Romance Is Better When It Doesn't Feel Manufactured
There is absolutely nothing wrong with champagne and rose petals.
But after planning couples vacations for more than 25 years, we think the trips people remember most aren't necessarily the ones with the biggest “romance package.”
They're the ones where you stayed somewhere incredible. Swam somewhere beautiful. Had dinner somewhere you couldn't believe was real. Tried something completely new together. Or spent an entire afternoon doing absolutely nothing without feeling guilty about it.
So if you're planning a honeymoon, anniversary trip, birthday getaway or simply a vacation for the two of you, here are five ways we'd make it a little more memorable.
"The most romantic part of a vacation usually isn’t what’s waiting on the bed. It’s doing something together that you’d never do at home."
1. Book the Room You’ll Actually Want to Spend Time In
This is one trip where the room matters.
A private plunge pool. An enormous terrace overlooking the ocean. A soaking tub with a ridiculous view. A villa where breakfast magically appears every morning.
We don't automatically recommend spending more on the room. But for a couples trip, we'd rather put the money into one feature you're going to absolutely love than a collection of generic extras you don't really care about.
And yes, sometimes the correct vacation plan really is ordering room service and putting the Do Not Disturb sign on the door.
2. Have One Dinner That Is Completely Over the Top
Not every dinner needs to be an “experience.”
One should be.
Maybe it's a table on the beach with your feet in the sand. A tiny restaurant we love in Florence. A private dinner on your terrace. A Michelin-starred restaurant you've wanted to try. Or somewhere with a view so spectacular that you're barely paying attention to the menu.
Pick one night and make an occasion out of it.
3. Do Something You've Never Done Before
This may actually be our favorite one.
Charter a boat for the afternoon. Take a cooking class in Tuscany. Go horseback riding on the beach. Learn to sail. Take a helicopter over an island. Spend the day hopping between little towns along the Italian coast. It doesn't have to be extreme.
The point is that years later, you have a story that starts with, “Remember when we…”
That's considerably more interesting than another afternoon sitting next to each other scrolling through your phones by the pool.
4. Give Yourselves One Day With Absolutely No Plans
This one is underrated.
Don't schedule breakfast at 8:30, snorkeling at 10, lunch at 12:30, spa at 2 and sunset cruise at 5.
Leave a day blank.
Sleep late. Wander into town. Stay at the pool until you decide you're hungry. Have lunch somewhere because it looks good. Go back to the room at 3 p.m. because you can.
A luxury vacation shouldn't feel like you're late for something all day.
5. Go Somewhere That Feels Different From Your Real Life
Sometimes the destination itself does most of the work.
A cliffside suite in Saint Lucia. A villa overlooking the Caribbean. A tiny hotel tucked into Florence. A beach in Turks & Caicos where the water barely looks real.
You don't necessarily need a couples massage, a vow renewal or a trail of rose petals.
Sometimes you just need to look at each other and think, how are we actually here?
That's the vacation we're trying to create.
THE TROPICAL TRAVELERS TAKE
A romantic vacation shouldn't come out of a box.
Some couples want a private villa and never want to leave it. Others want beach clubs, restaurants and nightlife.
Some want five days of doing absolutely nothing. Others want to explore from breakfast until sunset.
That's why we don't start by asking which “romance package” you want.
We start by figuring out what the two of you actually enjoy doing together.
Then we find the destination, hotel, room and experiences that fit.
Because the right couples trip should feel like you, just somewhere much better.