Jetsettersblog

London’s townhouse-style 51 Buckingham Gate, Taj Suites & Residences is offering the Romance at 51 package, priced from $780 and including one night’s accommodation for two adults in a Junior Suite or One-Bedroom Suite, Champagne breakfast, two treatments (one per person) at the Spa at 51, half bottle of Champagne or bottle of white or red house wine, strawberries dipped in chocolate, romantic candlelit bath for two, romantic turndown gift, and complimentary evening drinks and canapés in the Library from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. For more information, call 888-922-7096 or email reservations@51-buckinghamgate.co.uk

Lion World Tours is offering a Valentines Special on its African Dream Honeymoon itinerary. The honeymoon package includes a stay in Cape Town with accommodation in a romantic boutique hotel. From the city, honeymooners are swept into the bush for a safari. The trip concludes with a relaxing stay on the tropical island of Mauritius.

The package includes international airfare from New York (JFK) or Washington, D.C. (Dulles) on South African Airways, domestic and regional flights, fuel surcharges and flight taxes. Clients who book during the month of February receive a Couples’ Back, Neck and Shoulder massage at the Twelve Apostles Hotel; picnic lunch from the Twelve Apostles for a hike on the wilderness trails around the hotel; and a Couples’ Bush Bath and Massage at Sabi Sabi.

Accommodations in Cape Town are at the five-star Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa with rooms that are either mountain- or sea-facing. On safari, clients stay at Sabi Sabi Bush Lodge in an all-suite exclusive lodge in the Sabi Sabi Game Reserve, in the heart of the bushveld, overlooking a river plain and waterhole where animals regularly come to drink.

In Mauritius, accommodation is at the InterContinental Mauritius Resort Balaclava Fort on the beach overlooking the Bay of Balaclava, with deluxe rooms overlooking the beach and calm, clear waters. The package starts at $6,499 per person. This price is valid for departures in May. For the special Valentine’s Day offers, the package must be booked by Feb. 29.

Lion World Tours specializes in group and individual tours to Southern and East Africa, and is a member of The Travel Corporation. For more information, call 800-387-2706.

The Tropicana Las Vegas is offering a Valentine’s Day Wedding Ceremony Package that includes the services of a personal wedding coordinator to assist with the planning and implementation of every detail, including selecting the location for their ceremony.

Couples may choose between Tropicana Las Vegas’ Chapel, which can seat up to 80 people, or the Island Arbor, which seats up to 30 people and offers a tropical setting with waterfalls.

A private bridal waiting area is also available prior to the ceremony.

In addition to providing traditional wedding march and recessional music, the Valentine’s Day Wedding Ceremony Package features a six-rose bouquet for the bride, a boutonniere for the groom, and a sparkling bottle of champagne for the happy couple with two Tropicana Las Vegas champagne flutes. Wedding photography for the bride and groom is also provided during the ceremony and for 30 minutes following, and four custom four-by-six prints and a commemorative wedding certificate ensure that each and every memory of this romantic day will last a lifetime.

Tropicana Las Vegas’ Valentine’s Day Wedding Ceremony Package is priced at $400 plus a $75 minister fee.

Heat up your travel plans during the most romantic time of the year with rates starting at $134, including special treats and festive cocktails in celebration of Valentine’s Day

This Valentine’s Day, Loews Hotels invites guests to “Get a Room” with special rates and tasty treats ideal for a romantic getaway. The Get a Room package from Loews Hotels will be offering accommodations throughout the month of February, along with a special menu of uniquely local nibbles and specialty cocktails created just for the occasion. Get a complimentary coupon and enjoy a consenting adult’s libation.

At Loews Miami Beach Hotel, savor a Cupid’s Cosmo with Absolut Citron, Chambord, and pomegranate and fresh lime juice, with pomegranate jewels or a lime curl twist.

