Secluded, sexy, alluring, and inspirational. Sometimes a romantic rendezvous is just the ticket you need to add some spark to your relationship, or just to escape from everyday life. From secluded white-sand beaches to lively New York City jaunts, here are ten romantic interludes to ignite your fire this winter.
NORTHEAST
Mandarin Oriental, New York
New York, New York
Arguably one of the most romantic cities in the world, New York City became even more enchanting with the opening of the Mandarin Oriental in the Times Warner Center last December. The 251-room property is home to the 14,500-square foot Spa at Mandarin Oriental, a state-of-the-art fitness center with a 75-foot lap pool; Asiate, the hotel’s signature restaurant; and Mobar, the modern and ultra-hip bar designed by Toni Chi. The The Times Warner Center also boasts Jazz at Lincoln Center, Thomas Keller’s restaurant Per Se, and a number of flashy retail shops. Wander across the street to Central Park to go ice-skating or walk a few more blocks and shop the swanky Madison and 5th Avenues boutiques and department stores.
In Your Room With 1940s-inspired furniture and color schemes of either pale gold and jet black or Chinese red and sterling silver, each of the guest rooms has a modern, yet inviting, feel. Book a corner suite to enjoy some of the most inspiring views of Manhattan.
Spa Comforts The Asian-inspired spa features bamboo and slate as well as the specially designed Amethyst Crystal Steam Room and vitality pool. For a romantic twist, book a Time Ritual with your honey in the VIP suite. Many marriage proposals have occurred in this enchanting room, which features a fireplace, bath, dual massage beds, and a king-sized treatment bed used for shiatsu and Thai massage. All of the treatments begin with a soothing foot ritual, which the therapist uses to determine what treatments will best suit your needs.
Heavenly Meals Chef Nori Sugie’s restaurant Asiate, located on the thirty-fifth floor of the Mandarin, features breathtaking views of Central Park, an over-the-top wine list selected by sommelier Annie Turso, and innovative cuisine. Try the tasting menu with wine pairings for an interesting treat. The seasonal tasting dishes will be served in a bento box; Pickled Daikon and Crab Salad Spring Roll, and Baby Beet Root and Goat Cheese Ravioli were both featured during my visit. The Saikyo Yaki Cod marinated in miso sauce was a delight. Reservations are essential.
Activities for Two New York City is full of nightlife and during the fall and winter there are a bounty of activities couples can enjoy from the carriage rides and ice-skating at Central Park to Broadway shows and theatre. For just a glimpse of the city’s nightlife, head to the hotel’s Mobar – just steps away from your own private Mandarin sanctuary.
Rates and Contact Information Room rates range from $595 to $12,595 for the Presidential Suite. For more information call (212) 805-8800 or visit www.mandarinoriental.com
– Melissa B. Williams
Crowne Pointe Inn
Before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, they stopped in Provincetown on the tip of Cape Cod, but they barely stayed long enough to leave footprints in the sand. To this day, Provincetown is anything but puritanical. Although it looks like the picture-perfect New England whaling town, with streets lined with Victorian houses, anything goes in this hotbed of self-expression (home to a loud, proud gay community). In the heart of town lies the Crowne Pointe Inn, an enclave of five painstakingly restored Victorian homes, including one that houses the brand-new Shui Spa, a haven of peace and comfort.
In Your Room Expect the early American style that marks most New England inns – fireplaces and four-poster beds – updated with such luxurious touches as 250-thread-count linens. Old-style claw foot whirlpool tubs are a particularly inspired décor choice! For a treat, request the hibiscus and lilac scented Tub for Two drawn by your very own “bath butler.” When you rise, enjoy breakfast in bed with fresh-baked muffins and daily specials like sweet potato pancakes.
Spa Comforts Crowne Pointe Inn’s intimate, Asian-themed Shui Spa allows you to “spa together” from beginning to end. Share a sauna, steam, and whirlpool before you settle in for a Spa Two-gether side-by-side massage. Facials, using Murad products, are a specialty here, and the Sea Lime Sigh, a lime-salt body exfoliation, is a nice full-body treatment.
Heavenly Meals For dinner, head to the candlelit colonial restaurant, the Martin House. The historic 1740s building is charming and relaxed, like all of “P-town.” The menu changes with the seasons and features dishes such as Vegan Tri-Color Stuffed Peppers and Lime-Crusted Halibut Fillet. www.themartinhouse.com
Activities for Two Provincetown is encircled by 43,000-acres of Cape Cod National Seashore, where a walk on the sand dunes is romantic any time of year (although it can be quite blustery in winter). Shop and gallery-hop on Commercial Street, then take in a performance at the Provincetown Theater (www.provincetowntheater.org) or a cabaret drag show if you’re so inclined. In the summertime, Provincetown’s population swells to ten times its normal size. But visit in winter, you and the 3,400 or so permanent residents will have the place to yourselves. Enjoy the solitude!
