The Most Romantic Weekend Getaways in the US
Romantic weekend getaways look different for every couple—but whether your idea of a great trip together includes a cozy fireplace and a glass of Merlot, a memorable farm-to-table dinner and a stroll through gorgeous gardens, a resort-style beachfront escape, or even a lazy day on a private island, there’s a hotel or resort that can make your vision a reality. From a Colorado cabin surrounded by hot springs to several luxury tropical resorts in Hawaii and Florida (hello: warm weather!), here are our picks for the dreamiest romantic weekend getaways in the US. Visit them any time of year and for any reason, whether you’re seeking a holiday for two, celebrating a milestone, or just in search of a quiet weekend to unwind with nobody to focus on but one another.
This gallery has been updated since its original publish date.
All listings featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. If you book something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
San Ysidro RanchhotelSan Ysidro Ranch — Santa Barbara
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Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023What’s to love: The pinnacle of US romantic retreats, this history-steeped, 550-acre hideaway overlooking the scenic coast of Montecito has hosted the who’s who of high society, world politics, and Hollywood over the decades, including honeymooners John and Jacqueline Kennedy in 1953. Today, San Ysidro Ranch stands as a comprehensive study in ultra-luxury—past and present—where cascading gardens, bucolic vine-cloaked cottages, and detail-focused staff set the stage for timeless love stories. Each of the 38 accommodations is individually decorated, featuring hand-selected antique furnishings, original artwork, handmade four-poster canopy beds, and sublime soaking tubs (Most cottages also flaunt private patios with plunge pools, oversized hammocks, and dining areas.) Manicured grounds are strewn with olive and oak groves, lavender fields, lemon pergolas, and rose gardens, framing pathways that reach coveted creature comforts like a heated hillside pool, a full-service spa, award-winning restaurant, The Stonehouse, and under-the-radar celeb hangout, The Speakeasy at Plow & Angel.
Romance factor: Enjoy a private, candle-lit dinner in the property’s most historic space, a bona fide old adobe cottage dating to 1825, choosing from the same sublime farm-and ocean-to-table menu of The Stonehouse (The Santa Barbara diver-caught sea urchin, pan-seared Santa Barbara abalone with housemade squid ink capellini, and line-caught English Channel Dover sole are three must-tries.) Organize a tasting in the Secret Cellar, tucked behind the 12,000+ bottles of the Ranch’s principal underground wine cellar, and sip away as a designated sommelier guides you through flights of fine French and local wines. Venture off-property for rewarding hikes and pursuits in Santa Barbara wine country.
Get there: A 90-minute drive from Los Angeles International Airport
Tim Lenz/Courtesy Skyline LodgehotelSkyline Lodge — Highlands, North Carolina
What’s to love: Though fall is our favorite time to visit, this revamped retro-chic motor lodge in the scenic Blue Ridge Mountains is a value-conscious option for appreciating North Carolina’s great outdoors in all seasons (It’s also a great choice for couples who like to travel with their dogs, even on romantic outings). Guest rooms surround a lifestyle-driven lawn (cornhole and s’mores, anyone?) where pups and peeps are free to roam. In-house restaurant, Oak Steakhouse, is located at the edge of the property, meaning fabulous drinking and dining are literally just steps away.
Romance factor: Days here are often about rewarding hikes, and there are dozens of trails to choose from, including Whiteside Mountain, a short but steep two-mile Whiteside Mountain trail with sweeping views from the highest vertical cliffs in the eastern United States. Discover the myriad, breathtaking waterfalls the Highlands are famed for, starting with an exhilarating ascent to High Falls in Lake Glenville’s Pines Recreation Area as well as a trip to serene Ranger Falls. In warmer months, look forward to boating, biking, horseback riding, and fly-fishing—you’re in prime North Carolina trout territory, after all.
