Some relationships need therapy. Others just need a really good hotel.
I’ve stayed at enough hotels to know that romance has very little to do with rose petals on the bed. For some, it’s Champagne on a private terrace or a very large shower enclosure. For others, it’s disappearing somewhere with no agenda, no notifications, and no one asking where you want to go for dinner. The best romantic hotels get that about their guests. And, they create the kind of experiences that bring people closer.
Sometimes it’s a crackling fireplace after a day on the slopes. Sometimes it’s a clifftop hot tub with nothing but the sound of the ocean below. A sunrise paddle, a couple’s massage in the middle of the woods, or simply lounging together over breakfast in robes because there’s absolutely nowhere else you’d rather be.
Whether you’re celebrating a honeymoon, anniversary, mini-moon, or just sneaking away for a long weekend together, these are the hotels we’d book again and again. Beautiful, yes. But more importantly, they’re the kinds of places where the little moments end up becoming the ones you remember most. Romance, after all, is in the details.
Surf & Sand Laguna Beach, California
There are plenty of hotels in Southern California near the beach. But, at Surf & Sand, you’re so close to the Pacific you’ll fall asleep to waves crashing just below your balcony. All 165 guest rooms and suites face the ocean, but it’s the little details that make this place feel especially romantic. The oversized soaking tubs in many of the Premium Oceanfront Studios and Oceanfront Vista Suites overlook the water, making it entirely possible to spend an hour watching the tide come in without ever leaving your bathroom. If you haven’t gotten into a tub with your special someone and a glass of bubbles, it’s a decidedly great way to reconnect.
Private balconies, nightly turndown service, light-filled rooms, and thoughtful details that make staying in your room surprisingly tempting, especially for a romantic getaway. When you finally venture out, spend the afternoon at the adults-friendly pool overlooking the sand, book a couples treatment at Aquaterra Spa, or wander the galleries and boutiques of downtown Laguna Beach, less than a mile away, before dinner at Splashes. Return for a nightcap around the firepit, the soundtrack provided entirely by the Pacific. If your idea of romance involves falling asleep to the sound of the ocean instead of traffic, this one is hard to beat.
Mirror Lake Inn Resort & Spa, Lake Placid, New York
If you can’t wait for mountain air, crackling fireplaces, and a cabin-in-the-woods vibe — but only if that comes with five-star amenities — book Mirror Lake Inn. This family-owned Adirondack resort sits directly on Mirror Lake, and nearly every room takes full advantage of it with floor-to-ceiling windows and enclosed sun porches facing the water. Even better in winter, when the lake freezes over and becomes a skating rink, or after a fresh snowfall when everything outside goes completely quiet. This is the place couples look for when planning a romantic Adirondacks getaway, whether you’re celebrating an anniversary, planning a proposal, or simply escaping for a long weekend together.
There’s plenty to do if you’re feeling ambitious — complimentary kayaks in summer, snowshoes in winter, guided outings year-round — but this is also the kind of hotel that’s perfectly happy if your biggest accomplishment is making it from breakfast to the spa. It’s exactly the sort of place you’d book for a proposal, milestone anniversary, or any celebration worth remembering. Don’t skip dinner at The View, then carve out time for a couples massage at The Spa or salt room before calling it a night.
Rancho Bernardo Inn, San Diego, California
Rancho Bernardo Inn is spread across 265 acres in North County San Diego. It gives more quiet Spanish village than a traditional resort, with winding garden paths, fountains, citrus trees, and casita-style guest rooms throughout the property. If you’re celebrating something special, splurge on a Studio Suite with a private fire pit.
Couples often start their day at the award-winning spa (aptly named The Spa at Rancho Bernardo Inn), where outdoor treatment bungalows are surrounded by eucalyptus and jasmine. Then, they head to lunch on the Veranda overlookingRancho Bernardo Inn’s 18-hole championship golf course, making it an ideal resort for couples where one person wants a spa weekend and the other wants to play golf. Cocktails around the outdoor fire pits before dinner at AVANT, where the menu changes with the seasons and ingredients come straight from the resort’s own garden.
Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur, California
Built 1,200 feet above the Pacific on Big Sur’s dramatic coastline, the adults-only retreat has quietly become one of California’s most iconic places to celebrate an engagement, honeymoon, or anniversary. The rooms at Post Ranch Inn are intentionally free of televisions and alarm clocks, which is a bold move these days, but one that makes perfect sense once you’re here. Instead, you’ll find wood-burning fireplaces, outdoor soaking tubs, grass-covered roofs that disappear into the landscape, and floor-to-ceiling views that make it hard to look anywhere else.
Couples generally start their day at Sierra Mar, where the glass-walled dining room seems to float over the ocean, followed by afternoons moving between the infinity-edge basking pools. There are also guided nature walks, forest meditation, falconry, or simply doing absolutely nothing from your private deck.
Auberge du Soleil, Napa Valley, California
Long before Napa became synonymous with luxury hotels, there was Auberge du Soleil. Adults only from the start, it’s still one of the best places in wine country to disappear for a few days with someone you like spending time with. The hillside property is surprisingly intimate despite its reputation. Mornings begin with breakfast overlooking the vineyards. Afternoons are reserved for winery visits — or not. Honestly, staying on property is just as tempting. Wander through the resort’s sculpture garden, home to more than 100 works among olive and oak trees, spend an hour in one of the spa’s soaking pools overlooking Mount Veeder, or book the signature couples experience, complete with yoga, side-by-side massages, and a private outdoor soak.
Dinner is non-negotiable. The Michelin-starred restaurant has been setting the standard in Napa for decades, pairing seasonal California ingredients with one of the valley’s most celebrated wine programs.
Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tennessee
Blackberry Farm is one of those places that everyone talks about and for good reason. Set on 4,200 acres in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, you literally come here to sleep in, wander the gardens, horseback ride, fly fish, hike, or just grab two rocking chairs on the porch and sit with a glass of wine.
The accommodations are every bit as cozy as you’d hope, from historic rooms in the Main House to secluded cottages with wood-burning fireplaces, screened porches, oversized soaking tubs, and private golf carts to explore the property. Meals are included with your stay, and that’s part of the magic here. Dinner at The Barn has become something of a pilgrimage for food lovers, while the estate’s extraordinary wine cellar is one of the best in the country.
Blackberry Farm isn’t flashy, and that’s exactly why it’s so romantic. Good food. Long walks. Crackling fires. People come here to purposely reconnect.
Twin Farms, Barnard, Vermont
Twin Farms, the adults-only Relais & Châteaux retreat sits on 300 private acres in Vermont, but once you arrive, there isn’t much of a schedule unless you want one. Every one of the 28 accommodations is completely different, from whimsical cottages filled with museum-worthy contemporary art to treehouses that disappear into the forest. Guests can enjoy breakfast, lunch, dinner, wine, cocktails, picnics, activities, and even that second bottle of Champagne included in their rate (so go ahead and order the second bottle).
One day might mean fly-fishing, canoeing across Copper Pond, or biking into Woodstock. The next could be nothing more ambitious than a massage, an afternoon nap, and a multi-course tasting menu that will most definitely be one of the best meals you’ve eaten this year. Or ask the concierge to pack you a picnic, and they’ll happily deliver it almost anywhere on the property.
Feature image courtesy Mirror Lake Inn Resort & Spa. Travel Curator may earn a commission from booking links on this page.