Rates and Contact Information Off-season rates at the Crowne Pointe Inn start at about $100 (double occupancy); ask about Romantic Weekend and Mid-week packages. For more information call (877) CROWNE1 (276-9631) or visit www.crownepointe.com
– Leslie Gilbert Elman
SOUTHEAST
The Willcox
Aiken South Carolina
Tree-lined streets, historic homes, and old world charm characterize Aiken, where good manners are the norm and horses remain a primary mode of transport. The area is rich in outdoor activities, from picnics in Hitchcock Woods, a 2,200-acre wooded park with countless miles of trails, to strolls through Hopeland Gardens, a once private estate garden boasting Southern favorites like camellia, magnolia, and yellow jasmine blossoms. And for those who need to just get away and relax, Aiken is home to yet another gem, The Willcox. Since 1898, this grand hotel has welcomed the likes of the Roosevelts and Vanderbilts, and it continues to exemplify the sort of genteel hospitality one expects in the South.
In Your Room The twenty-two uniquely furnished rooms boast such amenities as fireplaces with separate sitting areas and quiet balconies. But perhaps the most indulgent amenity of them all is the signature Willcox bed. Dressed in silk-like linens, this royal nest features a thick featherbed atop a pillow top mattress, with ample down pillows and cushy coverlets to provide a full and glorious night of sleep.
Spa Comforts Unlike many spas, which offer only massage-based couples treatments, The Willcox allows clients to mix and match – so one of you can opt for Willcox’s Signature Massage, while the other is treated to a European Facial using all organic products. The spacious couples’ room is a former guest room, featuring an old fashioned soaking tub for specialized baths.
Heavenly Meals Seeger’s at The Willcox, the hotel’s fine dining restaurant, offers a prix-fixe menu that highlights local fare in elegant fashion. Since the restaurant is open to the public, reservations are recommended, and guests with special or restricted diets should call ahead to reserve or request particular dishes, as more popular options may run out early. If the Gorgonzola Pear Ravioli is on the menu, don’t pass it up. The combination of sweet pear and creamy blue cheese wrapped in fresh pasta is divine.
Activities for Two Aiken is ripe for a stroll, day or night, and The Willcox is located close enough to all downtown attractions that driving is rarely necessary. For a fun tour of the town and Hitchcock Woods, arrange for a carriage ride with Jean Paul. You’ll see stables, polo grounds, old homes and neighborhoods, and a bit of downtown Aiken, all at a slow trot. Or wander over to Hopeland Gardens and enjoy a true Southern garden, at Christmas it is decked out in lights!
Rates and Contact Information All-inclusive rates start at $1000/night; a la carte rates from $250/night. For more information call (803) 648-1898 or visit www.thewillcox.com
– Tanya Williams
SOUTHWEST AND CALIFORNIA
Sanctuary Camelback Mountain
Paradise Valley, Arizona
Nestled on fifty-three acres in the foothills of Arizona’s Paradise Valley, Camelback Mountain Sanctuary exudes desert elegance with modern flair. Each of the twenty-four luxury spa casitas (located near the spa and pool) feature private patios with outdoor steeping tubs, while the other seventy-four luxury casitas feature rock fireplaces and views of Camelback mountain. If you feel inspired to leave your room, head to the infinity-pool (the largest in Arizona) or to the Asian-inspired spa. While Scottsdale and Phoenix may invoke images of ladies spa-ing while their spouses golf, Sanctuary manages to combine everything both partners need in one enticing and exciting environment.
In Your Room Although the property boasts about its spa casitas, which feature swank crushed velvet furniture and bright colors, I personally recommend the mountain casitas for their privacy and great views. The rooms feature Frette robes, 300-thread count linens, and Erno Laszlo in-room amenities. Amorous couples can purchase a Kama Sutra kit at the Spa Boutique.
Spa Comforts Enjoy the Sumatra Coconut Polish in the privacy of the Sanctum, a private treatment suite that features a vitality pool, deluge shower, and a fire pit (for those cool evenings). The ninety-minute polish is made from fresh coconut, jasmine, sandalwood, vetivert, clove, and gentle buffing grains and is followed by a full-body massage with Thai body lotion.
Heavenly Meals Elements, the fine dining restaurant, features local, seasonal ingredients (the menu changes monthly), with such dishes as Spinach and Goat Cheese Casserole with Herb Toasts, Ginger Seared Tuna, and Liquid Center Chocolate Torte with Buttermilk Ice Cream.