Get there: A one-and-a-half-hour drive from Asheville by car; three-and-a-half hours from Atlanta
Heather Anne Thomas/Courtesy Blackberry FarmhotelBlackberry Farm — Walland, Tennessee
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Gold List 2018 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023What’s to love: Farm life is the good life at Blackberry Farm, a 4,200-acre pastoral estate in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains, peppered with hill cottages and multi-bedroom homes in styles ranging from country glam to sheer modernism. Expect days filled with on-estate active pursuits like archery, horseback riding, fly-fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and wake surfing on surrounding mountain lakes. Looking for more leisurely pursuits? Book “birdwatching for the love birds,” wine tastings, spa treatments, and decadent multi-course dinners rooted in Appalachian ingredients at James Beard Award-winning restaurant, The Barn at Blackberry Farm.
Romance factor: Rise and shine for an epic sunrise over the Great Smoky Mountains. Reconnect with nature, yourself, and your loved one during a 90-minute Deep Healing Woods meditation or yoga session, led by an instructor and performed deep in the woodsy surrounds (read: there will be a small hike first). After, let your muscles melt during a 50, 80, or 110-minute couples’ massage at The Wellhouse, the property’s sprawling spa and wellness center.
Get there: A four-hour drive from Atlanta; three hours from Asheville; 45 minutes from Knoxville
Charissa Fayhotel1 Hotel South Beach – Miami
$$ | Gold List 2023 
Hot List 2016 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023What’s to love: In between the neon-trimmed Art Deco mainstays of South Beach rises this soothing, nature-inspired hotel that delivers a holistic retox-detox Miami fantasy—with a welcomed, eco-conscious slant. Look forward to a sprawling warm-weather escape rife with the most picture-perfect expanses, from an eye-catching lobby, anchored by a triple-story, moss-strewn living wall to 600 feet of full-service linear beachfront to Miami Beach’s largest rooftop swimming pool (fronting a primo Miami see-and-be-seen restaurant, Watr at the Rooftop). The 1’s guest rooms and suites are both vacation and staycation romance gold; they’re unexpectedly large, starting at 550 square feet, many with ocean-view balconies, and all featuring floor-to-ceiling glass doors or windows plus open floor plans. Adding to the buzz is a 100% carbon-neutral mantra, which manifests through the likes of recycled pine headboards, clothes hangers made from recycled paper, and in-room water filters, proving that sustainability and luxury can beautifully coexist.
Romance factor: Fitness-driven couples will appreciate the advanced wellness programming (glute camp and metabolic meltdown are two favorites), an on-site Soul Cycle studio, and the cutting-edge Anatomy Gym. Recharged and renewed, head to Tala Beach, Miami’s best feet-in-the-sand restaurant/bar, located directly on the 1’s swathe of beach; it’s a Mediterranean-inspired reverie of driftwood furniture and cozy day beds planted in the sands among sea grapes, towering palms, and potted succulents that could make anyone swoon.
Get there: A 20-minute ride from Miami International Airport
The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMadhotelThe Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad
$$$ | Hot List 2023 Readers' Choice Awards 2023The Ritz-Carlton New York, NoMad
What’s to love: Despite having America’s largest and most vibrant metropolis at your fingertips, we wouldn’t blame you if you never wanted to leave confines of this chic hotel, which rises 50 stories over the NYC’s burgeoning NoMad neighborhood and commands spectacular city views from just about everywhere. The newly constructed modernist building impresses with a surfeit of personality-driven, high design spaces by some of the biggest names in the industry, including Rafael Viñoly Architects, Rockwell Group, Lazaro Rosa-Violan Studio, Martin Brudnizki, and SUSSURUS International. The design showcase begins with a wow-factor lobby, erupting in plant life and floral presentations, the first—and most overt—nod to the hotel’s location in the city’s vibrant Flower District (Soon after, the inspiration becomes magnificently conceptual. Think: chandeliers fashioned after flower pedals.) The hotel’s 250 residential-style guest rooms include 19 suites, each looking sharp in sleek accents and lines and timeless with a neutral color palette and near floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the room with natural light and skyline vistas. Overall, this ultra-luxe property looks and feels more like a love child between brands Aman and 1 Hotels and less like Ritz-Carlton’s predictable fare—and we’re here for it.
