Traditional and non-traditional Valentine’s Day festivities get a unique twist in these over-the-top getaways made for two.
For the Hopeless Romantics
The La Reserve Paris hotel is inviting couples to experience Priceless Romance in the City of Love beginning with a Rolls Royce airport transfer ($623 one-way) to the property—a 19th century mansion previously owned by French fashion designer Pierre Cardin. A Les Clefs d’Or Concierge then takes couples to their Presidential Suite, where a private piano concerto will be playing. Upon arrival, guests will find personalized in-room amenities including monogrammed linens and bathrobes with the couple’s initials and the trip’s date, plus flowers, chocolates, and Champagne. Guests can even create a custom scent with a local perfumer ($13,102) to take home as a keepsake. For dinner, the lovebirds are treated to a 3-course wine pairing dinner ($873 per couple) curated by the hotel’s executive chef in their suite overlooking the city. Although the property only features 25 suites and 15 guestrooms, couples can opt to reserve the hotel’s 3-room spa and pool for a more private spa escape. After nightfall, guests can take a trip to the opera in a dress or tuxedo hand-selected by a couture fashion house. Make sure your clients make reservations at the off-property Grand Palais museum for a Champagne toast on the roof, since it is not open to public and can only accommodate three people, a couple and a security guard, at a time ($437 pp). Package rates start at $9,827 per night. When is it available For more information, visit lareserve-paris.com/en.
For the Artsy Couple
Mandarin Oriental hotels across the U.S. are offering a variety of indulgent Valentine’s Day experiences from a 5-course lover’s dinner at the Mandarin Oriental, Washington DC to a thermal circuit at the Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas’ spa. In Georgia, couples can book the Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta’s Decadent Romance package, available from Feb. 5 to 13, featuring a rose petal turndown, chilled champagne and a box of heart-shaped artisanal chocolates from Cacao Atlanta. Onsite, guests can feast on contemporary American dishes at the Cafe & Bar gourmet restaurant and enjoy wine by an open fireplace; or head out for a night on the town and take in a performance of Atlanta Ballet’s “Moulin Rouge.” Rates for the Decadent Romance package start at $575 per night. Regular room rates at the Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta start at $397. For more information, visit mandarinoriental.com.
For Nature Lovers
At the 103-guestroom Tabacon Thermal Resort & Spa in Costa Rica adventure-seeking couples can take part in a romantic rainforest retreat on its 900-acres of lush natural reserve with the Intimate Rainforest Experience package. Couples can go ziplining, horseback riding, and whitewater rafting before tackling some more laid-back activities, such as soaking in natural thermal springs and receiving spa treatments in open-air bungalows tucked away among the reserve’s trees. Rates for the 2-night package start at $623 per night dbl, including one in-room breakfast, one buffet breakfast, one 90-minute Aromatherapy or Hot Stone Couple’s Massage, and one a la carte dinner at Los Tucanes—an open-air restaurant surrounded by manicured gardens and rainforest, in view of Costa Rica’s Arenal Volcano. For more information, visit tabacon.com.
If all your clients need is their love to keep them warm, suggest they head north to Canada for Fogo Island Inn’s 2-night Love (the) Birds Weekend package, which takes place Feb. 12-14. While staying at the 29-guestroom inn in Newfoundland, guests have the opportunity to head out into the great outdoors with a resident naturalist to observe the areas’ native birds—bald eagles, snow buntings, rock ptarmigans, harlequin ducks and glaucous gulls. Mild temperatures caused by the tempering waters of the Atlantic mean your clients also opt for ocean skating, caribou tracking, cross-country skiing excursions, snowshoeing or snowmobiling. There are, of course, plenty of indoor activities for your clients to participate in while onsite such as a dip in the property’s rooftop sauna and hot tubs overlooking Iceberg Alley, a cuddle session by a wood-fired stove, or a movie at the hotel’s state-of-the-art cinema. Nature lovers who find themselves in an artsy mood can visit the onsite art gallery and Newfoundland-focused library. In addition to dining on seasonal, island-centric cuisine in the property’s glass-fronted dining room, Valentine’s guests will also be able to indulge in wine, chocolate and cheese tasting. Rates for the Love (the) Birds Weekend package start at $1,375 per night (2-night minimum stay is required), including all meals, a wine, chocolate, and cheese pairing, a guided bird watching outing, and outdoor excursions . Rates for solo travelers start at $1,175 per night. For more information, visit fogoislandinn.ca.
