Romantic Travel: Couples Escaping for Loving Retreats

Photo courtesy of Malibu Beach Inn

In times of economic turmoil and increased stresses, a romantic getaway might be just what the stimulus package is missing and the doctor ordered. In fact, a recent Trip Advisor survey reveals that 77 percent of travelers plan to take a romantic trip with their significant other in 2009.

Paris tops the list for romantic couple destinations, according to the TripAdvisor survey. Hawaii, Bora Bora, Aruba and Jamaica also are featured in top tropical romantic escapes.

“Bolstered by seaside hammocks and tasty umbrella drinks, 49 percent of travelers said the beach is the best setting for a romantic trip with their sweetheart,” according to the TripAdvisor survey.

The second most popular setting for romance was a city, according to 16 percent of respondents.  Cities featured in the top 10 list include New York City, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Rome.

A romantic trip does not always come with a luxury price tag. TripAdvisor’s top 10 bargain romantic U.S. hotels include*:

Cedar Cove Resort & Cottages, Holmes Beach, Florida, $199 average nightly rate

Red Cliffs Lodge, Moab, Utah, $159 average nightly rate

Old Ranch Inn, Palm Springs, California, $134 average nightly rate

Casa Malibu Inn on the Beach, Malibu, California, $159 average nightly rate

Desert Pearl Inn, Springdale, Utah, $153 average nightly rate

Inn at Sonoma, Sonoma, California, $197 average nightly rate

Overleaf Lodge & Spa, Yachats, Oregon, $177 average nightly rate

Lake Opechee Inn & Spa, Lakeport, New Hampshire, $199 average nightly rate

Hotel Rehoboth, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, $184 average nightly rate

Island Bay Resort, Tavernier, Florida, $163 average nightly rate

*NOTE: Travel Advocate does not guarantee these rates as they were supplied by TripAdvisor.

These romantic properties not only provide the ambiance required, according to Alan Goldschneider, managing director, Malibu Beach Inn.  Value is a key amenity travelers realize. “If a guest has a wonderful stay and it exceeds their expectations, when they go and check-out and can see the value. It seals the deal,” he adds.

Photo courtesy of YourNovel.com

If the economy has couples not being able to take some time away to re-connect together, another virtual romantic vacation option exists. YourNovel.com gives couples the opportunity to become characters aboard a historical cruise journey, experience passion on a tropical island, embrace romance in the Outer Banks and other romantic, customized journeys.

There are 25 romantic adventures to choose from and several e-books where a couple can escape, even if it is in the depth of a romance novel, as a unique way to experience a romantic getaway. You can opt for either a paperback or a hardback version and can even add your photo for further increased personalization.

Following is one of the book descriptions, Sea Double: A Cruise Romance, available at YourNovel.com:

Sea Double: A Cruise Romance is a personalized novel where our starring couple ply warm, blue Caribbean waters aboard a luxury cruise ship. Our heroine is called upon to switch places with a rock mega-star; our hero takes on the role of her bodyguard. Both find themselves playing at exotic ports-of-call like St. Lucia, Curacao and St. Martin, and basking in first-class comfort, only to find that along with celebrity comes a price.

After selecting your destination, you then enter a series of fields to allow for customization including pet names, number of years together, favorite music and more.  You have the opportunity to see an excerpt to see how the information flows together and you can make any applicable changes if needed. The entire process takes less than 15 minutes. The hardest part is selecting the romantic escape you want you and your significant other to appear in! There are so many great stories that are sure to tempt you to travel to one of these steamy destinations for real. In the meantime, armchair travel is a great prelude!

Subscribe to this blog's RSS feed

In the day and age where economic woes, foreclosures, and travel cutbacks are the news headlines, it is quite the relief for those who are still traveling, whether for work or pleasure, to encounter blue ribbon level service. Jet Blue could not be named more appropriately as this airline in the midst of airlines cutting back on capacity, increasing fees and eliminating once-free amenities, this airline is still true blue.

On a recent trip to New York City (JFK International airport), I experienced a long delay for the outbound flight from South Florida as the plane was coming from Boston, which was suffering a large snowstorm that morning. Thanks to Jet Blue’s up-to-the-minute Web site I knew of the lengthy delay before arriving at the airport and was able to adjust plans accordingly. Furthermore, once the packed plane was loaded with passengers, the Jet Blue Captain himself came out in front of everyone to personally explain why the delay had occurred. Never in all of my years of travel have I seen the Captain make this up-close and personal type of address.

Jet Blue’s flight crew’s humor was on top of their game, despite the long day they had already. They kept the passengers entertained. The free inflight entertainment system offered by Jet Blue is unbeatable by any other competitor. On our flight the majority of passengers were tuned into American Idol! Yes, the earphones are now $1, but you can bring your own. From an amenity perspective, they still offer complimentary beverages and a wide variety of free snacks.

Most airlines are now charging for checked baggage, but again, here is an area where Jet Blue sets itself apart from its competitors by not charging for the first checked bag.

For those who have lost their job or might become unemployed, Jet Blue offers the Jet Blue Promise and has created a program in place to refund airfare (program details are available online). This is just another example of Jet Blue stepping up for the blue ribbon in customer service.

The Jet Blue experience does not end when landing at JFK. This new terminal is something other airports should model. It’s bright, fresh and complete with unique store and food and beverage offerings including the largest Cibo Express I have seen (I had a hard time selecting my dinner as there were so many healthy and unique offerings) and a very hip and luxurious European style pharmacy, Harmony. Plus, there’s a large children’s play area by Fisher Price and free wireless is available.

Jet Blue is a true blue winner in the travel industry today.