| Romance Travel Guide |
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Welcome to the Launch of my Romance Travel Guide.
Therapists often suggest that couples escape their routines to ignite a sense of renewed passion and excitement. I believe that choosing the right setting for your intimate getaway is just as important as carving out special time with your partner. That's why I'm delighted to begin presenting a collection of unique hotels and inns; the perfect havens for reawakening your romance. You'll be pleased to know that I've personally spent time at each of these exceptional properties, and I've reviewed them with a discerning eye toward your intimate escape. Whether it's a city hotel where you can mix business with pleasure, a small town getaway, or a cottage beneath the clouds, each location embraces your senses and allows the soul of your relationship to flourish.
You'll want to sign-up to receive my Newsletter, too, where I'll soon be featuring inns and hotels offering exclusive packages for my readers. For now I hope you'll enjoy the article below, filled with tips on what to look for to make your romanctic getaway sublime. And revisit soon, as much more is on the way, including photos of each property. Sublimely Romantic Getaways, Guaranteed to Inspire Desire
By Joy Davidson, Ph.D.
Barb and Ian are slumped on the loveseat in their therapist’s office, looking like refugees from a natural disaster.
"Well, like you advised, we went off on that romantic weekend," Barb says, wrinkling her nose in disgust over the term "romantic." "And it was screwed up," continues Ian. "I tried to plan a sexy retreat, and all Barb did was find fault." Barb rolls her eyes as she describes the "cozy" lodge Ian had booked sight unseen by scouring an online travel site. In this case, cozy turned out to mean small and shabby. Romantically inspiring? Not. "The last thing I wanted was to spend one extra minute in that room," glowers Barbara. "If he thinks that taking me to a glorified Motel 69 shows how much he loves me, then he’s either stupid or crazy!" Ouch! There's nothing like having the prescribed "sex-renewal" weekend turn sour, making a tough situation uglier. While counselors commonly prescribe an escape from routine to help couples work out the kinks in their sex life (or, hopefully, add a few), rarely do they offer advice about choosing a setting. Yet where a couple makes their escape is as crucial to bringing libido out of the closet as leaving the daily grind behind. Most women seem to intuitively realize that the path to reawakening their senses is a complicated one. Men often learn this lesson only after making a whopper of a first-time mistake. Even between same-sex partners, one person is often more sensitive to surroundings than the other, and if that person is unhappy, well, nobody is happy! Which is to say, in the world of romance, atmosphere is everything. Lovers need to feel utterly pampered, their senses aroused and nurtured, while an inn's acute attention to detail elimintes all immediate distractions. A couple's loving connection should be their only responsibility.
While it may be unfair to suggest that you have to spend like royalty to inspire desire, properties that fulfill sensual, storybook dreams are known to come with jaw-dropping pricetags. This means that if your goal is to sweep your partner off her (or his) feet, it’s wise to take a deep breath and regard your intimate escape as a long-term investment.
What Makes a Hideaway Sublime?
Let me show you what to look for if you want your loving escape to pay dividends in intimate satisfaction. Follow me to a few fairytale properties to see what makes them magical, and notice the three key features they all share: Lushness and beauty inside and out, a self-contained environment that you needn’t leave, and exceptional service. Breathe Deeply and Float
If you live in the city or spend a lot of time commuting, your spirit probably cries out for fresh air and natural surroundings. Sure, you could just go camping, but the real mind-bender is knowing that the wild landscape is mere footsteps away, while you hold each other tight inside your palatial suite. For starters, you’ll need a huge cushy bed swathed in buttery linens, and, of course, a bathing room complete with wide jetted tub where two can surrender to bliss. On the Atlantic coast, South Carolina’s gracious Woodlands Inn meets all of these criteria and more. Here, you’ll partake of warm southern hospitality in a mansion that even Miss Scarlett would envy, nestled among moss-draped oaks and towering magnolias. When your tummy rumbles, there’s the five star dining room, or you can lazily ring for a tray of delectables. Should you finally seek a breather from bedroom pleasures, you’re a stone’s throw from Charleston, with its quaint shops, exquisite restaurants, and lofty sea breezes.
Feast Your Senses
In Northern New Mexico, Rancho de San Juan is the epitome of a seductive enclave where you’ll want to shut la puerta and toss away the key. You’ll feel transported to another world; one where tribal cultures and descendants of Spanish settlers mingle, where vivid double rainbows and twinkling starlight anoint the skies, and where your hacienda is as much homage to the stunning art collection of its proprietors as to the breathtaking mountain vistas surrounding you. Each evening the award-winning dining room beckons, although many suites feature kitchens for your convenience, too. Choose one of the ultra-secluded casitas where the only night sounds are the crackling of your fire, the cries of coyotes – and your own. Feel Secluded in the City
If you prefer a more urbanized getaway, but aren't looking for a major metropolitan fix, seek one of the smaller towns known for their arts and history to combine aesthetics and culture. Many city inns boast spas for head to toe pampering, or will send a duet of massage therapists directly to your suite. In downtown Santa Fe, the tiny Casa de Estrellas (House of Stars) specializes in making you feel like a movie star, with a rejuvenating spa as well as a staff wedding planner who will happily become your "romance concierge," too. For assistance in designing the perfect love-in – from gift basket or flowers to far more exotic treats – your concierge’s imagination is at your disposal. Each of the opulently furnished villas is like a home, stocked with everything you’ll need to cozy up, and, as a bonus, you’re within easy walking distance of Santa Fe’s wealth of restaurants, galleries and museums. No matter where you hide away, don’t be shy about enlisting the concierge or proprietor to help you prepare an arrival surprise for your partner, make dinner reservations and spa selections, or familiarize you with the locale. Even if you aren’t sure what to ask for, management should be well versed in assisting couples to create a memorable experience.
Surrendering to romance may have a slightly different meaning to each of you, but to remain open to all the possibilities you need to feel nurtured and cocooned by your environment. When you’re truly relaxed, sensually inspired, and free to tune into one another, renewed intimacy is just a kiss away.
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