Words by Shari Mycek, Becca Hensley, Katie McElveen, Ann Abel, Jake Emen, and Kathryn Romeyn. Each hotel is being equally in no particular order.
Who doesn’t love a romantic hotel — one dripping in pink-red-purple bougainvillea, scented with garden blossoms, and graced with plunge pools, billowing white netting over the bed, and views that flirt with the sea (or mountains). And while romantic hotels are undoubtedly best shared with a lover, our editorial team spent the past year happily doing much of the research solo. The verdict: true romance lives in the details, and can be just as transporting alone as it is together. So don’t wait to enjoy stargazing under inky skies, hear lions roaring outside your door, or bathe in decadent deep soaking tubs and outdoor rain showers.
Each of the following hotels — our picks for the Very Best Romantic Hotels 2026 — offers its own version of seduction.
Londra Palace, Venice, Italy
Don’t listen to the naysayers. Venice prevails as one of the world’s most romantic cities. All you need to do is discover those jewel-box nooks that steep you deeply into the city’s spirit. One of them is Londra Palace, a family-owned, pied-à-terre-like Relais & Châteaux hotel, hidden along the Riva degli Schiavoni. With a quixotic facade bedecked with 100 classically Venetian windows, the 52-room palazzo captivates with sumptuous interiors recently repolished to embrace Venice’s lavish heritage: think marble, bits of brocade, Fortuny chandeliers, Murano glass, d’antan mirrors, velvets, and period art. Aphrodisiacal meals by Chef Daniele Galliazzo at Londra Palace Ristorante and Bistrot quicken the heart, and the LPV Bar serves up the best Negronis on earth. Lovebirds can hover above the lagoon on the terrace of the Panoramic View Suite, one of the hotel’s top accommodations, or in the newly launched Tchaikovsky Suite.
Nimb, Copenhagen, Denmark
For those ever transmuting their real life into a fairy tale, few hotels deliver like Nimb. Perched like a portal on the peripheries of Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen’s most celebrated attraction, purportedly the world’s first amusement park, Nimb incorporates a modicum of reserved Danish Modernism into its spectacular interiors. But it goes far beyond those sleek design boundaries to pay homage to distinctive Danish lavishness—that is, artful objets d’art, painstakingly placed to be simultaneously functional and heart quickening—as moving as poetry, or better, as hygge-full as a Hans Christian Andersen tale. The vibe here is fun meets sultriness, plus elegance in spades. Top suites have balconies that all but float over the park’s festivities, magic places to sit with Champagne with your paramour. Just 22 rooms make a stay here beyond exclusive. Romantics will love the nest-like exclusivity, plus the sexy rooftop pool and spa.
Hotel Hassler, Rome, Italy
Follow in the footsteps of besotted lovers Prince Rainier and Grace Kelly, who honeymooned at family-owned Hotel Hassler, or, if you prefer, channel Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Pec,k who made the sublime haven famous in the 1953 film “Roman Holiday.” Regally crowning the Spanish Steps as a place of quietude from the milling crowds, Hotel Hassler refers to itself as “the stairway to heaven.” In fact, it reigns as a celestial outpost, quintessentially Roman, intricately lavish with swathes of lush fabrics, gleaming marble, smatterings of gold, evocative paintings, and that sort of intuitive service that only a few hotels these days can muster. Dine at the Michelin-starred panoramic restaurant, Imàgo, and sip an Aperol Spritz at the Hassler Bar. Splurge on The Penthouse Villa Medici Suite, situated on the hotel’s seventh floor. Its private, 1,614-square-foot terrace at sunset has proposal scenario vibes
Hotel Chateau du Grand Luce, France
A honeymoon couple’s utter fantasy, this Loire Valley castle hotel was built by a braggadocio baron, best friend to King Louis XV, who made merry amid the Age of Enlightenment’s razzmatazz, opulence, and intellectualism. An absolutely over-the-top castle stay that serves as the centerpiece of a characteristic village, Hotel Château du Grand-Lucé lords over 80 Versailles-esque acres, punctuated by gardens, statuary, ponds, and a seductive round swimming pool. Suites and common rooms summon the 18th century’s profusion of grandeur, each an ode to princely times and pampered living. Chic staff pack picnics to be nibbled on the grounds, organize tours and wine tastings around the Loire, and ensure dinner reservations at the hotel’s outstanding Le Lucé restaurant. No room disappoints here, but the super spacious Baron’s Suite has been touted as France’s most sought-after stay.
