Ask the average person what “romantic getaway” means, and you’ll most likely hear the usual clichés, like long walks on the beach, rose petal strewn beds, or sipping champagne over a candlelight dinner.
But what if you’re not average? What about those of us who like to fuel the flames of romance by amping up our adrenaline together, sharing a delicious new culinary experience with each other, or partying until we just can’t dance anymore?
For those of you who define romance a little differently—whether you seek adventure and excitement, cutting edge cuisine, wild nightlife, or just want to completely disconnect and seriously decompress—we offer the following unique and unusual romantic summer getaways:
The Adventure Couple
Whiteface Lodge
Tucked into the scenic Adirondack Mountains, the rustic Whiteface Lodge features luxurious accommodations in a breathtaking woodland setting. While world-class skiing dominates in the winter (it was home to the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics), in the summer you can venture into the surrounding Adirondack Park for a challenging trail hike, test yourselves on one of the many spectacular mountain bike trails, or take on the whitewater together on a guided rafting tour. Whiteface’s in-house concierge can arrange the perfect adventure for you, along with relaxing spa sessions to ease tired muscles when the day’s exploits are done.
The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa
Reconnect with nature, and each other, at this beachfront, Lowcountry resort where adventure and wildlife go hand in hand. Don’t just stroll across the property when you arrive, strap in to Zip Line Hilton Head and take a two-hour, high-speed tour through the vast canopy of massive live oaks. Later, hop in a kayak and explore the secluded tidal creeks, salt marshes and remote islands while you glide alongside wild Atlantic bottlenose dolphin. Or jump on a bike and tour the 4,053-acre Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge, and enjoy a two-wheeled affair among the alligators, turtles and white-tailed deer.
BONUS: The Treehouse at Kilauea Volcano
For true adventure seekers, start with a challenging hike through the Kilauea forest until you arrive just outside the gates to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. There, over a lava tube, you’ll find a ladder leading you to the Tree House at Kilauea Volcano.
This secluded, one-bedroom playhouse for grown-ups built high in the trees, features a cedar Jacuzzi tub, private lanai and a “secret” trap door leading to a cozy upper level. Take the short walk into the park and experience flowing lava while you hike across volcanic craters and through lava tubes. It’s sure to heat up any romance.
Starts at $225 per night
The Foodie Couple
Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain
This Scottsdale, Arizona retreat offers true food lovers an epicurean indulgence that will make your hearts—and taste buds—flutter. During your personalized “Mi Casa, Mi Chef” gourmet experience, you’ll stay in one of the property’s gorgeous private Mountainside Estates while one of Sanctuary’s highly-skilled chefs works with you to create a completely customized dining affair. First, you and your chef will be chauffeured to the local farmer’s market to select the freshest ingredients for your menu, then you can join the chef in the kitchen to prepare your feast, or enjoy the magnificent sunset with a glass of wine on your private patio while the chef expertly whips up dinner. It’s a hedonistic celebration of your love for food—and for each other.
The Mi Casa, Mi Chef experience starts at $5,500 for two people including tax and gratuities
Hacienda Encantada
Located atop a cliff in dazzling Cabo San Lucas, Hacienda Encantada offers much more than spectacular views and pristine beaches. With a dizzying variety of culinary options in their on-site Mexican-inspired gourmet restaurants, you can also take advantage of their new “Dine Out Privilege.” This all-inclusive option allows you to delight in select restaurants located in the famous Golden Zone at the Cabo San Lucas Marina, so you can indulge in a non-stop food bacchanal.
The Can’t-Keep-Our-Hands-Off-Each-Other Couple
The Chanler at Cliff Walk
A historic cliff-side mansion of classic beauty and elegance with exquisite rooms designed to transport you back in time to a more romantic era, The Chanler at Cliffwalk is small and private, with just twenty unique accommodations overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Welcoming adults only (meaning no screaming children running up and down the halls to ruin the mood), everything is here, so you’ll never have to leave the property, or your room. Enjoy an intimate dinner at the award-winning restaurant, The Spiced Pear, or a glass of champagne in your private, in-room Jacuzzi tub—the butler will have it ready for you when you return.
