10 Romantic getaways for Valentines

Stuck for Valentines inspiration? We bring you our top 10 list of romantic weekend breaks around the UK

The George in Rye, East Sussex
This East Sussex boutique hotel is one of the most inspiring coaching-inn conversions in Southern England. Rooms are designed with the help of eco-savvy architectural salvage and design business, Retrouvius, and are filled with weird and wonderful objects. The ballroom’s high walls are hung with diverting bird-patterned wallpaper; the chairs clad in monochrome Florence Broadhurst textiles. It’s decor that makes for love-at-first-sight stuff, and it's neatly placed in the quietly charming, pottering-pace coastal town of Rye. Browse the antiques shops along the Strand Quay, or stroll down to gorgeous Camber Sands with a bulging picnic hamper packed for you by the George in Rye.
www.thegeorgeinrye.com

Amberley Castle, Sussex
Treat your loved one like a princess—or a prince—and book a stay at Amberley Castle. Hidden away near the picturesque village of Amberley in the chalk South Downs, the castle is a magnificent, 900-year old historical treasure. Wait up until midnight and you'll be treated to the spectacle of the awesome two-tonne oak portcullis being silently lowered for the night. All of the 19 luxurious rooms and suites have jacuzzi bathrooms and many have four-poster beds. Facilities include two restaurants, lounge areas, tennis court, croquet lawn, gardens and lakes, an 18-hole putting course and a stunning thatched-roof tree house complete with rope bridge.
www.amberleycastle.co.uk

Whatley Manor, Wiltshire
If naked mud-rubbing for two sounds like romance, then give this Wiltshire spa a spin. Whatley Manor boutique hotel and spa is a listed Cotswold stone manor house, set in magnificent grounds—a blend of contemporary and classic. The award-winning Aquarias Spa has one of the largest indoor/outdoor hydrotherapy pools in the UK, and while it may not be designed for swimming, it’s perfect for lounging with your loved one. Our top tip? Book a mud treatment for two, and slather rare, expensive mud all over each other. Then sit sweating in a sauna-style room and let the magic commence.
www.whatleymanor.com

The Isle of Eriska hotel and spa, Scotland
The Isle of Eriska hotel and spa is set on a 300-acre privately owned island, where if you’re lucky, you can wander around all day without meeting another soul, or take a swim before breakfast in your own private pool. Of the 17 rooms in the main house, the best are Skye (which has an open fire) and Glensanda (which has fabulous views south towards the Atlantic Ocean and the Isle of Mull). For even more privacy, choose one of the three new Spa Suites in the grounds, each of which comes with its own conservatory, walled Zen-style garden and outdoor hot tub. Nature lovers should take a walk around the shingle and sand beaches for the chance to spot otters, seals and the island’s plentiful birdlife.
www.eriska-hotel.co.uk

Bangors Organic B&B, North Cornwall
Just over an hour’s drive from Exeter, this bed and breakfast offers four luxury suites in a beautifully restored Victorian house and converted coach house. This is the UK’s first certified organic B&B—and it grows much of its own produce.
Unusually for a B&B it has its own chef, so you can arrive on Friday evening, relax in a luxurious bath and then enjoy a delicious organic meal made from seasonal, home grown ingredients. Walk it off with a romantic walk along the beach or take a trip to Hartland, Clovelly, Padstow, The Eden Project or Heligan, all within an hour’s drive away.
www.bangorsorganic.co.uk

Hotel Pelirocco, Brighton
Hotel Pelirocco prides itself on being Brighton’s sauciest stopover. It has 19 pop subculture bedrooms inspired by visionary artists and maverick musicians. The flagship suite is the Durex Play Room—the ultimate dirty weekend room, it has an eight-foot round bed, mirrored canopy, pole dancing area, giant plunge bath and its own entrance from the street.
www.hotelpelirocco.co.uk

Pool House, Poolewe, Scotland
This seven-suite boutique hotel in the West Scottish Highlands is full of passion—not because it's a typical honeymoon retreat, but because the wine, the food and the decor have become a vocation for a family who have scoured the globe for weird and wonderful hotel furnishings. Bindi motifs, huge hand-carved doors and marble-inlay tables are almost enough to distract you from that vast vista over the waters. Located in a Scottish Highland river-meets-ocean setting, right on the shores of Loch Ewe, you can watch seals from the sitting room or ask the hotel to organise a marine cruise from Gairloch to see Minke whales, dolphins, and porpoise; or go hawking at Kinlochewe. Alternatively you can mooch about indoors, sampling the vast array of single malts, including fine and rare examples, in the Billiard Whisky Room. Pool House is home from home for the Scottish aristocracy.
www.poolhousehotel.com

Chillgrove White Horse B&B, West Sussex
This award-winning restaurant with rooms offers a two-rosette menu with organic local and seasonal produce and over 600 wines. Located at the foot of the South Downs in an area of outstanding natural beauty, the White Horse is perfect for discovering the surrounding countryside—by bike or on foot—direct from your front door. Breakfast here is deliberately different—guests are treated to a luxury hamper, which they can enjoy in the garden or in bed. Given the outside temperatures in February, we’re plumping for the latter.
www.whitehorsechilgrove.co.uk

Howard Hotel, Edinburgh
The Howard Hotel is offering a tailor-made experience this Valentines. Before your arrival, the guest services manager will contact you with a list of unique and inspiring ideas about how to woo your loved one—why not arrive in a luxury Bentley, or have dinner served by your butler in one of the hotel’s suites decorated with flowers, scented with candles and accompanied by a string duo? A special Valentines package includes chilled Bollinger and canapés in your room on arrival and a full Scottish breakfast served as late as you want it the next day.
www.thehoward.com

The Square, Brighton
A super-stylish townhouse hotel and bar, located just off the seafront in an immaculate Regency square in Kemp Town. Cool, contemporary and a far cry from the traditional, chintzy B&B, the Square offers a sleek version of a typical Brighton stay. There is a stylish cocktail bar with crystal chandeliers, white leather sofas and cubic stools, and a relaxed, jazzy soundtrack. The dress code? Anything goes, but skip the kiss-me-quick hat. The hotel’s pièce de résistance is a large, decadent basement “penthouse”, with a Jacuzzi bath and open fireplace.
www.squarebrighton.com

Thanks to Mr and Mrs Smith and responsibletravel.com for their contributions.