Romance factor: Book ahead for the tasting menu downstairs at The Bazaar by José Andrés and embark on a memorable culinary journey that unites the best of Spain and Japan. Kick off the night with a pre-dinner cocktail at The Bazaar Bar, ogling the glamorous surroundings and the artistically presented drinks. For a nightcap, ascend to the 50th floor to Nubeluz, Manhattan’s most au courant rooftop bar. Take the food and drink experience up a notch by staying on The Ritz-Carlton Club Level, which grants access to a sprawling 36th floor lounge. Here, an endless pour of Champagne, full-on food presentations by José Andrés (the likes of which include composed oysters and jumbo prawn cocktail) and panoramas of downtown Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty await.
Get there: Right in the heart of New York City; a 35-minute ride from New York’s LaGuardia Airport
Gordon Beall/Courtesy The Inn at Little WashingtonhotelInn at Little Washington — Virginia
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2021What’s to love: Food lovers and true romantics should check into this 23-key Relais & Chateaux property by Chef and owner Patrick O’ Connell, where design and service excellence match the gastronomic greatness of the Inn’s three-star Michelin restaurant. Over the last 45+ years, O’ Connell, who was bestowed a James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award and National Humanities Medal in 2019, has nurtured his passion project into an entire campus of restored historic buildings, including a main inn, an 1850s Victorian house, a circa 1740s cottage, the informal Patty O’s Café & Bakery and a three-star Michelin restaurant that’s quite possibly the country’s best. Standouts from a recent meal included a henhouse egg of garlic custard with sunchoke puree and parmesan cream; a pasta “rose” with local silver queen corn, chanterelles, and sungold tomatoes; and a chartreuse of savoy cabbage and Maine lobster with caviar beurre blanc.
Romance factor: Wow your loved one by booking an in-kitchen experience with O’Connell, during which he’ll guide you through his creative process and showpiece gilded kitchen over truffle-rich popcorn, caviar-laced bites, and fine wine before enjoying an epic, multi-course dinner. (Reservations must be made in advance.) Allow ample time to linger in your suite or cottage—the Americana-meets-Victorian floral fairytale rooms are idyllic backdrops for romance under the sheets. Map out hikes, short and long, through nearby Shenandoah National Park to help work off decadent breakfasts, afternoon tea, and the never-ending snacks found around the Inn.
Get there: About two hours from Washington, D.C. by car; four hours from Philadelphia
STEVEN ROTHFELDhotelMeadowood Napa Valley
$$$ | Gold List 2024 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022What’s to love: Napa Valley’s superlative back-to-nature experience beckons at Meadowood, a 250-acre forested estate sprinkled with rustic-chic cottages and stilted lodges. On site are myriad walking trails, an adults-only swimming pool, Forum restaurant, the alfresco Terrace Café, and The Meadowood Spa (our favorite in Napa). Just beyond the Meadowood gates, find some of the best wineries in all of California wine country.
Romance factor: The crackling fireplaces, intimate terraces, and verdant surroundings make Meadowood prime real estate for romance. Connect over glorious spa time with massages in a treehouse suite. And, since Michelin three-star The Restaurant at Meadowood (TRAM) has yet to reopen, check out the next best things. There’s Forum, Meadowood’s ingredients-driven dining, and two miles away, there’s the other fabulous venture by TRAM chef Christopher Kostow, The Charter Oak. Expect dining divinity with dishes like slow smoked beet with black garlic bbq sauce and walnut relish; and bavette steak with pestled mustard leaves and creamed radishes.
Get there: A two-hour drive from San Francisco; seven hours from Los Angeles
Courtesy Mauna Lani, Auberge Resorts CollectionhotelMauna Lani, Auberge Resorts Collection — Hawaii
$$$ | Hot List 2020 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023What’s to love: Reimagined in 2020 (to the tune of $200 million) and integrated into the Auberge Resorts Collection, Mauna Lani now flaunts an understated, contemporary style that builds upon its iconic open-air design and takes full advantage of the views across the Kona-Kohala coast. Look forward to lounging around the adults-only swimming pool and the beach club, framed by stunning black lava formations. Plus, take part in programming steeped in local culture and folklore, including a sunrise paddle in the shadow of Mauna Kea volcano and afternoon storytelling with Mauna Lani's Living Culture ambassadors. From December to April, witness the spectacle of the humpback whale calving season with a private whale watching experience on Mauna Lani’s 42-foot sporting yacht.
