The blue of the Indian Ocean appears even brighter against the volcanic stone walls of Bulgari Villa, a striking oasis set within the garden-filled grounds of Bali’s Bulgari Resort. Here, couples have everything at their fingertips: Yoga instructors, private chefs, masseuses, and other staff arrive at the 14,000-square-foot refuge to perform their magic in the accommodation’s private yoga pavilion, kitchen, or massage suite. The villa also features three bedrooms, a Bang & Olufsen home theater, a sunken outdoor living room, and private cliff-top gardens. The gardens and second-floor balconies offer the villa’s finest bright-blue views. (bulgarihotels.com)
Ty Warner is clearly a romantic at heart. The Beanie Babies billionaire—and owner of the Four Seasons Hotel New York and Las Ventanas al Paraíso resort—recently unveiled the Ty Warner Mansion, a $35,000-per-night Los Cabos love pad that aims to be, in Warner’s word, “the best hotel villa in the world.” Spanning 28,000 square feet the villa is as unconventional as it is expansive, combining silks from India, Moorish-style architecture, and 7.5 million white-marble tiles. The two-bedroom estate also features a tequila room, a kitchen, a dining room, a 328-foot-long infinity-edge pool, a private gym and a rooftop lounge with a spa-treatment area, a putting green, and a lap pool. (rosewoodhotels.com)
Ashford Castle has no shortage of royal retreats, from the Prince of Wales Bar (named for the Prince of Wales—later crowned George V of England—who visited the castle in 1905) to the Reagan Presidential Suite (no explanation needed). But the enchanting Irish resort’s most romantic accommodation is just down the road, on the edge of Lough Corrib, in a once-humble 13th-century boathouse. Dubbed the Hideaway Cottage, the suite is today an elegant escape for two, featuring French parquet flooring, hand-painted ceiling designs, and a mix of antique and custom-made furniture that includes a vibrant blue Murano glass chandelier. Guests can wander Ashford’s grounds—which include a falconry school, a nine-horse golf course, and a 32-seat cinema—or stay nestled away in privacy on the cottage’s isolated terrace overlooking the lake. (ashfordcastle.com)
Singita is safari romance at its finest. The South Africa–based company has created some of Africa’s most exclusive luxury lodges—perfect for couples with an adventurous streak. Singita Lebombo Villa, a secluded four-bedroom estate located at the exclusive Singita Lebombo camp, ensures that privacy does not come at the expense of exploration, offering guests their own personal tracker, guide, and Land Rover for exclusive bush experiences among the 33,000-acre Lebombo wildlife concessions. Back at the lodge, couples can take a dip in one of their private swimming pools (the villa has three) and sip sundowners under a twinkling night sky in their private boma. (singita.com)
No one will oblige you to do much of anything on North Island. The 519-acre private-island resort—reached via a 20-minute helicopter ride from Seychelles International Airport—immerses couples in a blissfully isolated atmosphere where the urge to remain sequestered in a beachside villa is hardly unusual. Tucked within a forest of takamaka trees at the northernmost tip of the resort, Villa North Island is an 8,100-square-foot fantasy of winding wooden walkways and sliding glass walls. Ocean vistas predominate from the 5,400-square-foot sundeck and every other inch of living space, which includes an open-air bathroom, a master suite, two lounges, a media room, and a butler’s kitchen. For an up-close Indian Ocean view, head down the walkway to Villa North Island’s private stretch of beach, where you and yours can walk hand-in-hand utterly undisturbed. (north-island.com)
“Winter is not a season,” Sinclair Lewis once said. “It’s an occupation.” New England winters can indeed seem an endless chore, but Valentine’s Day at Twin Farms—a country retreat set on the Nobel Prize–winning author’s former Vermont estate—is all about warmth and comfort. Spanning 300 acres of ponds, forests, and meadows, the resort welcomes guests with a collection of 20 rooms, suites, and cottages, the most exquisite of which is the Chalet. Accessible via a private drive, the 3,000-square-foot dwelling sits at the edge of one of Twin Farms’ six ski trails. Once a modest log cabin, the retreat is now a romantic one-bedroom masterpiece featuring a dining nook, a library, and an expansive sunken living room with a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace. Throughout the Chalet, massive windows overlook miles of rolling hills and forests, as do several patios and verandas, one of which includes a ceramic hot tub. (twinfarms.com)
Nothing says romance quite like a private island for two. At the St. Regis Bora Bora Resort—one of iconic Bora Bora’s most iconic luxury retreats—couples can claim their own intimate isle by booking the palatial 13,000-square-foot Royal Estate, located five minutes by foot via a wooden walkway and bridge from the main resort. Polynesian artwork adorns the estate’s three pavilions, which encircle a swimming pool and include three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a full kitchen, and a private spa area (complete with a hot tub and hammam). Dedicated butlers and housekeepers are on call around the clock, and personal chefs and additional staff are available on request. (stregisborabora.com)
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