Activities for Two Prepare for the holidays by enrolling in a semi-private cooking class led by executive chef Charles Wiley and chef de cuisine Beau MacMillan; in this hands-on class you’ll learn how to prepare the restaurant’s signature dishes as well as invaluable techniques. Sanctuary also boasts numerous hiking trails, tennis courts, and golf courses. Between January 2 and March 20, 2005 you can also book a three-day, four-night package to maintain your New Year’s resolutions; the package includes cooking classes, nutrition consultations, spa treatments, and either tarot, astrology, or numerology consultations.
Rates and Contact Information Room rates range from $265 to $1260 per night. For more information call (800) 245-2051 or visit www.sanctuaryaz.com
– M.B.W.
Lajitas
Lajitas, Texas
Renewing romance can be as simple as getting away from it all. But in the case of Lajitas, a secluded hideaway in the hinterlands of southwest Texas, getting away is an understatement. Touted by fans as the “ultimate hideout,” couples usually travel to this elite former stagecoach stop in the Texas badlands by small aircraft. (Lajitas provides jet services from most major Texas cities.) Wedged on a 25,000-acre private estate near Big Bend National Park, this resort was stomping ground to Pancho Villa, General John J. Pershing, greedy miners, and pony express riders. Conjuring the Old West spirit, this elegant outpost pays homage to its legends, while ensuring a certain luxurious comfort.
In Your Room The Ultimate Romantic package welcomes you with flowers, champagne, and chocolate-covered strawberries. Rooms, borderland inspired, are cowgirl chic. Oversized armoires and velvet covered chairs pair with animal skin rugs, stucco walls, wooden ladders, and sultry earth tones.
Spa Comforts The Agavita Spa, named for the native agave, a succulent said to promote outer healing and inner beauty, utilizes indigenous plants and herbs from the desert surrounding Lajitas. Choose the Margarita Body Polish (agave, after all, is the base for Tequila), the Rio Grand Mud Wrap (where you’ll be slathered with healing river mud) or the Big Bend Foot Soak.
Heavenly Meals At the Wild West Octotillo Restaurant award-winning chef Jeff Blank, renowned for his Texas Hill Country cuisine, creates unforgettable frontier fare. While the brave may opt for rattlesnake cakes, we start with Fried Green Tomatoes, then greedily gorge on Hot and Crunchy Ruby Trout with Jalapeno Mango Aioli and Applewood Smoked Bandera Quail, drizzled with a mescal and mesquite honey glaze.
Activities for Two Spend your days hiking, horseback riding, playing golf on the only U.S. course to feature an international hole, birding, or taking a jeep tour along the Comanche War Trail.
Rates and Contact Information The Ultimate Romantic package starts at $525 per night. For more information call (432) 424-5000 or visit www.lajitas.com
– Becca Hensley
Lake Austin Spa
Austin, TexasNestled near Austin, in the Texas Hill Country, Lake Austin Spa is the romantic escape for health conscious lovers with a penchant for water sports and the outdoors, as well as those hankering for spiritual development. Every bit of this destination spa appeals to the senses. An organic herb garden emits a soothing blend of aromas, and a charming barn houses a lap pool. The new spa itself with its sloping roofs and limestone façade bespeaks hospitality. It’s a wealthy lake house on steroids, with dhurri rugs, tin chandeliers, rockers on the longest sitting porch you ever saw, and walls the colors of the landscape.
In Your Room Some rooms feature a private garden, seductive fireplace, and outdoor hot tub, others a Zen meditation garden – inquire before booking.
Spa Comforts The Over the Top for Two Package takes place in the Bamboo Room, an outdoor private garden suite, with in ground hot tubs, waterfall shower, lush gardens, and a tent for two. Try the Manaka Tapping therapy; using a wooden hammer the therapist will restore your energy by rhythmically tapping on your acupressure points. But the coup de gras is surely the Gifts of the Garden treatment. After you select herbs from the garden, your therapist will mix gels, oils, and exfoliants to work your body into an herbal ecstasy.
Heavenly Meals Chef Terry Conlan, known for his lean cuisine, thrills guests with his creative concoctions. Dining in the Lakehouse Spa’s Aster Café on golden gazpacho and smoked gouda pimiento cheese or at the Lakeside Dining room on treats like Verde Enchiladas nurtures both body and soul. When not consuming his culinary masterpieces, join Conlan for cooking classes in the garden around the two story outdoor fireplace or in his state of the art kitchen.
Activities for Two Between spa appointments, take NIA, Pilates, or try salsa dancing; water activities include kayaking and hydrobiking.
Rates and Contact Information Doubles begin at $1190 for three nights, all-inclusive. For more information call (800) 847-5637 or visit www.lakeaustinspa.com
– B.H.
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