Romance factor: Anticipate a dinner to remember at oceanfront restaurant CanoeHouse, where you can savor an epic sunset while feasting on Hawaiian-inspired cuisine. Built around local produce and Hawaii's ocean-to-table riches, the menu includes such dishes as broiled Big Island hearts of palm (with tomatillo, roasted jalapeño, avocado, and cilantro) and grilled whole Keahole lobster with miso butter and finger lime. Make your way off property to take in the Big Island’s full splendor from above: consider booking the 2 hour “Big Island Spectacular” tour with Waterfall Landing by Blue Hawaiian Helicopters and zoom out on the island’s volcanic fury and mist-shrouded mountain magic while making a pit stop at the base of a 1,200-foot waterfall in the Kohala Mountains.
Get there: A 40-minute drive from Kona airport on the Big Island
Courtesy Dunton Hot SpringshotelDunton Hot Springs — Dolores, Colorado
$$$ | Gold List 2018, 2020 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018What’s to love: How does an old mining town in the Colorado Rockies evolve into an incredibly special luxury destination? The answer lies in the water—the hot springs, to be more specific. Capitalizing on the region’s natural resource, Dunton Hot Springs is a collection of kitted-out log cabins surrounded by a half-dozen different hot springs. Once you’ve had your geothermal fix, take advantage of the library and the newly redesigned Saloon with cozy private dining spaces, as well as the expansive wilderness, which is ideal for hiking and horseback riding. Also plan for relaxation time at Dunton’s fabulous spa, where treatments incorporate Amala’s natural skincare line.
Romance factor: Book the three-night Mountain Romance package for the ultimate stay. The offer includes all meals and beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), Champagne upon arrival, two 75-minute spa treatments, and one half-day, privately guided activity for two. Consider adding on the lodge’s Sleigh Ride & Dine experience, which involves a sunset horse-drawn carriage ride to Dunton River Camp, where you’ll be treated to an intimate dinner for two in a 19th-century farmhouse, followed by a bonfire and cocktails under the stars.
Get there: About two hours from Cortez Municipal Airport by car; seven hours from Denver
Courtesy Four SeasonsFour Seasons Fort Lauderdale
What’s to love: America’s former Spring Break capital, Fort Lauderdale, is all grown up and has the luxury offerings to prove it. Case in point: Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale, a 189-key high design oceanfront stunner that opened in 2022 as the city’s most upscale accommodation to date. Paying homage to Fort Lauderdale’s nautical heritage, the hotel is aptly modeled after a luxury ocean liner—inclusive of glass-encased balconies—with dreamy yacht-style interiors to match (we’re obsessed with wrap-around lacquered wood desk-counter hybrid). The property ticks all the boxes one would covet in a snazzy Four Seasons stay—from excellent service to a sublime spa to an adults-only pool—and is a quieter alternative to the raging pulse of Miami Beach.
Romance factor: The property boasts not one but two of Fort Lauderdale’s top restaurants (with another next door). At MAASS, Chef Ryan Ratino, whose Washington DC restaurants carry three Michelin stars combined, brings his sophisticated talent show to the Fort Lauderdale beachfront with a Japanese-tinged, contemporary wood-fired concept that’s a true feast for the senses. At Evelyn’s, Chef Brandon Salomon presents crave-worthy eastern Mediterranean cuisine in a slick, Martin Brudnizki-designed space. One block away lies another headliner: Vitolo, from the chef behind Taylor Swift’s favorite NYC Italian-American restaurant Emilio’s Ballato, Chef Anthony Vitolo.
