Romantic Getaways That Will Sweep You off Your Feet

If you’re looking for romantic getaways in the United States, we got five worthy – and diversly different – picks in Opal destinations, just for the two of you.

How do you like to rev up the romance? Do you envision wiling a weekend away in the woods at an Adirondack lodge, sipping champagne on a balcony overlooking a quaint New England harbor, or maybe soaking up some rays side-by-side on a private Florida resort beach? Whether you’re planning a proposal for a coming Valentine’s Day or just want to sneak away for some quality one-on-one time at any point in the year, we’ve got just the list of romantic getaways and experiences that make for an indelible love story.

A GILDED-ERA ESCAPE ON THE GULF

What could be more romantic than descending down a grand staircase hand-in-hand? Or rocking away a warm evening together on a sweeping veranda bathed in sunset? Or slinking away to a wood-paneled den-like space for a glass of wine and an intimate conversation beside the fire? Couples relish these exact scenes at the 35-room Belleview Inn, a romantic and intimate 1897 Queen Ann-style Victorian inn just minutes from Clearwater, Florida.  

• Most Romantic Room: Named after the 1908 steam yacht built for Morton Plant (the son of Henry Plant, who built the original hotel), the fourth-floor King Iolanda Suite is home to a parlor adorned in Victorian-era appointments and a claw-foot tub that feels like it could have been plucked from the original hotel.
• For Couples Quality Time: Couples love the complimentary breakfast baskets – brimming with flaky, fresh-baked croissants, fresh juice, and locally roasted coffee – that appear outside their guestroom door each morning. But what they love even more is the ability to turn that into a breakfast picnic at various spaces on property – find a few favorite suggestions in “3 Places to Take Your Belleview Inn Breakfast Picnic”
• Sweeten Your Stay: Various touches pay tribute to the hotel’s previous Gilded Age glamour – if you know where to look. Luckily, there’s an audio guide narrated by the hotel’s historian, Joey Vars, (as well as QR codes posted around the property) to give couple’s insight as you wander together taking in such grand wonders as the Tiffany Room, the column-lacking lobby, and the original grand staircase that has been climbed by the likes of the Studebakers, the Fords, the DuPonts, and the Vanderbilts.

COZY UP TOGETHER IN THE ADIRONDACKS

In the heart of the six-million-acre forested wilderness of the Adirondacks in upstate New York, Lake Placid Lodge seems as if it was specifically designed with couples in mind. That’s because the sprawling, private retreat – hand-built in the Arts and Crafts Great Camp tradition with gorgeous Adirondack design – naturally fuels romance. Here, cell phones are an afterthought, there is just a single TV on property, and the “bird-nest” beds custom-built by a local artisan and fireplaces in every room demand lazy mornings spent together.

• Most Romantic Room: With details that are designed to make alone time feel truly special, the Whiteface Suite features massive timber beams and a lofted ceiling, an enormous king-size bed wrapped in vines, a stone fireplace and claw-foot tub, and – best of all – a private balcony equipped with a queen-size daybed set on a swing and a million-dollar view of the lake.
• For Couples Quality Time: During warmer weather, the resort’s 35-foot mahogany Hacker Craft – lovingly named Christie – is one of the most intimate ways to get familiar with the five-mile-long Lake Placid. During winter months, opt to explore the frozen lake hand-in-hand by grabbing a pair of skates from the front desk.
• Sweeten Your Stay: Take advantage of an exceptionally romantic dining experience in the private, wine cellar – a vaulted brick space with vines on the ceiling and rare vintages carefully tucked away in backlit alcoves.

YOUR OWN PRIVATE ISLAND ESCAPE OFF THE KEYS

You know you’ve landed somewhere very special once you disembark the small shuttle boat that whisks guests to Sunset Key Cottages, a 27-acre private island resort just 500 yards from the western edge of lively Key West, Florida. Could it be the perfect crescent of private sugar-white sand studded with lounge chairs and tiki umbrellas? The impeccably appointed stand-alone cottages with authentic Victorian-style tin roofs? The outdoor dining experience at Latitudes, where coastal-inspired culinary creations are served to you right on the sand, surrounded by tiki torches and a breathtaking backdrop of the Gulf? Whatever detail calls to you most, these are the kind of romantic touches that greet couples around every corner.