Loews Ventana Canyon in Tucson is serving up a Love Me Sweet, Love Me Hot cocktail, with jalapeno-infused simple syrup, fresh berries, lime juice and Hornitos Repasado tequila.

Keep things sophisticated in the heart of Manhattan at Loews Regency Hotel New York with a Bubbly Passion fashioned from passion fruit puree, schnapps and Astoria Prosecco.

Loews Coronado Bay in San Diego has the Light My Fire cocktail with Absolut Peppar, chocolate liqueur, Bitter Truth chocolate bitters, and a crimson-colored hot chili garnish to stir things up.

The Get a Room package is priced from $134/double occupancy per night, with spicy bites and two bubbly cocktails included. Available through February 29, 2012.

For more information or to arrange your stay, call 1-800-23-LOEWS or visit
www.loewshotels.com

*Offer valid through 2/29/2012; subject to availability. Minimum one night stay. Not applicable to Loews Hotels at Universal Orlando (Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando®, Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando®, Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando®). Offer not applicable to groups, negotiated or third-party rates. Not combinable with any other offers. Not applicable to existing reservations. YouFirst benefits apply.

About Loews Hotels

Headquartered in New York City, Loews Hotels owns and/or operates 18 hotels and resorts in the U.S. and Canada, including its newest, the 414-room Loews Atlanta Hotel that opened April 1, 2010. Located in major city centers and resort destinations from coast to coast, the Loews portfolio features one-of-a-kind properties that go beyond Four Diamond standards to delight guests with a supremely comfortable, uniquely local and vibrant travel experience. Loews boasts some of the industry’s most innovative and successful travel programs, including Loews Loves Kids for families and Loews Loves Pets for discerning animals on the road. For reservations or more information on Loews Hotels, call
1-800-23-LOEWS or check www.loewshotels.com.

Follow Loews Hotels on Twitter: www.twitter.com/loews_hotels   Like Loews Hotels on Facebook: www.facebook.com/LoewsHotels  Watch Loews Hotels on YouTube: www.youtube.com/LoewsHotels

Hong Kong’s Upper House’s Café Gray Deluxe has launched a Red Roses Afternoon Tea in collaboration with leading British luxury fragrance and lifestyle brand Jo Malone to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year. The romantic afternoon tea set will be served exclusively at Café Gray Deluxe through Feb. 29.

Red Roses is a blend of seven of the world’s most exquisite roses. With crushed violet leaves and a hint of lemon, it’s surprisingly clean and sheer, unfolding like a bouquet of freshly cut flowers. Other tea choices range from classic Darjeeling and Earl Grey to herbal and flower blends such as fresh mint and roses. Priced at $24 per person or $45 for two people, the Red Roses Afternoon Tea is served daily from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. throughout February at Café Gray Deluxe with a breathtaking Hong Kong harbor view from the top.

Virginia is for Lovers and Lomography have announced a new, international photo competition called Love Unexpected, which will award limited-edition Virginia is for Lovers cameras and four week-long vacations and airfare to some of Virginia’s coolest small-town destinations.

The Love Unexpected photo competition is the first time Lomography has partnered with a U.S. tourism office for a special promotion. Participants are asked to photograph things that are loved using a Lomography camera and submit the photos at the competition website. Starting on Feb. 3, 2012, Lomography will issue a new photo challenge each month themed around love.

Ten monthly winners will win a Virginia is for Lovers camera. From among the monthly winners, four grand prize winners will be chosen to each experience a separate, over-the-top vacation in Virginia. The contest runs through December 2012. Each prize trip is themed, including the Roadside Wonders trip; the Wines, Brews and Spirits trip; and an Old School Seaside Eats and the Music Jams trip, where the winner will receive an all-access pass to the 2012 Floyd Fest and bear the title of “official event photographer for Virginia is for Lovers.”

Speed dating: tick. Online dating: tick. Painful evening next to only other single person at so-called friend’s dinner party: tick. All sound terrifyingly familiar? How about coasteering, sea kayaking and surfing your way to romance instead?

