Ditch the box of chocolates and long-stemmed roses this Valentine’s Day in lieu of an experience you won’t soon forget. Hotels and resorts across the country aim to wow with enticing package deals and offers that are hard to resist. Whether it's tickets to the ballet, an afternoon zooming around in a Porsche 356 Speedster, or a moonlit couple’s massage, these 10 trips are a perfect way to rekindle your romance this Valentine’s Day. —Zachary Laks
Atlanta
Home to the busiest airport in the United States, flight deals are plentiful for a romantic weekend getaway to Atlanta, Georgia. A standout among the luxury hotels of the city, the towering Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta is offering a Valentine’s Day deal this year called the “Decadent Romance” package, highlighting their top-notch service. The weekend starts with a pop as Champagne is served for a toast along with heart-shaped chocolates from a local chocolatier. Though don’t get too comfortable in the suite, you’ve got reservations for the best of Atlanta’s culture, by way of Atlanta Ballet's production of Moulin Rouge—The Ballet. The night concludes with sweeping views of downtown Atlanta and a picture-perfect rose petal turndown. Package rates from $595.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Atlanta Travel Guide
Del Mar, California
There are few things more romantic than an ocean view, especially when enjoyed from two rocking chairs on a terrace. The best of Southern California life comes through in the hospitality of L’Auberge Del Mar, a 121-room destination resort 40 minutes north of San Diego. Hosting couples year-round, Valentine’s Day weekend brings out the best in their service. The resort welcomes couples with the “With Those You Love” package, which includes a $50 spa credit and $25 food and beverage credit, along with the choice of five sweet chocolate-covered strawberries, a savory cheese board, or a split of Champagne. Package rates from $344.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s San Diego Travel Guide
Kennebunkport, Maine
Hailed as “New England’s Most Romantic Town,” Kennebunkport, Maine continues its annual tradition of decking the town in red for romance this February for Valentine's Day. Red twinkly lights dot the downtown streets while restaurants, galleries, and shops welcome couples with specials offers and packages. For the most romantic weekend, check in to the Kennebunkport Inn this Valentine's Day and let the Cupid Concierge take it from there. With optional amenities that include customized music playlists for the room, flower delivery, couple's massages, sleigh rides, and dessert in bed, you'll be glad the Cupid Concierge is on speed dial in these luxe suites. Call for pricing info.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor's Kennebunkport Travel Guide
Denver
A city brimming with new energy, Denver has emerged as a standout destination with its dozens of new restaurants (most notably Work & Class and Mercantile Dining & Provision) and cultural institution mainstays (Denver Art Museum and The Denver Center for the Performing Arts). Keeping with the bustling spirit of the city, The ART Hotel has arrived on the scene as the torch-bearer of sleek, urban design and tech innovation. A Valentine’s Day celebration in style and sophistication, the 24 Hours & A Lifetime “Valentine's Package” offers a one-night stay that includes a personalized art tour (modern art is the hotel’s highlighted attraction, with a collection that includes Ed Ruscha, Larry Bell, and Sol LeWitt) before being ushered to a private rooftop cabana where blankets and cocktails await. The night continues with fine bath amenities delivered by an in-room bath butler and a bottle of Champagne for a truly bubbly toast. Package rates from $357 also include complimentary valet, welcome cocktails, Wi-Fi and in-room snacks and beverages.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Denver Travel Guide
Palm Beach
With miles of sand, endless sun, and winter highs in the upper 70s, romance comes naturally at Palm Beach. A leading resort when it comes to idyllic romantic getaways, Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa has a few playful packages this year welcoming couples. The Eau Spa LoveFest is perfect for the couple looking for a low-key celebration in robes, as spa guests are pampered with rosé Champagne, cupcakes, and couple's treatments that include the “I Cannoli Love You” experience, where a butter brûlée milk soak leads to a sweet cream body scrub and chocolate body mask ending with a warm sweet cream body milk massage ($598).
