From cuddling up on a gondola in Venice to making gin in the New Forest, we share ideas to help you treat your Valentine to a romantic break
PLANNING a holiday to bring back that loving feeling next month?
With Valentine’s Day only a couple of weeks away, you had better hurry if you’ve not already booked a romantic treat away.
From cuddling up on a gondola to making gin, TRISH HARBORD shares great last-minute ideas.
Palma
SHARING a glass of bubbly on a terrace in a former 18th century palace, looking over the beautiful city of Palma, sounds pretty romantic.
The Puro Hotel in the Majorcan capital has a spa and wellness centre complete with a hot tub and Jacuzzi, so a great place to chill on a short break.
The narrow streets and alleys of Palma, often called “The Pearl of the Mediterranean”, are packed with monuments, galleries, boutiques, shops and cafes.
Four nights’ B&B at the hotel in the old town, in February, including flights from Stansted, is from £343pp. See .
New Forest
CHEERS to this idea – a Love Gin Valentine Experience. You will make your own gin to keep while on a romantic weekend in the New Forest.
Daisybank, a boutique B&B in Brockenhurst, has launched the special weekends on February 9-11, 16-18 and 23-25, with the nearby Dancing Cows Distillery.
You can sample the new limited-edition Love Gin – infused with New Forest honey, pink peppercorns, ginseng and strawberries – then have fun making your own.
The package, including two nights’ B&B, costs from £180pp. See .
Brighton
LOVE is in the air – on the British Airways i360, a 530ft observation tower with great views of the south coast.
Tickets from £30, including wine and chocolates.
See .
Stay in the Japanese Court Yard Room at the intimate Nineteen bed and breakfast.
There you can soak up the beautiful garden containing a traditional wooden bath tub.
One night’s B&B from £62pp, based on two sharing. See .
The armed forces, NHS staff and Brighton & Hove City Council’s foster carers get an extra ten per cent off.
MOST READ IN TRAVEL
Venice
THIS Italian gem is always voted one of the most romantic cities in the world.
Winding through the canals on a gondola past the Bridge of Sighs, sipping a cocktail in Harry’s Bar and a coffee at Caffe Florian – one of the oldest coffee houses in Europe – all has to be done on a getaway like this.
You could even get down on one knee in St Mark’s Square one evening.
The lighting is fantastic and there is bound to be a quartet playing in one of the restaurants.
Two nights’ B&B at the 4* Antony Palace Hotel, leaving Manchester on February 16, is from £346pp.
Book by February 1. Gatwick offers available. See .
Devon
TELLING a loved one you have booked the UK’s most romantic hotel has got to earn you brownie points.
Tavistock House Hotel in Devon was also voted the fourth most romantic in Europe and fifth in the world in the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards.
A privately owned townhouse built by the Duke of Bedford in 1820, the luxurious rooms have snuggle-under linens, rain showers and 40in TVs.
Tavistock itself is a World Heritage Site and has a 900-year-old market.
B&B from £109pp a night. See .
Cumbria
WHISK your love away and get back to nature.
How about a wooden pod for two? A cosy, insulated love nest with heating, lighting, power sockets and mattresses.
Two nights, February 13 and 14, at Great Langdale Campsite below the towering Langdale Pikes in Cumbria, costs from £70. See .
Or, rent a luxurious shepherd’s hut with all mod cons, including a double bed, at Beacon Hill Hideaways in Northumberland.
There is a spa and pool on site. Two-night minimum stay from £125 a night. See .
Marrakech
SPICE up your love life with a trip to Marrakech in Morocco, tipped to be a top destination this year.
A three-night Romantic Break with Marrakech Riad offers a private airport transfer to one of four riads, dinner overlooking the city, rose petals strewn over your bed and a horse-drawn carriage ride.
If your other half is into fashion, don’t miss the new Yves Saint Laurent museum.
The package costs £175pp or £249 including spa treatments.
Flights from UK airports, including with Ryanair, £43 one-way from Stansted. See .
Yorkshire
LOVERS of telly costume drama Victoria can experience life upstairs and downstairs in the historic pile that stands in as Windsor Castle in the ITV series, and is one of Yorkshire’s most elegant stately homes.
Lord Gerald Fitzalan Howard and his family are welcoming couples to their 17th century home, Carlton Towers.
Enjoy an overnight stay in one of the plush bedrooms with a lavish Valentine’s Day supper and also take part in a cookery course.
B&B and dinner on February 14 is from £179pp.
Package including afternoon tea and cookery course from £299pp. See .
Llanddwyn Island
TINY Llanddwyn Island near Anglesey in North West Wales is the home of St Dwynwen, Wales’ patron saint of lovers.
Couples visiting its white-washed chapel and well are blessed with good fortune.
You cross to the island by a causeway from Newborough Beach and you can stay in a converted hayloft, Llofft Storws.
Three nights in February cost from £341. See .
Another location that might appeal is aptly named Valentine Cottage at Armscote in the Cotswolds.
Two nights from February 16 is £120pp. See .
London
DAREDEVILS can set their hearts racing by climbing to the top of the O2 Arena.
Wearing a special suit, boots and harness, the 90-minute clamber along a walkway ends with some bubbly and the chance to enjoy amazing views across the capital from the 170ft high vantage point.
Champagne Climb Up at the O2 from £30. See .
Back on the ground, City Cruises on the Thames has various offers including a dinner cruise with a jazz band, and a champagne tea. There is bubbly and a red rose, too.
Valentine offers from £39. See .