Capella Pedregal
Capella’s recently launched “The Suite Life” program is like having your very own luxury beachfront resort. After enjoying a welcome margarita you can relax in your suite with a bottle of champagne and chocolates, or retire to the spa for a 90-minute couple’s massage. Later, before a traditional Mexican romantic turndown, you’ll indulge in a three-course dinner on your private terrace overlooking the ocean. And if you want to have everything taken care of before you arrive, Capella’s team of Personal Assistants can help plan every detail of your stay in advance, including setting up a romantic private dinner on the sand, so you can relax and enjoy some “alone time.”
Rates from $1,230 plus 34% tax per night in a One Bedroom Ocean View Suite.
BONUS: Enchanted Moments at The St. Regis Mauritius Resort:
Located on the exclusive and exotic island of Mauritius, the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean,” The St. Regis Mauritius Resort delivers unparalleled luxury and romance. Sip from your complimentary bottle of champagne while overlooking the pristine white natural beach and spectacular turquoise lagoon from your terrace, then retreat to the Iridium Spa for a duo massage, ending your day with a just-for-the-two-of-you, candle-lit dinner on secluded Le Morne Beach. It’s like no one else exists in the entire world.
stregismauritius.com
stregismauritius.com
The Stressed Out to the Max Couple
Half Moon RockResort
When royals and celebrities need to get away from the constant stress and pressure, one of their favorite destinations is Half Moon, a RockResort in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Spread out over 400 acres, with more than 50 private and semi private pools, the two of you can spend hours in delightful tropical solitude without seeing another living soul. With 68,000 sq. ft of relaxing therapeutic treatments at their Fern Tree Spa, the Half Moon offers the only overwater bungalows in Jamaica, where you can treat yourselves to a couples massage while the sound of the waves calms you. But what will truly erase all your worries is the indigenous Bush Bath, where over a dozen detoxifying and re-energizing herbs from the spa’s own garden are mixed together in a deep soaking tub, big enough for two. Feel the stress melt away.
The Nizuc Resort & Spa
Located on the Mexican Caribbean, the Nizuc combines European spa therapies with ancient Mayan healing rituals for a unique spa experience that completely relieves, relaxes and rejuvenates. Begin to unwind with an organic tea ceremony and traditional foot ritual while your treatment specialist customizes the perfect therapies to soothe your mind and body. Book a private couple’s spa suite with your own pool and outdoor deck, and enjoy your treatments in tranquil solitude, like the spa’s exclusive Mayan Cacao massage. Considered the Food of the Gods to ancient Mayans for its mood enhancing and restorative properties, your therapist will melt away the stress using the purest cacao massage oil, finishing with an oil pour to your forehead to calm your mind. As relaxing as it is indulgent.
The Nightlife Couple
Grand Solmar Land’s End Resort & Spa
Located at the very tip of the Baja peninsula, where the Pacific Ocean meets the Sea of Cortes, the Grand Solmar Land’s End is not only private and exclusive with unequaled views of the ocean, but it’s also just minutes from the heart of downtown Cabo San Lucas, infamous for its non-stop nightlife. Here you can enjoy live music and cocktails at one of the city’s intimate lounges, relive your head-banging days at a classic rock bar, or dance all night at one of the legendary, uninhibited Vegas-style nightclubs. Or hit them all—because in Cabo, the party, like true love, never ends.
The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort
If your idea of the perfect romantic weekend is sipping hand-crafted cocktails or rare wines while enjoying live music in an intimate setting, then skip South Beach and head a few miles north to the St. Regis Bal Harbour. Miami Beach’s only AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Five Star property, the St. Regis is also the only Miami hotel to offer live music seven nights a week—so no matter when you arrive, you can always relax and enjoy a performance. Nestled just off the main lobby, The Bar features up-and-coming singers and musicians, ranging from upbeat rhymes to contemporary jazz, and every evening at 7:30 pm, a St. Regis Butler celebrates the close of the day, and the arrival of an unforgettable evening, by sabering a bottle of champagne. After, if you should feel like something more lively, South Beach is just a few minutes away.
No matter what “romantic” means to you, you’ll find a world of hideaways, sanctuaries and retreats with packages designed to suit your every wish and whim—and keep those flames of desire burning. If you’re looking to plan your own romantic escape, head over to our Vacation Planning board on Pinterest. There you’ll find even more ideas and inspirations for a unique and unusual romantic getaway just for the two of you.
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