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast Travel Guide
Austin
The live-music capital of the world, Austin is the rare city where you can find more than 30 music acts on a Monday night. As a hotspot of fine culinary experiments and an independent cultural scene to match the likes of Brooklyn and Portland, Austin is for particularly for lovers this February with the world-class Lake Austin Spa Resort. All-inclusive rates (which start at $495 per person this Valentine’s Day weekend) at the destination wellness spa include all meals (think filet mignon and seared scallops), fitness classes (upwards of eight varieties of yoga classes, aquatics classes, and guided hikes), and activities (cooking classes, boat cruise, and garden tours).
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Austin Travel Guide
Maui
Panoramas are top priority on a getaway to Hawaii, with palm trees that dot the endless landscape of mountains, beach, and ocean. It’s easy to appreciate the beauty and tranquility of Maui, especially from the luxe grounds of Hotel Wailea (a recent addition to the Relais & Châteaux portfolio), where vistas are aplenty and romance is a year-round fixture of the couples-only resort. This Valentine’s Day the hotel unveils a new “Amore & Aloha” package, fusing island life with European glamour, as guests are treated to an exclusive four-hour rental of a 1957 Porsche 356 Speedster reproduction (complete with a gourmet picnic basket lunch, perfect for one of the many drive-up beaches of Maui) and a private dinner in the hotel’s new treehouse, a dining experience suspended among the canopies in the resort’s mango and avocado orchard. Package rates from $2,465 per couple.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Maui Travel Guide
New York City
No matter what time of year, New York City is a great city for couples, with scores of romantic restaurants and experiences you can’t find anywhere else (e.g., Hamilton and concerts at Radio City Music Hall). This Valentine’s Day, opt for a sophisticated and sexy stay at The Mark hotel on the city’s Upper East Side. New this year, the hotel unveils its new partnership with Agent Provocateur, the British lingerie label known for its racy undergarments, the first partnership with a hotel in the United States. Expect a playful weekend with the “Love to Indulge” package which is set to include a Mark x Agent Provocateur signature gift, hotel car service and bellboy from your home or airport, a welcome spread that includes a bottle of Champagne, roses and chocolate-covered strawberries, a candlelit dinner for two at The Mark Restaurant by Jean-Georges, and an indulgent Champagne and caviar breakfast in bed. Package rates from $1,335.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s New York City Travel Guide
Scottsdale, Arizona
Set in the high Sonoran Desert, Scottsdale is an outdoor lover's escape to nature. Take full advantage of the area by staying at Four Seasons Resort at Troon North, where an astronomer decodes the the nighttime sky during the resort’s Celestial Picnic experience, which includes a gourmet meal for two (starting from $90). And after charting the stars, release the strain on your neck with a moonlit couple’s massage on the terrace of your personal casita. If your idea of being outdoors has more to do with enjoying a cocktail poolside than a five-mile hike, opt for the resort’s luxury poolside cabanas, where a flat-screen TV, iPad, and Bose sound system are the perfect way to spend the afternoon with your loved one. Room rates from $529.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Scottsdale Travel Guide
Nashville
Honky tonks aside, Nashville is much more than the country music capital of the world as it emerges with an exciting culinary span that ranges from new takes on Southern classics at perennial favorite Husk to lovely (and popular) brunches at Marché Artisan Foods. For the most decadent stay, opt for a Nashville original since 1910, The Hermitage Hotel. The storied hotel’s “Bel Amour” package starts with the hotel’s luxury accommodations adding romantic touches that include a rose petal turndown, a candlelit room, and the hotel’s Bath Concierge, who draws a bath for two along with the luxe trim of bath oils, floating rose petals, bathrobes, and slippers. Fresh fruit, spring water, and a choice of spirits and chocolate or cheese await after the bath. Package rates from $469 per night.
PLAN YOUR TRIP: Visit Fodor’s Nashville Travel Guide