Lodging

Amelia Island is one of Florida’s most charming islands, and the Elizabeth Point Lodge is one of the coziest, romantic escapes there is. Roomy porches wrap around the Nantucket-style inn, located beachside. The main house has 20 rooms, each with a Jacuzzi tub, starting at $205 a night. An ocean house, with four rooms, is also available, as is the Miller cottage.

Elizabeth Point Lodge on Amelia Island

The beach in front of the resort is remote and quiet, ideal for reading, catching some sun and just walking. Head into town to arrange kayaking, biking, playing tennis, fishing, sailing, horseback riding and touring via Segway. Back at the resort, enjoy a wine and hors d’oeuvres reception each night. Amenities include Wi-fi, 24-hour room service, concierge service and a library.

A beachside retreat offers stunning views.

The Rendezvous Package caters to those looking for a romantic weekend. Drink champagne upon arriving, enjoy desserts late at night, and awake to fresh flowers and oceanfront breakfast each morning.

For additional information about the Elizabeth Point Lodge, call 800-772-3359.

Photos courtesy of the Elizabeth Point Lodge.

Golden Gate Bridge

For over-the-top spa indulgence there’s nothing like The Ritz.

Get a Green Coffee Slenderizing Body Treatment or an Anti-Aging Papaya, Pineapple, and Pomegranate Body Treatment. This is obviously not an ordinary experience, especially when you’re sitting on top of prestigious Nob Hill which is known for its skyline views.

Choose a romance package that includes champagne and strawberries upon arrival, a pre-dinner half-bottle of wine at the Ritz-Carlton bar, breakfast in bed or Sunday Brunch for two at the lovely Terrace Restaurant. And to top it off, a late check-out to allow for true romantic indulgence for your romantic escape.

Each guest room is decorated with multi-cultural influence and original art by local artists featuring local scenes and city landmarks. Sunday brunch on The Terrace is served from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and is a local favorite. The Lobby Lounge has breath-taking views of the city skyline.

Alcatraz

And the location couldn’t be better for a couple in love to experience the wonders of San Francisco. Hop on a cable car to get to Union Square on one end, or Fisherman’s Wharf on the other. Chinatown is just steps away. And for those who enjoy walking, San Francisco is one of the world’s most walkable cities, as long as you don’t mind a few hills.

For the ultimate romantic escape head to the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco.

Photos courtesy of Mike G.K. (Flickr Break)

The Ritz-Carlton, San Francisco
600 Stockton Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
415-296-7465

From Nancy D. Brown of What a Trip

Wine Country Inn

Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday this year so you’d better book your reservations now.  For a romantic escape to the Napa Valley, look to Wine Country Inn, located up-valley in St. Helena, a quarter-mile off Route 29. This family-owned inn has a friendly staff waiting to offer recommendations, wonderful breakfast food and oozes romance.

You may not want to leave your room if you book the Vintners Cottage.  The suite looks over the family vineyard, has a fireplace and beautiful stained glass windows in the reading nook and over the bathtub.  Did I mention the surround sound speakers that pipe into the spacious bathroom?

Stained Glass Window

To pump up the romance factor, consider an in-room couples massage. There’s even a link on the Inn’s website for men who need a little guidance in the thoughtful husband or boyfriend category.

When you finally venture out for dinner, I recommend the lamb chops at Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen on Railroad Avenue. This is a local favorite where you are apt to rub shoulders with Napa Valley vintners.

With 20 guest rooms, four suites and five luxury cottages, the Northern California bed and breakfast offers rooms for every price range.  Prices start at $215 to $660 for the cottages.

Wine Country Inn 1 (888) 465-4608

1152 Lodi Lane, St. Helena, CA 94574

Mobile 4 Star, AAA 3 Diamond, Member of Unique Inns

Vineyard photo courtesy Wine Country Inn, stained glass photo by Nancy D. Brown

Boats sail by right outside your window

At the Inn Above Tide every room has a panoramic view of the San Francisco city skyline. At night time, with the lights reflecting off the bay, you will enjoy the beauty of San Francisco from a private, quieter place.

The skyline of San Francisco

Sausalito is a charming bayside neighborhood lined with boutiques, galleries, and plenty of restaurants to choose from. Even the houseboats have a romantic aura about them. Imagine floating through life–everything is done to the rhythm of a gentle swell. Flower boxes establish property lines, and patio furniture becomes the focal point of social gatherings.

You’ll find yourself happily wandering the streets of Sausalito, hand-in-hand, stopping for a cup of coffee here, or an ice cream cone there, and being tempted by the many beautiful souveniers that you can choose from. But save time to return to your room early enough for a couples massage, right in your room, followed by a luscious glass of wine as you watch the light fade over Alcatraz and Angel Island.