San Ysidro Ranch, Santa Barbara, California
Yes, romance is subjective, but it’s hard to deny the allure of San Ysidro Ranch, which has captivated lovers like John and Jackie Kennedy, Hailey and Justin Bieber and, in September of 2025, Lana del Rey and Jeremy Dufrene. It starts with the cottages, expansive antique-filled residences with working fireplaces, outdoor showers, and canopied beds that open onto private outdoor spaces. Included meals — caviar, lobster, Dover sole— are as indulgent as they are delicious and can be enjoyed at one of the restaurants or in the privacy of your cottage. If you choose to wander, you’ll find a world of diversion including private wine tastings, hikes through aromatic lavender fields, spa treatments and Champagne picnics all without leaving the property.
Aman Nai Lert, Bangkok, Thailand
There’s no greater entrance or exit to Thailand for a honeymoon or romantic holiday than this new-in-2025 urban idyll that masterfully and artistically leans into a sense of place while also offering the most sublimely chic guest rooms (and maybe the largest) in Bangkok. The circular bathtub is large enough for a pair of lovebirds to practically swim, while tossing back gratis tipples from their in-suite bar, yet the ninth-floor swimming pool also beckons couples for jet lag–reducing lazy days spent swimming and sunbathing with impeccable poolside service. The hotel seriously seduces the tummy, too, and food-loving pairs will hardly find time to leave the building, it’s so appealing to eat one’s way through it, starting with Italian staple Arva and winding up to the intimate teppanyaki and then omakase experiences, each night wrapping up a whirl of live music or jazz at the Aman Club.
La Darbia, Lake Orta, Italy
Simplicity, countryside chic, and majestic views of Lake Orta are the defining features of La Darbia, a boutique hotel of 20 apartment-style rooms. It’s the passion project of local architect brothers Gian Carlo and Matteo Primatesta, whose namesake firm is responsible for some of the loveliest quiet-luxury residences around the lake. They prioritized the humble, finding beauty in weathered old wood, rusted old door locks, and worn-in vintage furniture. They combined all that with two positively dreamy back-to-nature dining venues, an outdoor bar with secluded tables among the tomatoes and squash of the garden plots, and a gourmet restaurant that’s set up on a terrace, with strings of fairy lights overhead and the glittering reflections of Orta San Giulio below.
Domaine des Etangs, Auberge Collection, Massignac, France
The French Auberge Resort Domaine des Etangs is a fantasy castle straight out of a romantic storybook. The estate spans more than 2,500 forested acres and a magnificent stone château that was built more than 700 years ago by the knights of Chasteignier de la Roche-Posay. Everything in it is a homage to the traditions of French country living, and connections with nature, particularly the dragonflies that hover around the ponds that give the property its evocative name. All the rooms, including the seven suites in the main house, four rustic suites in another building, and six freestanding cottages are designed in a way that cultivates romance while evoking childlike wonder. Vintage Tintin and other comics figure prominently.
Vetera, Matera, Italy
It’s hard to get more romantic than sleeping in a lantern-lit travertine cave. And even though the lighting is fully electric—following a feat of architecture and engineering that took eight years to accomplish — the rooms at Vetera Matera more than deliver. The newest hotel among the UNESCO-designated city’s historic Sassi cave dwellings, Vetera was inducted into Relais & Châteaux before it opened, thanks to its romantic vision and historically sensitive design. The cave rooms are well-lit, comfortably appointed, and seductive, and some of the best have jacuzzi tubs in their innermost recesses. (There are also some windowed rooms in freestanding buildings for the claustrophobic.) Its private balconies and various terraces have postcard-perfect views of the ancient city outside.
Las Ventanas, San Jose del Cabo, Mexico
Most luxury beach resorts will be able to whisk you away into a romantic environment. Las Ventanas al Paraíso, a Rosewood resort, goes one step further than anybody else: the property has a full-time romance director whose job is to help you build the picture-perfect, unforgettable experience of a lifetime. That’s true whether it’s for an engagement, wedding, photo shoot, or simply a private dinner in any number of wonderful settings. Get to work crafting a special surprise or event at the dedicated on-site romance shop and florist. There’s plenty more romance to be had, too, of course. Consider the private hot tub on your terrace overlooking the crashing waves of the ocean, along with the in-room selector placard for alluring diffuser oil scents chosen on a daily basis.
The Green O, Greenough, Montana
It doesn’t get more romantic than The Green O. The adults-only property consists of just 12 contemporary “hauses,” including the likes of swanky, multi-story treehouses. Within, you’ll find multiple fireplaces with plush, oversized seating besides them, private outdoor hot tubs, and storybook views of the Montana wilderness beyond. It is absolutely the time and the place to put on your robe and your slippers, curl up with a comfortable throw blanket, and let the world melt away for a few hours or a few days. When you’re finally ready to emerge, the resort within a resort located on the grounds of Paws Up Montana has you covered with every type of ranch activity you could conjure. Or opt out of it all and stay in bed.
Feature image courtesy of Auberge Collection
