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Romantic Travel Spots Around the World

These are considered some of the best romantic spots around the world. Where would you like to go?

House of Jasmines in Salta, Argentina
The hottest attraction in Argentina’s northwest corner is the seven-suite House of Jasmines, actor Robert Duvall’s 120-year-old, 300-acre ranch in the shadow of the Andes. On foot or horseback, guests are free to roam the Edenic grounds, which are overrun with aromatic roses, orchids, and jasmine. Inside your white-on-white adobe casita, the best treat you can give yourselves is a long siesta in the wrought-iron four-poster bed. Try a granita made with the region’s signature wine, Torrontes.

Red Capital Ranch, Beijing, China
There’s not much at the arcadian Red Capital Ranch to disturb a weekend tryst—except, of course, its gaspingly close proximity to the Great Wall. There are just 10 villas; request one with a rooftop terrace. Feast on Manchurian mountain dishes (lamb roasted over an open fire with willow leaves), or simply cocoon in a corner of the Tiger Bar and soak up the serenity. Ascend the wall at sunset to watch the surrounding hills, rustic villages, and crumbling watchtowers melt into the purple haze of northern China’s twilight.

Anantara Resort & Spa in Kho Lak, Thailand
Retreat from the crowds of Phuket into your own thatched-roof manor. The 51 villas all have four-poster beds and glorious views (of silvery beaches along the Andaman Sea or of a 22-acre palm grove surrounding a sapphire lagoon), and each expansive marble bathroomopens onto a secret garden. Commune with nature by visiting rescued leatherback turtles at Hat Thai Muang National Park, then take an afternoon jungle trek to secluded waterfalls and hidden beaches.

Mykonos Theoxenia Hotel in Mykonos, Greece
Standing between windmills and sand, blue crystal waters and the narrow, cobblestoned streets of Mykonos, the restored Mykonos Theoxenia is everything you wouldn’t expect from a classic Greek hotel. Its 52 rooms revisit the sixties, with Pop canvases and retro furniture playing off stark-white stone buildings that glow in the afternoon sun. Watch the moon rise over the sacred island of Delos from deserted Kapari Beach. The concierge will take care of all details, including a speedboat to bring you back to the hotel.

The Palms in the Turks and Caicos
At the Palms resort, on Turks and Caicos’ celebrated Grace Bay Beach, guests can wander through water gardens, relax beside the infinity pool, or choose a treatment administered in the 15,000-square-foot spa. All of the 72 suites—which have vaulted ceilings, marble floors, and Roman baths—overlook the ocean and come with terraces where couples can dine alfresco before slipping past the railing and testing the waters together. Book one of the three-bedroom penthouse suites. They’re accessible only by private elevator and come with a butler.

Romantic Travel Spots in Canada and Mexico

Dinner in a 400-year-old mansion overlooking the Bosporus. A couples massage just steps from the South Pacific. A rural retreat where no one can find you. By changing the setting, we allow ourselves not only to fall in love with a new place, but also to see the same face in a different light. So whether you’re planning a secret getaway or you’re just an incorrigible dreamer, read on.

Hacienda Puerta Campeche in Campeche, Mexico
Crafted from a row of colonial-era houses, the Yucatán Peninsula’s latest hacienda brings a dose of urbane style to this historic town. Most of the 15 guest rooms have a bathroom the size of a big-city apartmentand a sun-drenched daybed. Pools built between the red and yellow façades of the old manor houses flow through porticos from room to room and are capped with floating hammocks. Ask a driver to take you to the nearby ruins of Edzna. After midnight, the pyramid complex makes a perfect backdrop for an unforgettable proposal.

Casa Lisa in Los Cabos, Mexico
The Baja Peninsula’s Casa Lisa may share a shoreline with the exclusive Esperanza resort, but at this five-bedroom villa, the only person who shares your view of the pale blue sea is your partner. If snorkeling and kayaking don’t inspire you, head to the desert for horseback riding, then celebrate sunset over Land’s End with a fresh margarita. Watch your host, Ali Ordoñez, catch spiny lobsters in front of the villa and whisk them to your chef, who will serve them by candlelight in a thatched cabana.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada
The 19-room Drake Hotel combines urban elegance with a dose of the avant-garde. Check out the cityscape from the wooden rooftop, Sky Yard, which becomes an ice bar and starlit movie theater in winter; the hotel provides overstuffed parkas and hot toddies so you can keep warm while you watch. The Drake’s Pleasure Menu takes room service to the next level; frisky guests can discreetly order massage oils, how-to videos, and other intimacy kits.

Four Seasons in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada
The newest addition to the Four Seasons family in North America hugs the base of Blackcomb Mountain, just 90 miles north of Vancouver. Après-ski here means having the concierge arrange a dogsled ride through the forest to an alfresco dinner for two, served under a heated canopy.

Romantic Travel Spots in the U.S.

Dinner in a 400-year-old mansion overlooking the Bosporus. A couples massage just steps from the South Pacific. A rural retreat where no one can find you. By changing the setting, we allow ourselves not only to fall in love with a new place, but also to see the same face in a different light. So whether you’re planning a secret getaway or you’re just an incorrigible dreamer, read on.