Get there: A 20-minute ride from Fort Lauderdale International Airport
AmanhotelAmangiri — Utah
$$$ | Gold List 2018, 2019 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022What’s to love: In between the towering sandstone cliffs and dramatic rust-hued canyons of southern Utah lies Amangiri, a working masterclass in delivering ultra-luxury in one of America’s most unspoiled, picturesque settings. Breathtaking vistas of the Colorado Plateau abound thanks to a minimalist design that skews heavy on glass, transitional indoor-outdoor spaces and structures etched into the surrounding sedimentary rock, including the got-to-see-it-believe-it heated swimming pool. Spacious rooms promise the ultimate in serenity, service is tops without being intrusive, the gastronomy is consistently excellent, and activities skew experiential to once-in-a-lifetime. It's with good reason Amangiri reigns one of the most hyped hotels on social media.
Romance factor: Wear your cutest desert hiking threads for the Navajo Nation Slot Canyons tour. Amangiri boasts exclusive access to several of the canyons near iconic Antelope Canyon, including Rattlesnake Canyon and Owl Canyon. Here, you’ll revel in the red rock glory without the crowds, returning with the most amazing photos to prove it (Aman’s guides are well versed in the canyons’ most Instagrammable shots and are happy to snap away.) Another day, plan to scale mountain sides via cables and ladder rungs at the on-site Via Ferrata circuit, bonding over this unforgettable (and white-knuckled), instructor-led experience. Afterwards, relax in the 25,000 square feet spa and then engage in one of the many Navajo cultural activities in the main pavilion, including Navajo storytelling by the fire.
Get there: A twenty-minute drive from Page Airport; a 4.5-hour drive from Phoenix International Airport and four-hour drive from Las Vegas International Airport
Courtesy Four Seasons Hotels and ResortshotelFour Seasons Resort Lanai — Hawaii
$$$ | Gold List 2018, 2020, 2022 Hot List 2017 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023What’s to love: With a resident population of around 3,100 and an acreage just under 150 square miles, Lanai is about as off-the-grid as it gets within the United States. Here, the iconic Four Seasons Resort Lanai rises above picture-perfect Hulope Bay, delivering a sense of seclusion—and style of pampering—typically found only on a private island. Take in the sweeping views, hike the rocky coastline (or the nearby cliffs), unwind in the Hawanawana Spa, and indulge in meals at on-site restaurants Nobu, Malibu Farm, and One Forty.
Romance factor: Look forward to off-the-grid activities, which can be booked pre-arrival through the Four Seasons or on-site through Lanai Ambassadors. Rent a house Jeep, and choose your own adventure across Lanai’s endless dirt roads, passing expanses of rocky, windswept terrain and discovering beaches you’ll have all to yourself. Charter a private catamaran from the resort for a Champagne-in-hand sunset sail, and the chance to see humpback whales breaching on the horizon. Back on property, take advantage of amenities such as the adults-only pool area, which has cabana cocoons and rock grottoes, and hike the short, cliff-side path to Pu'upehe (Sweetheart Rock).
Get there: A 25-minute flight from Honolulu
Kindra Clineff/Courtesy The PointhotelThe Point — Upper Saranac Lake, New York
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2023What’s to love: Go back in time to the Great Camp era of the late 19th century and experience a harbinger of American glamping at William Avery Rockefeller’s former private estate, The Point, in Upper Saranac Lake. Sleep in one of four rustic log houses, where guestrooms feature period furnishings, a roaring stone fireplace, and bonafide Rockefeller relics. Take to the forested lakeside grounds for active pursuits, from curling, snowshoeing, and ice skating in winter to hiking, waterskiing, and boating in summer.
Romance factor: Impeccable hospitality and bucolic surroundings recreate a lost-in-time glamor. Staff stand at the ready to pour glasses of sparkling wine and serve an array of gourmet snacks throughout the day—the all-inclusive policy and culinary excellence of noted chef Loïc Leperlier and his team make it hard to say no. In the tradition of the Rockefellers, nightly dinner is an elaborate, formal affair and a chance to dress to impress, namely on black-tie Wednesdays and Saturdays. There’s plenty of romance during the day, too. Anticipate morning mimosas at the private ice bar over frozen Upper Saranac Lake in winter. Come summer, indulge in a private, multi-course lunch at Camp David, a tiny cabin hidden within The Point’s network of nature trails, as well as picture-perfect sunset cruises on a vintage wooden boat.
