Beyond soggy petals in the bathtub
Mr & Mrs Smith’s top ten Valentine’s breaks for stylish lovers
Valentine’s Day breaks have a bad rep: a single wilted rose on the bedside table, overcrowded restaurants, and headache-inducing red and pink everywhere – and who needs a headache on Valentine’s night? Boutique hotel experts Mr & Mrs Smith have sifted through the schmaltz to find Valentine’s packages that will really set hearts aflutter (and won’t involve soggy petals clogging the plughole). Here are 10 hot properties that offer something a little bit different…
The Connaught, London
Set in swanky Mayfair, the Connaught has old-fashioned values (top-notch butler service, antique furniture) as well as modern frills (the UK’s only Aman Spa). With their ‘Truly, Madly, Deeply’ package, you’ll enjoy a one-night stay, champagne on arrival, an edible Valentine in-room treat and English breakfast. And just this once, you’re encouraged to take home the (personalised monogrammed) towels.
Valentine’s package price: From $607
Dates: February 1–29, 2012
Winvian, Litchfield Hills, CT
Set in a 113-acre patch of pastoral Connecticut, Winvian’s 18 private cottages blend creature comforts with wonders and whimsy (want to sleep inside a helicopter? You’ve come to the right place). Choose
from two heart-strirring packages: ‘Essence of Love’ includes an American breakfast, a fireside massage followed by a bubble bath, then a three-course dinner with a signature martini. Alternatively, the
two-night ‘Sweetheart Escape’ package welcomes guests with a bottle of champagne, a fireside couple’s massage and a romantic dinner for two.
Valentine’s package price: From $1,070 or $2,066
Dates: Until December 3, 2013
Milliken Creek Inn & Spa, Napa Valley, CA
Set among California’s finest wineries on the Silverado Trail, this spa-equipped country home exemplifies low-key luxury (antique wooden tables, Adirondack chairs and wood-burning stove on the deck, classic clapboard good looks), and has a wine cellar worth passing out over. Celebrate a vintage Valentine’s Day with the ‘Heart of Napa Authentic Trio’ two-night package, which includes a tour of three wineries, a 90-minute ‘Chocolate Decadence’ couple’s spa treatment, and a turn-down service with rose petals, chocolate-covered strawberries and champagne.
Valentine’s package price: From $640
Dates: Until July 31, 2012
Stoke Park, Buckinghamshire
Fancy living it up at an imposing stately mansion? Indulge yourselves with a one-night stay, dinner and breakfast, a personalised cake for two, chilled champagne and chocolate-dipped strawberries. They’ll also give you an SPC bath and body oil collection – ideal for trying out the sort of massages they don’t provide in their incredible spa.
Valentine’s package price: From $741
Dates: February 10–14, 2012
Lime Wood, Hampshire
This stately pile has a serious air of luxury, with devotedly designed interiors, a super spa and two tantalising restaurants. Lime Wood’s five-course Valentine’s feast (designed to be shared) includes truffle-baked clams, roast Hampshire mallard carved at the table and baked Tunworth cheese with homemade bread – perfect for dunking à deux.
Valentine’s dinner price: $268 per couple, excluding drinks. (Why not make a night of it, boutique bedrooms from $465 on Valentine’s night?)
Dates: February 14, 2012
Aquapura, Douro Valley, Portugal
Portugal’s sexiest spa retreat offers views of the valley in all its sweeping vine-clad majesty as well as a tempting Valentine’s package: during your two-night stay you’ll be welcomed with a cocktail, pampered with a 55-minute spa treatment for two, and wined and dined with a delectable three-course meal.
Valentine’s package price: From $377
Dates: February 9–15, 2012
A'jia Hotel, Istanbul, Turkey
Sleek design and a grand Ottoman exterior entwine on the banks of the Bosphorus: inside, your Romance Suite awaits. Sip cocktails at check-in, then luxuriate during a 30-minute massage for two, followed by dinner with wine. Next morning, discover the delights of a Turkish breakfast.
Valentine’s package price: From $852
Dates: February 14, 2012
Canal House, Amsterdam, Netherlands
This Dutch masterpiece boasts both a romantic-hideaway garden and some seriously seductive bedrooms. Escape to Amsterdam for the night and enjoy homemade chocolate truffles, a Green & Spring candle in your room and a three-course dinner, with a full breakfast laid on the next day.
Valentine’s package price: From $360
Dates: February 10–18, 2012
La Mamounia, Marrakech, Morocco
Ravishing and regal, this legendary den of decadence is set in royal gardens, styled with a medley of art deco and Moorish opulence, and as sensuous as a seraglio. Arrive for your two-night stay in a chauffeur-driven Daimler, then prepare to be spoilt: your Moroccan adventure involves a 30-minute massage, 45-minute helicopter tour of the Atlas Mountains, dinner, breakfast and a 60-minute Shiseido spa ritual.
Valentine’s package price: From $3,376
Dates: February 9–20, 2012
Grand Hotel Villa Cora, Florence, Italy
Built in the 1870s by Baron Oppenheim for his wife, Grand Hotel Villa Cora is a love letter in art and architecture: it’s opulent in the extreme, but by no means over-blinged. Book through Mr & Mrs Smith and receive an upgrade to a deluxe room, a special gift and breakfast in bed.
Valentine’s package price: From $330
Dates: Until March 31, 2012
For more press information on Mr & Mrs Smith, please contact: Kelley Sullivan, Marketing Content Manager, on (212) 600 2040 or email kelley.sullivan@smithhotels.com
Mr & Mrs Smith is the world’s most trusted boutique hotel expert. The company provides a bespoke booking service for a carefully curated selection of more than 850 intimate, hip and sexy properties around the world, many not found on any other sites. Every hotel in Mr & Mrs Smith’s collection is visited personally, reviewed anonymously and regularly reassessed, ensuring your stay will be memorable for all the right reasons.
Mr & Mrs Smith was started in the UK in 2003 after founders James Lohan and Tamara Heber-Percy had a lackluster hotel experience and became determined to help like-minded travelers avoid off-the-mark hotel stays. Originally headquartered in London, they now have offices Melbourne (Australia) and New York City. For more information visit www.mrandmrssmith.com or call 1 800 464 2040, 24 hours a day.
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