The Inn at Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton, South Carolia
On a tidal stretch of the May River, just west of Hilton Head, the new Inn at Palmetto Bluff puts the charm back into Southern hospitality. Spend mornings paddling kayaks along marsh-lined coastal waterways inhabited by snowy egrets and playful dolphins, or pedaling bikes with a naturalist on woodland trails fragrant with loblolly pine. In the 50 white clapboard cottages, landscapes by low-country artists evoke a languorous, bygone era. Paint each other with therapeutic mud, then soak in a Spanish moss-and-citrus bath during the Boggin’ massage treatment at the spa.

The Aviary at Twin Farms in Barnard, Vermont
BARNARD, VERMONT
Luxury at this 1930’s estate has been taken up a notch with the Aviary suite: the latest addition to the property is a 1,100-square-foot house for two built into the treetops, with floor-to-ceiling windows framing views of the Green Mountains. Should cross-country skiing and tobogganing on the 300-acre property fail to send Cupid’s arrows flying, nap hearthside with your partner and a bottle of wine. Try a deep-sea body wrap or hydrotherapy soak at the spa.

Vera Wang Suite at Halekulani in Honolulu, Hawii
Revisit your wedding day in the newly opened Vera Wang Suite, a collaboration between the A-list bridal designer and the Hawaiian landmark hotel that hovers on the edge of Waikiki’s famous surf. Wang breaks the Halekulani’s all-white tradition with a fruity palette in the lounge and private dining room—which is set with her signature crystal and china. Have a traditional Polynesian Nonu massage or a couple’s lomilomi in the newly christened Spa Halekulani.

New York City
In winter, the city sparkles beneath crystal-blue skies, and the cold air draws only the toughest outdoors. High above Fifth Avenue, Boudoir Suites in the landmark Pierre hotel have panoramic vantages of snow-dusted Central Park. If you hold your wedding at the Pierre—with up to 200 of your closest friends—the hotel will present you with a seven-night honeymoon at any Four Seasons resort.

South Beach, Miami
Just when you thought this city couldn’t get any steamier, another style-driven hotel opens its doors. Right next to Gianni Versace’s former mansion, the L. Murray Dixon-built Hotel Victor has been restored in high sybaritic fashion by celebrated French designer Jacques Garcia. Those dramatic guest rooms are lovely places to linger, with ebony-lacquered furniture and large soaking tubs tucked behind diaphanous draperies.

10 Tips to Cancellation, Change and Refund Policies

1. There’s no blanket travel cancellation policy. Policies and contracts of carriage vary from airlines to airline, hotel to hotel, and change all the time. It’s best to check with your airline and hotel directly to find out what their current policies are before you go.

2. The closer you get to your departure date, the harder it is to change your policy.

3. Most hotels give full, or at least partial, refunds.

4. While it’s more complicated with airlines, many carriers do make attempts to accommodate passengers. In the past, many airlines have allowed passengers to change their tickets within a specific time frame in the case of a terrorism attack with “Peace of Mind” policies that allow passengers to rebook tickets free of charge, or receive credit for a future trip. It’s good business, and once one major airline allows changes, many follow suit.

5. Keep in mind that some airlines do not refund tickets purchased through a third-party discounter, or on the Internet through sites like Orbitz. Call the agency or packager you booked through first to see what’s possible.

6. Always make your travel purchases with a credit card. If a hotel or airline closes, you’ll be cover under the Fair Billing Act.

7. Consider buying insurance that covers war and acts of terrorism. If you already have insurance for your trip to London, read the fine print. Often you can cancel the trip and get a full refund.

8. For extra protection, always purchase travel insurance through a third party.

9. For traveling to London or any other international destination, expect to spend at least $200 to change your ticket, but contact the airline before your originally scheduled departure date. Changing tickets after the flight has left is much more complicated.

10. If you do decide to rebook your flight, be sure to find out the rules and regulations. Some airlines require that you make new reservations immediately, while others will allow you to rebook within a year.

How to get your reluctant spouse to a bed & breakfast

Does your spouse refuse to stay at a bed and breakfast? Maybe these thoughts can help you convince them:

1. It’s generally smart to begin with the usual methods of convincing — logic and the like. If that doesn’t work, resort to the more complex (sometimes trickier) options outlined below.

2. Explain that bed and breakfasts are almost universally recognized as a more personal alternative to hotels and motels. And that you can make sure you will have a private bathroom.

3. Assure your spouse that inns are run by professionals — and stay at a larger bed and breakfast (i.e. one with more than 10 rooms) at first if that helps.

4. Appeal to other interests: “The best public golf course in the state is right next to this bed and breakfast.”

5. Cut a deal: “If we stay at a bed and breakfast, I’ll buy the present for your mother’s next birthday. And your father…”

6. Make the trip a secret, but be aware that this could backfire. If your spouse gets upset when you arrive, the whole trip could be sour.

7. Be sure to pick a top-notch bed and breakfast. Get recommendations from other friends and from online discussion groups.

8. Splurge on a nice room. Perhaps your spouse will enjoy the Jacuzzi tub and king-size bed.

9. Let the innkeepers know what’s going on. They’re likely to go out of their way to help ensure a pleasant stay.

10. Be patient. Bed and breakfasts are totally different than chain hotels and motels, so it might take some time for your spouse to warm up to the experience.

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