Get there: Direct Cape Air flights from Boston and New York City to Saranac Lake, NY with complimentary transportation to and from The Point; about a five-and-a-half-hour drive from New York City or Boston
Read McKendreehotelSanctuary Camelback Mountain, A Gurney’s Resort & Spa — Scottsdale
$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021What’s to love: Scottsdale has its fair share of desert chic properties, but for a romantic getaway we’re partial to Sanctuary Camelback Mountain, A Gurney's Resort & Spa. (And we’re not the only ones—Beyoncé and Jay-Z honeymooned here, too.) Surrounded by the natural rugged beauty of Camelback Mountain, the 53-acre property comprises a series of contemporary Sonoran-inspired casitas, suites, and villas, many with private patios and some featuring sky-lit bathrooms and glass rock fireplaces. Savor Asian-tinged, farm-fresh American cuisine at elements, the signature restaurant. Soak up the Arizona sun in a lounger poolside and later luxuriate in the heavenly Sanctuary Spa.
Romance factor: For a night to remember, try the tasting menu at Christopher’s at Wrigley Mansion. Here, James Beard award winner Christopher Gross and his all-star team impress with an ever-changing, immaculately conceived (and choreographed) epicurean adventure over eight (or so) courses. A previous dinner included such dishes as the Kaluga caviar and 24-K Italian gold leaf-crowned “Egg, Egg and Egg” (served in a shell, naturally) and Miyazaki A5 Wagyu beef cooked over hot stones, and served with a decadent bearnaise sauce.
Getting there: A 20-minute drive from Phoenix
Little Palm Island Resort & SpahotelLittle Palm Island — Little Torch Key, Florida
$$$ | Hot List 2021 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023What’s to love: The most illustrious retreat in the Florida Keys—and the only private island resort in the U.S.— is an exercise in tropical chic, redefining the castaway fantasy right on American soil. There are a total of 30 thatched-roof bungalow suites (some freestanding, some within larger bungalows) across the four-acre island, many with four-poster beds and outdoor copper bathtubs. Thanks to a smart layout and smarter landscaping, you’ll encounter other people less often than you’d expect (a strict cap at 60 guests helps). All suites have water views, outdoor showers, and furnished decks; most also overlook private slivers of white-sand beach and are kitted out with hammocks, loungers, and fire pits. The Dining Room has sweeping sea views, and the spectacular SpaTerre complex is underscored by a breezy, two-story atrium.
Romance factor: Laze the day away on a beachfront hammock or a poolside lounger, followed by gloriously long outdoor showers and baths. Or get your heart racing with house water sports—house paddle boards, Hobie Cat catamarans, and Twin Vee boats are readily available. Head further afield with a guided snorkeling trip to Looe Key Reef, site of ongoing reef restoration efforts by MOTE Marine Laboratory & Aquarium, a Florida-based independent, nonprofit marine research institution(with whom Little Palm Island has a long-standing partnership). At night, request to table on the beach to delight in The Dining Room’s sublime cuisine, feet-in-the-sand.
Get there: A 30-minute drive from Key West International Airport to Little Torch Key’s ramp; 2.5 hours from Miami International Airport
Courtesy Twin FarmshotelTwin Farms — Barnard, Vermont
$$$ | Gold List 2018 Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023What’s to love: Amid the maple and pine trees of Barnard, Vermont—some 75 miles southeast of Burlington—you'll find this 18th-century farmhouse, which once belonged to Nobel Prize-winning writer Sinclair Lewis. Now part of a sprawling, 300-acre Relais & Chateaux estate, the original building is accompanied by 10 singular cottages, the two-bedroom Lodge, the four-bedroom Farmhouse and, most recently, 8 Michaelis Boyd-designed treehouses, completed in 2023. Accommodations range from the understated, rustic-chic treehouses to the modernist, Peter Bohlin-designed Aviary with a living-room hot tub, to the dog-friendly Log Cabin, which features hand-hewn hickory and oak furnishings. Anticipate endless farm-to-table feasts courtesy of chef Nathan Rich, whose menus change daily, as well as free-flowing wine and Champagne at this all-inclusive spot. Repeat visitors can look forward to newer restaurant Twiggs, a more informal (but equally delectable) affair than the degustation menu of the Dining Room.
