In good times and bad, lovers seek special places to be together. To help, I've scoured the world in search of the best new hotels for romance that opened in 2008 and are anticipated to become havens for couples in 2009. Some are quite affordable (how does under $100 per night sound?). Others are the type of hotels you check into when you're able to splurge on a honeymoon or other occasion. From city hotels to island resorts, these are among the new hotels in the world that provide fantastic settings for romance to flourish in 2009. (Note: Click on a thumbnail to view any image full-size.)
1. Encore Las Vegas
© Susan Breslow Sardone, licensed to About.com, Inc.
Hotel-casino impresario Steve Wynn debuted his luxurious Encore Las Vegas, sibling to Wynn Las Vegas, in December 2008. Sexy and sophisticated suites at Encore feature a bed you won't want to leave, a chaise longue in the living area for enjoying the view from the floor-to-ceiling windows, and a glassed-in shower with room for two. And room service speedily delivers delicious fare. But don't spend too much time in your quarters. Downstairs, there's the excitement of the casino, restaurants to sample, bars, a shopping esplanade and theater, and a nightclub. And for water and other lovers, Encore Las Vegas features an adults-only pool for topless sunbathing.
2. Secrets Maroma Beach in Quintana Roo, Mexico
© Secrets Resorts.
Located south of Cancun and on one of the world's best beaches according the the Travel Channel, Secrets Maroma Beach is an all-inclusive destination resort. You'll find romance in the afternoon on the beach, watching white sailboats float beyond the waves — and at night with your toes in the surf holding a champagne flute in one hand and your honey’s in the other. There are enough activities going on that you’ll never have to do anything twice: sailing, wind-surfing, and kayaking trips with water-sports guides. Daily yoga and water aerobics. Couples can also sign up for a dance lesson — another excuse to hold one other close.
3. The Fontainebleau Miami Beach Hotel
© Susan Breslow Sardone, licensed to About.com, Inc.
An oldie-but-goodie, the Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel reopened in 2008 after a billion-dollar renovation. With 1,500 rooms, including two brand-new all-suite towers, it's a fine place for romance. Pools with private cabanas plus direct access to Miami Beach draw sun-and-sand lovers. Lapis Spa has rooms for couples to enjoy treatments together. Restaurants offer everything from sushi to comfort food. The Bleau Bar reveals a blue glass floor lit from below. LIV, the brand-new 30,000 square-foot nightclub, offers more than dancing, private skyboxes, and European bottle service: high-energy dancers create edgy routines that get the party going.
4. Stowe Mountain Lodge in Vermont
© Stowe Mountain Lodge.
This new mountain resort provides a setting for romance in any season. Its floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the mountains and make guests feel as if they're part of nature before they even step outdoors. Hotel rooms have a separate shower for two and an oversized tub; some also contain a fireplace and balcony. Solstice, the Stowe Mountain Lodge restaurant, offers the scrumptious farm-to-table cuisine popular throughout Vermont. For the ultimate in romance, opt for a package that can include a bath dotted with rose petals, champagne, a couples massage in the spa’s VIP couples suite, and two passes for a gondola ride to the top of Mount Mansfield.
5. El Silencio in Costa Rica
© Lyn and Arthur Dobrin.
Ssh: That's the sound of peace and quiet at El Silencio, located in an isolated cloud forest 5,000 feet above sea level. In harmony with nature and nestled in a valley where three mountains come together, this new hotel is unplugged (no TV) and unwired (no Internet). There are also no generators and no motorized lawn mowers to interrupt your thoughts and conversations. Just the sound of rushing water and twittering birds. Healthy eating is part of the hotel's philosophy, and the menu is mainly vegetarian. But you won't have to rough it at this hotel: Luxurious accommodations feature a shower for two, an outdoor jetted tub, a free minibar, and a gas fireplace.
6. La Concha Resort in Puerto Rico
© La Concha.
La Concha couldn't be more different from El Silencio if it were located on the moon. Bright, brash, and bold, this hotel's an unapologetic party scene. And either you like crowds and nightlife, cocktails and salsa (both the dip and the dance) or you don't. If the idea of baking on the beach or beside a pool during the day, then dressing up for dinner, then dancing till the wee hours is your idea of fun and romance, this is the place to find it. Fifty years young and recently reopened after a major overhaul, the hotel is again the sexy new spot on Condado Beach. Do plan to have at least one meal in Perla, La Concha's iconic restaurant located inside a huge seashell.
