The term “honeymoon” comes from the idea that the first month of marriage is the sweetest. It’s a time to celebrate your love and experience the thrill of calling your sweetheart “husband” or “wife” for the first time. Whether you choose lazy days on a beach or exploring hand-in-hand the cobblestoned streets of a medieval town, it’s an opportunity to create a romantic memory to last a lifetime. Here are five outstanding options sure to kick off married life on a glorious note.
Katikies Hotel
Santorini, Greece
Katikies Hotel on the island of Santorini sits high atop the cliffs in the seaside town of Oia. This vibey hotel, where guests must be 13+ in age, offers 40 suites, a spa, and a restaurant helmed by celebrated Greek-Italian chef Ettore Botrini. The hotel seems to float on air with jaw-dropping views from the heated infinity pool. A variety of beach options are a 10-minute drive away, and private boat tours can be arranged. In the late afternoon, the pool area lights up with a groovy playlist that goes perfectly with a glass of local Assyrtiko wine, as you prepare for the daily ritual of watching the spectacular sunset. The rooms are simple but spacious, with private verandas. A night on the town is an easy walk from the hotel, where rooftop bars invite you to dance the night away.
Wakaya Club & Spa
Fiji
Wakaya Club & Spa is an ultra luxurious hideaway floating in the middle of the South Pacific. The resort is located on a private island, a 45-minute flight from the island of Fiji, courtesy of Wakaya’s private plane. Privacy is guaranteed, with just 10 beachfront suites, plus a three-bedroom estate perched high up on the hill. White-sand beaches, vibrant coral reefs and lush tropical forests surround this world-class diving paradise. There’s also a nine-hole golf course, tennis, yoga and a holistic spa that will leave you in bliss. Farm-to-table Palm Grove restaurant, housed beneath an enormous palapa, offers an expansive menu. Bottom line: They’ll make whatever you want. In addition, there’s a casual beach dining option, and uber romantic private picnics, where guests are whisked off to a private beach and left with a walkie-talkie to call for a pickup. Our picnic basket included lobster, mango salsa and champagne. Not a bad way to spend an amorous afternoon.
Château La Coste
Provence, France
If the European countryside is more your style, Château La Coste in Provence is a magnificent option, offering delicious cuisine, superb wine, impressive art and breathtaking vistas. The Provence region is so captivating that Cézanne, Van Gogh and Picasso featured it in many of their paintings. The hotel’s 28 villas share 600 acres with more than 30 outdoor art installations, allowing guests to experience their very own private, open-air museum. In addition, tours of the organic vineyard and wine tastings are offered, plus five restaurant choices. The suites are elegant and stocked with body products inspired by the surrounding nature. The scent of lavender entices throughout. To stay here feels like you are a guest at a grand private home rather than a hotel. Take a day trip to some of the nearby towns, including Arles with its Roman amphitheater and Frank Gehry tower. It’s hard to imagine a more romantic combination.
Borgo Santo Pietro
Tuscany, Italy
Borgo Santo Pietro combines Old World rustic with five-star luxury in the heart of the Tuscan countryside. Part of the Relais & Chateaux resort group, this 300-acre property includes an organic farm, vineyard, stunning gardens and ponds. The resort, which was originally a private home, has an intimate vibe with rooms and suites located inside the main “farmhouse” building as well as scattered throughout the estate. There are 22 bespoke villas and suites in all. Dining is exquisite, courtesy of two restaurants including the Saporium, which has earned a Michelin Green Star for its approach to sustainability. Fresh flowers from the estate’s gardens are placed in vases throughout. Take a class at the resort’s cooking school or luxuriate at the full-service spa. Feeling indulgent? Charter the Borgo’s private yacht for a cruise along the Mediterranean.
Post Ranch Inn
Big Sur, California
Looking to stay closer to home? Head up California’s Big Sur coast to the Post Ranch Inn, where luxury meets Mother Nature. The hotel’s high-end accommodations, 40 rooms in all, blend beautifully with its surroundings, such as clifftop houses with panoramic ocean views and tree houses nestled in mature pines. The inn’s Zen vibe is unparalleled, with guided hiking, yoga and meditation just a few of the daily activities. The property has two therapeutic, heated infinity pools, including a clifftop pool overlooking the Pacific. The farm-to-table Sierra Mar restaurant offers wine tastings from a 3,200-bottle cellar. An added bonus: Carmel-by-the-Sea, filled with galleries and restaurants and boutiques, is less than an hour away by car.
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