Romance factor: Hole up in your accommodation all weekend long, requesting anything and everything simply by dialing 125. You can ask for another bottle of Cabernet, more wood for the fireplace, or an indulgent, multi-course meal served en suite, complete with wine pairings. Alternatively, request a packed meal to savor at one of the property’s many picnic spots, including a platform up in the trees, a mountaintop Lift Shack, and two-person glass house overlooking the produce gardens. Soak up the serenity of nature on a hike in summer or hit the slopes in winter, followed by some après ski time in Twin Farms’ Lean-to Adirondack, equipped with Vermont Wool blankets and a potbelly stove to keep things cozy.
Get there: A 1.5-hour drive from Burlington;; about three hours from Boston
Waldorf Astoria Washington DChotelThe Waldorf Astoria — Washington, DC
What’s to love: A highlight of Washington, D.C.’s historic architectural grandeur is the circa 1899 Old Post Office on Pennsylvania Avenue, which has been thoughtfully adapted into one of the country’s most impressive—and romantic—city hotels, the Waldorf Astoria Washington DC, opened in June 2022. From the exterior, the Romanesque Revival building channels the majesty of an illustrious European castle, clock tower and turrets included. Inside, 263 guest rooms frame a central atrium, illuminated by a colossal, arched skylight. Stately rooms, decked out in bold combinations of dark wood and gold trim furnishings and enhanced by royal blue soft goods, are interior power statements, fitting for America’s capital city.
Romance factor: Get lost in epic tales of American history and culture by exploring the myriad treasures of the National Mall, which extends from the United States Capitol to the Potomac River. Begin your pursuits around the corner from the Waldorf at either the towering Washington Monument or the National Museum of African American History—one of seventeen free-of-charge museums, galleries, and complexes comprising the Smithsonian Institution. In the evening, book a dinner at one of DC’s many Michelin-starred restaurants (For a novel take on modern American cuisine, we recommend the multi-course tasting menu at 20-seat restaurant Métier.) Alternatively, discover some of the city’s amazing ethnic restaurants, none better than its authentic Ethiopian haunts like Chercher DC. For prime romance, consider visiting during Cherry Blossom season, roughly mid-March to mid-April, when the city glows in soft pink hues.
Get there: Right in the heart of Washington DC; a 10-minute ride from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport
CHRIS CARTERhotelW South Beach — Miami
$$$ | Readers' Choice Awards 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020What’s to love: The design-forward, all-suite W South Beach is a more mature representation of the W brand thanks mainly to a calming aesthetic, defined by natural oak furnishings, beach house-style millwork, and a mingling of earth tones with pops of coral and teal. Views of the Atlantic Ocean abound, whether through the floor-to-ceiling windows or from the balconies found in every room. Of course, there’s a great lounge-y vibe across the common areas and a sizzling pool scene—it is a W, after all. But the hotel is far more elevated than your standard W fare with features like a multi-million dollar art collection in the lobby and extensive programming including yoga sessions, high-interval training, cocktail-making classes, plus cigars and convo with the property’s beloved General Manager (and cigar aficionado) Rick Ueno.
Romance factor: Book a relaxing massage in the couple’s room at the 9,000-square-foot Away Spa, where all treatments come with a bonus 30 minutes for luxuriating in the private, oversize steam shower. Alternate between beach time along the W’s dedicated stretch of sand and pool time in a private cabana. Sip on sunset cocktails at Irma’s, the hotel’s tropical outdoor bar, then dine at one of Miami’s top tables. (We recommend Klaw in Edgewater for a seductive, memorable affair and Delilah in Downtown for a jazz-heavy, Miami glam supper club experience.)
Get there: A 20-minute ride from Miami International Airport