Enjoy a glass of wine in front of your fireplace

If you can drag yourself out of your room, you will enjoy the complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres. And if you still have some energy left, the hosts of the Inn Above Tide will direct you to a number of fine restaurants within easy walking distance. Or if that just seems like too much trouble, order food to be brought to your room through Room Service of Marin, where you can choose from a long list of favorite Marin restaurants.

Room with a view, fireplace, and private balcony

Let the Inn Above Tide fulfill your needs for a Romantic Escape.

Photos courtesy of Inn Above Tide

Inn Above Tide
30 El Portal
Sausalito, CA 94965
800-893-8433

Guest rooms at Ventana Inn

The spectacular coast of California is romantic by itself, but Big Sur has a wildness in its beauty that stirs passion. And anyone who is familiar with Big Sur knows about the Ventana Inn. It’s an icon there.

The Ventana Inn and Spa is the ideal spot for a romantic escape. The elegantly rustic suites and guest rooms are decorated to embrace you in comfort. Relax by a pool, soak in a Japanese hot bath, sit and gaze over the rocky coastline of the brilliant blue Pacific Ocean, or read your favorite book while laying in your own private hammock. 

A day at the Spa

Save a day for the ultimate spa experience. Allegria Spa embraces the “Essence of Big Sur” through the use of nature’s healing gifts. An Ocean Salt Exfoliation leaves your body baby smooth and ready to absorb the nutrients of the lotions used during the Essence of Big Sur Herbal Massage.

The Gentlemen’s Destresser Facial uses aromatic organic products specially selected for masculine sensibilities. Hot steamy towels smelling of citrus and lavender will melt you into the table.

The El Sur Grande Sacred Stone Facial combines hot basalt, cold marble stones, and chakra gemstones for increased relaxation, circulation, and energy flow.

You can have a private yoga and meditation session, or a private or couples astrology reading. Find your Spirit Guide, Angel, Animal Spirit and Soul Mate through an essence portrait.

The energy around the Ventana Inn and Spa is open-minded and experiencial. This is where you can let your guard down and try something new.

Villas are available to rent also

Re-energize your lovelife with a romantic escape to the Ventana Inn and Spa.

Photos courtesy of Ventana Inn and Spa

Ventana Inn and Spa
48123 Highway One
Big Sur, CA 93920
831-667-2331

Lavender by thowra_uk @ flickr

The lure of feather beds, cozy fireplaces, and oversized bathtubs will lead you to the Bernardus Lodge and Winery, tucked within the oaks and vineyards of beautiful Carmel Valley.

Enjoy the intimacy of a resort with an epicurean flair, where you will receive a vintage wine and cheese welcome. Plan on having dinner right there at Marinus, voted one of Zagat’s top restaurants in the Bay Area.

Visit the spa’s meditation garden, warming room, and soaking pool. The organic gardens grow lavender, rosemary, and lemongrass that are used to nurture the mind, body and spirit during the spa treatments.

Sit next to the bubbling fountains and feel the warm breezes that this valley is so famous for. The Spa at Bernardus Lodge offers services from vinotherapy, to marine-inspired, to international treatment techniques. This is your opportunity to relax, renew, and reconnect.

Bernardus Winery prides itself in creating wines that flatter the palate and stimulate the imagination. The cool coastal climate is perfect for growing Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Noir, proven by their award-winning wines.

Wine grapes by Pamela Heywood @ flickr

Your room at the lodge welcomes you with fresh flowers and French doors opening onto spacious balconies or terraces. The complimentary “wine grotto” mini bar assures you won’t be hungry or thirsty. Take a long soak in the bathtub for two, and enjoy a glass of wine in front of your fireplace before slipping into the luxurious Italian linens on the feather bed.

The world can wait another day.

Bernardus Lodge and Winery
(888) 648-9463

Soaking in a bathtub with rose petals

Conceived as an English estate, the Claremont Resort sits on a hill with a panoramic view of the bay and the San Francisco city skyline. It stands as an ode to luxury, elegance, and sophistication.

Berkeley embraces a society diverse in culture, and the spa has taken advantage of the knowledge and expertise of individuals from the many ethnic groups.

The guest rooms pulse with history, yet are charming and California casual. The luxurious rooms are elegantly furnished and designed to create the feeling of a peaceful retreat from the world.

Set on 22 acres in the beauty of the Berkeley Hills, the Claremont Resort and Spa offers many activities to enjoy while there, with three swimming pools, ten tennis courts, a full-service fitness center, and one of the best spas in the country.

