Valentine's Day Experiences Around The World
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TURKEY
Ahhh, the romance of Istanbul. I'd love to be swept away to the luxurious Ciragan Palace Kempinski Istanbul. The five-star hotel was a former Ottoman Palace, a perfect base for exploring the city's Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace, Grand Bazaar and Hagia Sophia. Shop 'til you drop in the chic boutiques and indulge in the city's popular neighborhood cafes. With the hotel's exclusive Valentine's Day Package for two you'll explore beyond the city environs with an included sightseeing tour by phaeton to Princes Island, filled with old wooden houses and pine trees. At the hotel, you'll enjoy four nights' accommodations, daily breakfast, dinner for two at Tugra Restaurant & Lounge (including a custom menu and wine). Even more luxurious are the typically Turkish and extravagant amenities that are part of this package: personalized handmade soap from a selection of 12 scents – this Turkish ritual is presented by a private butler who creates your selected scent and cuts the soap for you to use at the hotel and take home for your return; personalized chocolate from a selection of 21 flavors (try the Chia tea truffle; chocolate baklava made with exclusive Turkish ingredients; and a private traditional Turkish coffee cup reading. Still not enough? Melt away your cares in a Turkish hammam along with a body scrub for two. Airport transfers included. Priced starting at $3980. Must be used by February 20. 00 90 212-326-4500 or email reservation office.ciraganpalace@kempinksi.com. http://www.kempinski.com/en/istanbul/ciragan-palace/welcome/
Drama is all yours in skyscraper-filled Dubai. With the Suite Surprise" package from The Oberoi you'll have to have your camera ready to capture the incredible views from your room. Gourmet breakfast is included. A perfect setting for any romantic proposal or vow renewal. Rates start at $708 per person. 800-562-3764 http://www.oberoihotels.com/oberoi_dubai/
Bora Bora and Moorea are on my mind. French Polynesia speaks romance with its white sandy beaches, strikingly blue waters, and thatched bungalow hotels on stilts perched over the water. At the two Hilton resorts, room service is delivered by outrigger canoe, and your bungalow comes with a glass window in the floor so you can experience the underwater sea world without ever donning a snorkel. Take the stress out of booking air and hotel and let Islands in the Sun handle all arrangements inclusive of round-trip air from Los Angeles and five nights at either the Hilton Bora Bora Nui Resort & Spa (from $3999) or the Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort & Spa($2999) in an overwater villa, breakfast included. All transfers are included, including inter-island ferry between Tahiti and Moorea. Valentine's Day gifts for your special someone are already part of these packages: a romantic Motu Tapu Escape with a picnic lunch in Bora Bora, and a black pearl pendant in Moorea. Upgrades and spa services are available. http://islandsinthesun.com. 888-828-6877 http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/french-polynesia/hilton-bora-bora-nui-resort-and-spa-PPTBNHI/accommodations/index.html http://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/french-polynesia/hilton-moorea-lagoon-resort-and-spa-PPTMLHI/accommodations/index.html
I'd jet to the city of Porto in a minute for this luxury package. The Yeatman, a Relais & Châteaux wine hotel and spa, has enticed me with its romance package. Starting at approximately $857, the package pampers you with a five-course wine pairing dinner in The Orangeries and a Caudalie spa massage for two. Your room comes with a private terrace with views of the Douro River and Porto, discounts off spa treatments, breakfast daily, and access to the indoor infinity pool (with its spectacular view of the river and city), gymnasium, and well-being area. +351 220 133 185/00 http://www.the-yeatman-hotel.com/en/
The InterContinental Vienna and Amsterdam hotels will sweep you off your feet with their super romance packages. Start with a three-course candlelight dinner which includes wine and aperitif inside a luxury cabin of a giant Ferris wheel. You'll be transported there in a horse-drawn carriage (naturally!), and after dinner a private limousine returns you to your gorgeous room at the hotel. If you'd prefer to visit the Czech Republic, the InterContinental Prague serves a four-course dinner with drinks at the hotel for Valentine's Day, along with breakfast and a cosmetic treatment for the ladies. http://www.ihg.com/hotels/us/en/reservation
The always-alive city is pure electric romance even without Valentine's Day. At the superlative InterContinental Hong Kong,you can try a "Cooking with the Culinary Stars" class or Baking Club class for couples where you'll learn to make elegant Valentine's Day desserts like vanilla/olive oil macaroons or a mango/chestnut Napoleon. If dessert's not your thing, you can learn how to make some fantastic Japanese dishes at the hotel's NOBU restaurant including Matsuhisa Nobu's signature black cod miso. Nobu doesn't forget sweets lovers (no worries): they'll also teach you how to make Japanese-Peruvian desserts too. 877-834-3613 http://www.ihg.com/intercontinental/hotels/gb/en/hong-kong/hkghc/hoteldetail
Indulge your diving or snorkeling urge at the gorgeous Jumeirah Dhevanafushi, an exclusive island resort in the Maldives. Your personal butler will ensure an amazing experience, whether you stay in your beautiful suite, or venture to the garden or private beach for guided reef snorkeling. Dinner, a foot massage, sparkling wine, and spa treatments are included. In your room, you'll be entranced by the romantic design left on your bed, the bubble bath turndown, and various arrival and departure gifts. https://www.jumeirah.com/en/hotels-resorts/maldives/jumeirah-dhevanafushi/
An island escape from the Polar Vortex may be just what the doctor ordered for your Valentine's Day. At the Jade Mountain resort in St. Lucia, the views are as divine as are the spa treatments. Specially created for Valentine's Day, The Alchemy of Two is a ritual designed for couples, a bath infused with male and female oils, sweetened with poetry and treats, and finished with a side-by-side massage using warming oils and a handcrafted chocolate dessert. Take home a bit of what you've experienced after enrolling in a Mini-Massage Course to learn how to give each other the gift of massage. 800-223-1108 www.jademountain.com.
Just a little further south and even closer to Land's End, Capella Pedregal, celebrates the season of love with a variety of evenings such as film night around an outdoor bonfire, a romantically themed five-course dinner evening, or a day to learn how to make chocolate fondue, a spa holiday keyed around the cycles of the moon, and more. +52 624 163 4300 www.capellahotels.com/cabosanlucas