The West's Top 20 Romantic Getaways

Make this Valentine's Day weekend--or any weekend--special at one of these dreamy retreats.

Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur, CA
The most dramatically situated and architecturally ambitious of the Big Sur inns, Post Ranch Inn has rooms set along the bluffs and others tucked away in the forest. And what do we think of the clifftop rooms? Wow. As in: Wow, check out those end-of-the-earth ocean views and get a load of those James-worthy bells and whistles.
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Rolling Huts, Methow Valley, WA
Skip the snow cave, and check into a stylish winter perch. Tucked into the tranquil upper end of northern Washington's Methow Valley--where the loudest noise is the swish of cross-country skis--are the Rolling Huts, tricked out with platform beds, wood-burning fireplaces, and sleek kitchenettes. If cooking isn't your thing, order tapas to go from the Wesola Polana Diner, and snuggle in to watch shadows play on the peaks above the ponderosas. Or ski out your door 6 miles for an espresso and fresh-baked goods at the Mazama Store. No tickets necessary for the nightly show: a gazillion stars and, if you're lucky, the aurora borealis.


L'Auberge de Sedona, Sedona, AZ
With red-rock views and dazzling canyons, a drive through Sedona is a surefire way to get hearts aflutter. To really get things going, stop for lunch at L'Auberge de Sedona on the banks of Oak Crek, a place so romantic that a grass-stained knee doesn't signal an accident but a proposal. Share wine, a grilled chicken-and-brie crisp, and the warmth of the stone fireplace at the inn's creekside restaurant. Get even cozier by spending the night either in one of the 31 cottages along the creek or up the hill in a lodge room.
> Related: 7 warming winter trips


Petit Hotel Hafa, Sayulita, Mexico
Relax on the stylish rooftop lounge at Petit Hotel Hafa, a tiny boutique hotel two blocks from the beach, where the Moroccan-inspired decor in the middle of the Mexican tropics draws both design enthusiasts and hideaway seekers. Owners Christophe and Marina Mignot know everyone in town and are happy to share all off-season secrets, so a stay here feels like the real local's-eye-view.


Hidden Meadow Ranch, Greer, AZ
Six miles up a forest road, 10 miles to the nearest village, the seclusion and often-snowy setting make this super-luxe guest ranch in the White Mountains the ideal winter retreat. By day, sleigh-ride à deux, ride horseback through pines, or snowshoe. At night, dine on elk tenderloin in the candlelit lodge, then relax in the steamy hot tub under dizzying stars before bedding down by the crackling fire.
> Related: Top 10 romantic cottages


Volcano Rainforest Retreat, Big Island, HI
In the secluded Sanctuary, light candles, make the Tibetan chimes kiss, play a CD of sensuous Indian music, and whisper words from a bedside book of meditations on love. As you snuggle under the Balinese-print quilt, you'll feel a glow that comes only partly from the ornate cast-iron fireplace. Hide out in the open-air pavilion's Japanese soaking tub, just big enough for two, surrounded by glistening ferns and sweet flowering ginger.


Cavallo Point, The Lodge at the Golden Gate, Sausalito, CA
Cavallo Point is so close to the city, you could walk across the Golden Gate Bridge for a glass of bubbly on the porch, where rocking chairs and couches are positioned for a view of those red towers jutting above the Marin Headlands. This WWI-era Army based turned luxe lodge has an Ultimate Date Night Package that--when you break it down--is quite a deal: $450 buys a four course dinner for two at the elegant Murray Circle; breakfast the next morning; parking; and a room with a fireplace, original pressed-tin ceilings, and a front-row seat to the San Francisco skyline. Plus, free yoga in the former base chapel and hikes around Marin County in between.
> Related: 48 hours in Sausalito


Rockwater Secret Cove Resort, near Halfmoon Bay, B.C.
This ragged stretch of the Sunshine Coast is so unspoiled and awe-inspiring, it's sometimes hard to imagine that anyone but a bald eagle or two has been here before you. Wooden walkways meander through the forest where Rockwater Secret Cove Resort's 13 roomy, light-filled, adults-only canvas tent suites--with fluffy king-size duvets and tubs for two--perch above the blue water. Each suite has a deck and views to inspire castaway fantasies. At Rockwater's Spa Without Walls, treatments are on a platform at the water's edge with stunning views.


Korakia Pensione, Palm Springs
Grab the glass of mint tea that awaits you in your Moroccan- or Mediterranean-style room, then head out through French doors onto your bougainvillea-edged patio to sip and stare at the San Jacinto Mountains. Later, go for a swim in one of the inn's two torch-lit pools under clear desert skies, or catch an outdoor movie.
> Related: Desert Hot Springs escape


View Hotel, Monument Valley, UT
Daydreaming is the main activity at the View Hotel, where every room has a balcony with vistas of those iconic sandstone spires--and nothing else. Occasionally guests rally from their reveries and bundle up to wander out into red rock scenery made completely new by a fairy dusting of snow.

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