Extra-Special Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day

This month, all over the world, couples are making plans to celebrate their love, whether with pampering, adventure, extravagance, or some combination of the three. In order to give these lovebirds all they desire for their special day many destinations have pulled out all the stops, offering limited time treatments and packages in honor of Valentine’s Day. We’re spreading the love and sharing a few of our favorites.

Giving chocolate on Valentine’s Day might have a reputation for being a little cliché—but not when it comes in the form of a spa treatment. Throughout February, the Ritz-Carlton Lodge, Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Georgia, is offering all the ingredients for a romantic day. Choose the “Just Give Me Chocolate” body treatment (80 minutes, $215), which features a Vichy shower service with a mimosa sugar scrub and an antioxidant rich chocolate mask with cocoa, coconut milk, and honey. The treatment ends with an aloe and Shea strawberry smash moisturizer.

Or go with the Chocolate Truffle Facial (50 minutes, $135; 80 minutes, $199), which begins with a gentle exfoliation to renew skin cells before the face is drenched with a calorie-free chocolate mousse to fight signs of aging. And don’t let your fingers and toes go un-pampered; the hotel spa also offers a chocolate-covered strawberry manicure and pedicure (50-minute manicure, $65; 50-minute pedicure, $85). Sip champagne while hands and feet are exfoliated with a sweet cream sugar scrub. Next, warm steamed towels seal in the moisture of a dark chocolate mask, and a strawberry cream leaves skin dewy soft. Each of the treatments offered in the Valentine’s Menu are sure to leave you looking and smelling extra sweet.

If a romantic getaway is more your style, make a weekend escape to Palais Namaskar in the Moroccan city of Marrakech. Set in between the Atlas Mountains and the mysterious Djebilet Hills, the hotel is a perfect place to disconnect from the world and spend quality time with your sweetie in a magical setting.

Valid throughout the month, the Romantic Getaway package includes round-trip airport transfers in a private car; champagne, sliced fruit, and a bath decorated with petals and candles upon arrival; and breakfast in bed. Couples will also be treated to a glorious Sunrise Retreat, which includes five hours in a private VIP cabin with a private hammam and two Namaskar signature massages, followed by a stretching technique to help relax the muscles and ease tension.

After a day of relaxation and rejuvenation, savor the “One Thousand and One Nights” dinner in Palais Namaskar’s gardens or on your private terrace. The meal features a variety of gastronomic courses tailor-made by executive chef Antoine Perray. Guests can also choose the “Marrakech Lights” magic experience, which includes a romantic ballad at sunset while riding a horse cab and an extraordinary dinner in a traditional Moroccan riad.

Those searching for something über romantic can look no further than Capella Washington, DC, Georgetown. The hotel has teamed up with Saks Fifth Avenue to create the Capital Engagement package. Valid February 10-16, the $777,777 package includes a shopping spree worth $5,000 curated by the hotel’s Resident Stylist at Saks Fifth Avenue’s famed Fifth Avenue Club; a private jet to DC from anywhere in the continental United States; a two-night stay in the Presidential Suite; an in-room couples massage, manicure, and pedicure; and a five-course dinner and champagne breakfast in bed.

Couples who book this fabulous package will also receive a private tour of Mount Vernon, the former home of George Washington, as well as a sunset Potomac River tour and a horse-drawn carriage ride along the Georgetown Waterfront. Any of these moments will provide prime opportunity to pop that very special question with an exquisite 5.01 carat white cushion cut diamond ring set on a pink diamond pave shank (5.39 carat diamond in total) by Graff Diamonds, courtesy of Saks Fifth Avenue.

To top off this luxurious and romantic experience, Capella’s Capital Engagement package also includes a surprise engagement party on the hotel’s rooftop for up to 20 guests. Guestrooms are included in the package, as is a private concert during the party and brunch the following morning.

For some, romance means an escape from the real world—and what better way to do that than with a seven-night Reef and Rainforest package in Belize? Designed to provide the ultimate Belize experience with something both men and women will enjoy, the package includes three nights at the Gaïa Riverlodge, accommodations in a mountain-view cabana, all meals, a day trip to the Caracol Maya archaeological site, and a canoe tour through the ancient Barton Creek Cave. Lovebirds can also choose to partake in an exhilarating zip-lining adventure or a visit to Green Hill Butterfly Farm.

Part two of the trip includes four nights at the Matachica Resort & Spa, accommodations in a SeaBreeze Suite, all meals, a two-stop afternoon snorkel trip to Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley Marine Reserves, and a one-hour aromatherapy massage at Jade Spa. Adventure for him, pampering for her, one happy couple.

However you and your significant other decide to celebrate the holiday, these hotels and many others are ready to make it an extra-special one. Happy Valentine’s Day!