Experience the best of body treatment techniques from throughout the world. Think South America. The Far East. Western Europe. They all have their unique style of wraps, soaks, and massage, and this is where you can experience them.

For the ultimate treatment try the Spa Claremont Rose Journey, engulfing you in fragrances of rose, lavender, and eucalyptus. This nearly three-hour treatment consists of:

• 25 minute bath
• 50 minute Scrub (vichy shower) 
• 50 minute massage
• 25 minute manicure

Your tension will melt away, leaving you feeling fresh and ready for that romantic evening that you came here for.

Photos courtesy of Claremont Resort and Spa

Claremont Resort and Spa
41 Tunnel Road
Berkeley, CA 94705
(800) 551-7266

The Spa at Kenwood Inn

The Kenwood Inn and Spa looks like a Mediterranean Villa. It’s an exquisite romantic hideaway in the historic Valley of the Moon. In 2008 the readers of Conde Nast Traveler named it The Best Resort in the USA.

Feather beds and French doors

For a special couples romantic escape package think Champagne in Paris; Chocolate in Begium; Dinner in Rome. The Kenwood Inn and Spa puts it all together for you as the closest thing to a European getaway, yet in the heart of the Sonoma Wine Country. Take advantage of the body wraps and scrubs using wine, salt, sugar, or honey. Then, in the privacy of your room, get a side-by-side massage by candlelight and a bottle of sparkling wine.

Nourish your lovelife with a romantic escape to the Kenwood Inn and Spa.

Beware of the feather beds–you may not want to get out! And enjoy the light and vineyard views through handsome French doors.

Get pampered at the spa, where they take full advantage of access to the wine country by using vinotherapy including red wine extracts, and Chardonnay and Riesling oils to promote healing and relaxation.

As a tribute to romance, Kenwood Inn offers a Bubbles, Bubbles, Bubbles package that includes champagne truffles and a bottle of champagne upon arrival, complimentary breakfast, and champagne tasting at the Inn’s wine bar.

Kenwood Inn and Spa
10400 Sonoma Highway
Kenwood, CA 95452
(707) 833-1293

Photos courtesy of Kenwood Inn and Spa

The Spa at Torrey Pines sits next to a world-reknown nature preserve with its forest of rare pine trees–Torrey Pines. Sitting high on a hill, overlooking the beautiful blue Pacific, The Lodge at Torrey Pines is a vision of elegance.

Celebrate your most important relationship with a romantic escape to Torrey Pines. Let the spa cover you with a seaweed body wrap to detoxify and hydrate your skin before indulging in a couples massage. By creating your own spa package you can save 10% on your room.

Torrey Pines at sunset Photo by rockabillyboy72@flickr

The Lodge sits next to the 18th green of the Torrey Pines Golf Course, blending unobtrusively into the landscape. And eight miles of trails will lead you through pine forests and to bluffs overlooking the ocean.

The town of La Jolla, “the jewel,” is full of boutiques, fine restaurants, and art galleries. With the lovely climate of San Diego it calls for long strolls with frequent stops for delicacies in specialty shops. Find a nice bottle of wine and some gourmet cheese and take it back to the lodge, where the sounds of the ocean and birds add to the relaxed atmosphere, enhancing the mood for your romantic escape.

The Lodge at Torrey Pines
http://www.lodgetorreypines.com/
11480 Torrey Pines Road
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858) 453-4420

For a truly luxurious Spa Resort Destination head to Auberge du Soleil. You’ve probably heard of it–it is home to one of the first premier wine country restaurants.

Hot Air Balloon over Napa Valley

Sitting on a hillside looking over Napa Valley, this Mediterranean inspired resort features fine Italian linens, down bedding and duvets. Pair that with plush robes, slippers, and a private outdoor terrace with a view of the vineyards, you know you’re being pampered.

But that’s just the basics. This is all about romance, so why not indulge yourself and your loved one. Start with a grape seed crush body exfolidation and hair and scalp treatment, then bathe together in the garden bath, soaking away your tension. When you’re fully relaxed you each will get a full body massage with warm grape seed oil and a grape seed crush foot therapy treatment.

After all of this pampering, enjoy a glass of local wine on your terrace as the sun sets over the vineyards. And now that your body, mind, and spirit are revived, a romantic dinner awaits. Remember, this was how what made Auberge du Soleil so popular in the first place. And they continue to raise the bar in sophisticated dining.

Heart held in hands Photo by aussiegall@flickr

A romantic escape will help you reconnect and revitalize your love life.

Auberge du Soleil
180 Rutherford Hill Road
Rutherford, CA
(707) 963-1211
http://www.aubergedusoleil.com/

Photo of balloon courtesy of  lyng883@flickr