cheap, but they include accommodations, wine tastings, your own bottle of wine and dinner at one of the two beautiful restaurants. Fun, romance, great wine and delicious food – what more could you ask for on Valentine’s Day?

And – if either of you enjoy golfing, there’s a beautiful golf course on site as well. There’s a great spa, too – splurge and combine everything into one amazing weekend you’ll remember for a long time to come.

Go golfing at Chateau Elan

Go golfing at Chateau Elan

Photo credits: Savannah Grandfather, danperry.com

Romantic New York City Hotels for Valentine’s Day

Times Square New York City

Times Square New York City

I’ve always thought of New York City as the perfect city for lovers. There’s so much to see and do, so many places to take romantic strolls, cute little candlelit restaurants. It’s pretty chilly in the city for Valentine’s Day most years, but that just means more time spent snuggling in a cozy New York City hotel for the weekend! These hotels are pretty posh, so they’re a good choice for a real splurge for maybe one night:

The Inn at Irving Place:

Rooms are still available for Valentine’s Day as of this writing, and a nice Queen room will cost you about $445 plus tax. But, you get to stay in one of New York City’s most beautiful bed & breakfasts. The beautiful townhouse dates from the 19th century, and it’s located just south of Gramercy Park. You can relax with an in-room massage and with a complimentary (yay!) breakfast in bed.

Hotel Elysee

It must be the economy, because I can’t believe there are still rooms available here for $250 a night on Valentine’s Day! Treat yourself to an amazing Continental breakfast every morning and complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres during the week from 5-8pm. Surprise your loved one with many fun “extras” such as a dozen roses and a nice bottle of champagne. Now we’re talking! This hotel has routinely been rated one of New York City’s best small hotels – and it’s located in Manhattan – so snatch it up while you can.

Mansfield Hotel

This beautiful hotel has lots of classy “Old World” touches like spiral staircases, coffered ceilings and sleigh beds. It’s close to Times Square and many of New York’s best attractions. As of this writing, there are still rooms available for $260 per night, which is amazing for that part of town. Broadway shows are just a short stroll away as are some of the city’s finest restaurants. The interior is dark and cozy – you feel as though there should be cigar smoke wafting around but thankfully, there is not. Coffee lovers — there is a 24 hour espresso, coffee and tea service!

Valentine's Day candies

Valentine's Day candies

Photo Credits: Zoonabar, Butterfly Sha

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