7. Nikki Beach Resort Turks & Caicos
© Nikki Beach Turks & Caicos.
Powdery white sands and endless turquoise waters draw scenesters to the Turks & Caicos, the Caribbean hot spot where each new resort adds another reason to come. Bikinied babes and their companions have been flocking to Nikki Beach Resort Turks & Caicos since it opened April 2008. It has 51 big, balconied rooms and suites with mattresses made for the resort. With weather this balmy, though, you'll want to bounce on one of the huge beach day beds with gigantic white pillows. Not that there's much else to do: No golf, no spa yet, no sports, no kids club. Just the two of you, the sun, the beach, a good restaurant, and a minibar stocked with Veuve Clicquot.
8. The Chelsea Hotel in Atlantic City
© The Chelsea.
A seaside city perennially on the cusp of renewal, Atlantic City, New Jersey just might make it this time thanks to train service coming directly from New York City. When those city sophisticates arrive, many will want to head to the Chelsea Hotel on the Boardwalk. This affordable new hotspot is done in an updated retro style and has sleek, modern rooms (ask for an ocean view). Designed for romance, beds are sheathed in white linens; chairs are upholstered in sexy animal prints. When you want sustenance and socializing, hit the fifth floor. It holds the swanky Chelsea Prime restaurant, a rooftop pool and bar, expansive spaces for lounging indoors and out, a billiards room, even a fireplace.
9. NYLO Providence Warwick in Rhode Island
© Susan Breslow Sardone, licensed to About.com, Inc.
I promised you a best new hotel for romance under $100 a night, and here it is: NYLO Providence Warwick is on the outskirts of Providence. What you sacrifice in proximity to the city (it's 15 miles away and the hotel van will pick you up from the Amtrak station upon request), you get back in style. And instead of tissue-thin walls and ambient noise you get polished concrete walls, floors, and ceilings. Although guest room decor is reminiscent of a high-tech college dorm room belonging to a kid with a rich dad, The Loft restaurant-bar-hangout in the lobby is a delightful space. Upholstered window seats and pod chairs are perfect seatings for romance.
10. Plaza Hotel in New York City
© The Plaza.
New York City's iconic Plaza Hotel at the edge of Central Park certainly isn't new; it originally opened in 1907. But it was closed for three years until 2008. During that time $400 million dollars were poured into to giving the old gal a facelift — and she dazzles now. Not everyone can afford to splurge on her champagne-budget rates, but those looking for romance can still savor a traditional tea in the elegantly refurbished Palm Court, spend an afternoon quaffing at her new Champagne Bar, or rub elbows with elegant night birds in the intimate Rose Club. Outside, New York's famous horse-drawn carriages await you.
11. Regent Bal Harbour Hotel in Florida
© Susan Breslow Sardone, licensed to About.com, Inc.
Perfection by the water's edge, the Regent Bal Harbour is a 26-story tower with views that don't quit. If you're lucky enough to score a suite with a terrace, you'll see the Atlantic, the Intracoastal, and the Miami and Fort Lauderdale skylines from your private quarters. Inside, it's equally spectacular. Rooms with a calming Asian décor have amenities to spare.
NOTE: The Regent Bal Harbour was deflagged on June 22, 2009. It is no longer owned and managed by Regent Hotels & Resorts but continues to operate as a condominium.
12. Celebrity Solstice
© Celebrity Cruises.
A floating hotel without a permanent address, the new cruise ship Celebrity Solstice launched in November 2008, and she's a great place for romance. To sail into bliss, choose a cabin on the ship's Deck 12 AquaSpa level: Staterooms there are adults-only. And the focus is on well-being, with the ship's spa, fitness center, and swimming pools all nearby. Abetting romance, the solarium is also adults-only and has a bar at the pool's edge. Do venture over to the main pool area, though: It has cabanas shielded from the sun as well as a variety of outdoor beds that seem designed for lovers. And treat yourselves to dinner at the ship's elegant Murano specialty restaurant for a night to remember.
