Add to Del.icio.us
Digg this Article
Add to Mixx
A loaf of bread, a jug of wine and that may have been enough then. But this is now. So bring on the duvets, hot rock massages and whirlpools this Valentine’s Day. These weekend specials will leave you gasping, spaaaaa.
Into the Wilderness
Poplar Springs Inn and Spa
Poplar Springs may feel a thousand miles away, but it is a mere 45 minutes from the Memorial Bridge. Splendidly isolated, the intimate inn and spa are set amid 200 spectacular acres in Casanova (how apt!), Virginia.
Wander the paths, ponder the lake, or indulge in the spa, which offers everything from exfoliation scrubs to mud baths to massages. If the pool is closed for the season, the outdoor whirlpool jets on.
If you equate spa dining with a free-range chicken nugget and a mint sprig, think again. This inn boasts divine cuisine and fine wines served in front of a roaring fireplace.
Poplar Springs’ $1,200 package from February 11-13 includes two nights amid dreamy linens and down duvets, chilled champagne and sweets upon arrival, a private whirlpool tub, two signature spa treatments, continental breakfast each morning, a five-course dinner on Saturday night, a splendid brunch on Sunday, and all manner of treats in between.
Oceans Away
The Bellmoor Inn and Spa
St. Barth’s is swell. Yawn. Real romance can be found in the gray mists of a wintry morn in Rehoboth Beach, where waves crash, frosting white the wind swept sands, and your hair tangles (fetchingly) in the salty air.
In any case, the posh Bellmoor Inn and Spa, just two blocks from the blessedly quiet boardwalk, brings the tropics to you with optional Hawaiian Orchid Facials, Mango Manicures, and a menu of massages.
Special for Valentine’s Day is a champagne tasting extravaganza with bubbly tippling led by a wine expert and a complimentary bottle of your favorite to snuggle up to in front of your suite’s fireplace or, for a double bubble whammy, in your whirlpool tub with one of the superior packages starting at $695.
The two-night accommodations, February 11 and 12, include a country breakfast each day, afternoon refreshments, nightly turn down service and robes for use over the weekend. Garden Room packages start at $495. Sweet dreams.
The Big Rub
Topaz Hotel
Not for the Atkins set is the Topaz Hotel, where Zen meets West with playful color and plush furnishings upholstered in jewel-toned mohair and velvet, and the staff serves wheat grass energy potions in silken tunics, rustling green and blue and orange. Call it opulent spirituality; it’s a fantasy setting that lies somewhere between Alice in Wonderland and the Arabian Nights. Don’t look for bacon on the breakfast menu.
Instead you’ll discover exotically whimsical guest rooms with peppermint foot cream in the mini bar and a personalized horoscope with your wake-up call.
Choose from two packages, which include overnight accommodations, guaranteed to tickle your chakras. The $299 Big Rub, includes his and her massages, aromatherapy oils, a tranquility CD, and energy elixir. For $390, Romancing the Stone features a pair of hot rock massages, a cool down with “Rock Steady” cocktails, a Rolling Stones CD and smooth river stones on your pillows at bedtime–very soothing we’re told.
Working Out in Utter Luxury
Four Seasons Hotel Georgetown
Is there a more blissful location for lovers than Georgetown? Tuck yourselves into a sumptuous suite on February 12 at the Four Seasons Hotel and enjoy a full day of pampering in its incredible three-level spa.
Rates begin at $2,500 for this Valentine’s package, which includes champagne and homemade chocolate truffles upon arrival, full use of all facilities, such as swimming under the vaulted ceiling of the indoor pool, Pilates, yoga and spinning classes, a delicious spa lunch, plus a manicure and pedicure–for both of you.
You may also choose from one of 13 massages, including Thai, Swedish and Reiki, and one of the spa’s delicious body treatments, like Bali Coconilla, where you’re buffed to a sheen with an ambrosial blend of shredded coconut, vanilla beans and coconut milk.
Topping it all off, there’s a romantic five-course dinner with wines in Seasons, the hotel’s restaurant.
Love, Victorian Style
Willard InterContinental Washington
The legendary Willard InterContinental occupies a realm beyond elegant. Mae West slept here. So did Mark Twain, the Duke of Windsor, presidents and kings, and you.
Tucked up in the hotel’s wedding cake-frosted eaves is surely the most romantic setting in Washington: the Jenny Lind Suite with its sitting room decorated in haute Victorian style, creamy confection of a canopy bed, and sunken whirlpool under a huge oval window looking out at the Washington Monument.
The Willard’s Ultimate Romance Valentine’s package includes a one-night stay from February 11 to 14 in a divine room, such as the Jenny Lind Suite or the Presidential Suite, round-trip limousine service to and from the hotel (if you’re within 30 miles of the city), champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries, a one-hour massage for two in your suite, a horse drawn carriage ride, and cordials, candles and strewn rose petals at bedtime.
Starting at $2,900, the tab includes a gift certificate for a one-night stay in a deluxe room that can be used any time in the next year. Call for reservations.