• Most Romantic Room: At 2,500 square feet in size, the Four-Bedroom Oceanfront Cottages might offer more room than a couple needs. But they come with a few details that the other cottages don’t: Your own private walk-out porch, plunge pool, and swath of beach for super special – and secluded – moments together.
• For Couples Quality Time: There’s nothing more relaxing than a couples massage together. And at the Opal Spa at Sunset Key Cottages, all massages and body treatments can be performed as couples treatments, so why not indulge in a quenching aloe wrap or the Signature Bliss Journey as a duo.
• Sweeten Your Stay: Book a fishing charter through the resort’s concierge that picks you up right at the property’s dock and spend the day playfully competing for the best trophy fish. And you don’t have to throw it back either: Latitudes is happy to get creative and cook it up for you for a romantic dinner.

AN INTIMATE ALL-SUITE RETREAT ON THE GULF

Love the Gulf, but don’t love the crowds and chaos so often found at larger Florida beach resorts? Edgewater Beach Hotel – located in the swanky community of Naples, Florida – couldn’t be further from that. In fact, with just over 100 rooms, you get the intimacy of a boutique inn, but all the benefits of a world-class beachfront resort. Think champagne upon arrival; a professionally managed white-sand beach with beach chairs, luxury beach beds, cabanas, umbrellas, kayaks, and paddleboards to help you craft the perfect day; and an on-site restaurant that takes guests on a culinary journey around the world with a globally-inspired menu.

• Most Romantic Room: All accommodations are full suites, meaning, no matter what room you book, you’ll have space to spread out – thanks to kitchens and living rooms – no matter what. Still, if looking to splurge, the resort’s Penthouse suite boasts a prime beachfront location with a deep soaking tub, private balcony, and a stairwell that leads right down to the beach.
• For Couples Quality Time: The hotel’s Dining on the Sand is a special dining package couples can book, where the resort’s blocks off a parcel of sand on the northern end of the beach for a private sunset dinner on a linen-lined table for two.
• Sweeten Your Stay: Get chauffeured to the local sights of Fifth Avenue South, Tin City, and Cambier Park via the resort’s GEM, a lightweight electric vehicle.

NEW ENGLAND COASTAL CHARM NESTLED ON A BLUFF

Dating back to 1874, Wentworth by the Sea’s historic charm provides a unique and enchanting backdrop for a New England couples getaway. Picture Victorian elements that add a fairytale-like quality: turrets and towers, an expansive wraparound veranda, high ceilings, intricate moldings, and other lavish and elaborate furnishings. Nestled on a bluff overlooking the harbor in quiet New Castle, New Hampshire, it’s more than a place to take in history, but make history of your own with fine dining in Salt Kitchen & Bar, two heated pools, and beautiful on-site gardens that burst with colorful blooms in the warmer seasons.

• Most Romantic Room: The three iconic bi-level Turret Suites are truly first-class with stunning spiral staircases that lead to lofted bedrooms and windows overlooking the boats bobbing in Little Harbor.
• For Couples Quality Time: The newly renovated on-site spa recently premiered a Salt & Sound Lounge, a climate-controlled, zen-like space where couples can slink away to meditate while receiving salt-inhalation therapy against the backdrop of a beautiful backlit pink Himalayan salt wall.
• Sweeten Your Stay: Again, a long-winded history permeates this property with period details hidden around every corner. To make it into something of a historical treasure hunt for two, see if you can spot all five of these artifacts and relics, from an 18-foot antique wooden boat that played an important role in the 1905 Treaty of Portsmouth to antique brass and iron skeleton keys on display from the hotel’s Gilded-era heyday.