This Valentine’s weekend, Pembrokeshire-based activity provider and five star eco lodge Preseli Venture is launching Adventurous Encounters, a singles adventure weekend with a difference.

There won’t be any forced speed dating here – just a chance to have a laugh and enjoy some exhilarating activities along the spectacular Pembrokeshire coastline with like-minded adventure seekers. And you never know, you might meet the guy/girl of your dreams…

Sophie Hurst, Preseli Venture’s General Manager, says: “We have many examples from our 21 years in business of our adventure events leading to guests forging lifelong friendships and even love! We hope that single people out there will enjoy the shared experiences and camaraderie – or ‘hwyl’ – of the adventures and resulting natural endorphin high, and make meaningful and lasting friendships.”

Isla Johnston, 29, is a postgraduate officer at Bath University. In April 2008, she was shattered and fed up with London, so booked an adrenaline-packed weekend at Preseli Venture. But it wasn’t just leaping off cliffs that made her heart beat faster: also staying at the lodge was fellow adventurer Mark Holmes, a 32-year-old quantity surveyor.

“A weekend at Preseli Venture was exactly what I needed,” says Isla. “There was lots of banter, and everyone chatted around a bonfire till the small hours. On the final morning, Mark knocked on my door. He seemed a bit sheepish and nervously presented a piece of paper. He’d scribbled his e-mail address on a bar receipt – I still keep that receipt in my purse today.”

Isla took the plunge and e-mailed Mark. After two years of long-distance love between Cardiff and London, the couple moved in together and now live in Bristol. In 2012, they plan to return to Preseli Venture for their four-year anniversary.

So instead of glowering at your colleague’s oversized bunch of roses or hanging around desperately for the postie this February, fling yourself off cliffs whilst coasteering, kayak into hidden caves, surf the Pembrokeshire waves and stargaze from a moonlit beach. It has to be better than a three-minute conversation with Roger from Croydon.

The Valentine’s weekend takes place from 10-12 February 2012 and costs £215 for accommodation, all meals, adventure activities, instruction and equipment.

Preseli Venture is also running mid-week Adventurous Encounters singles adventure holidays from 11-15 June 2012 and 3-7 September 2012. These five-day breaks cost £509.

For more information or to book, visit www.preseliventure.co.uk , e-mail info@preseliventure.co.uk  or call 01348 837 709.

Quality Villas presents a stunning hacienda style villa within 10 miles of St Tropez, owned by famed interior designer Linda Barker – replete with her trademark cool and sophisticated style.

2011 saw a boom for Quality Villas in the St Tropez region. With bookings already up 25% on 2011, this family owned company urges customers to book fast to secure their favourite house. With its first 9 week booking for St Tropez, this region looks on course to continue the 2011 trend.

Margaret Rees, owner of Quality Villas says ” LInda Barker has chosen a villa in a fabulous location. St Tropez itself and the allure of the coast is well known, but what people don’t tend to know until their first visit to the area is that hilltop villages and stunning forests add to the backdrop of this dazzling town – vineyards aplenty.. and Villa Libellule is in the middle of this region.”

Linda Barker has created a cool oasis in the heart of this region – oversized moroccan lamps surround the riad-style courtyard swimming pool, crisp linens, a hint of stylish shabby chic mixed with influences from local antique markets, wow pieces such as the enormous chandeliers – and a sunset deck with stunning views of the valley below- ideal for an aperitif or yoga!

http://www.qualityvillas.com/st-tropez-var/la-mole/villa-libellule

6 ensuite bedrooms, sleeping 12
£6465 – £11695 per week

For more villas in this region as well as the rest of France, visit www.qualityvillas.com.

To book a Quality Villas please contact:
Quality Villas Italy, France, Morocco, Ski
www.qualityvillas.com
01442 870 055
info@qualityvillas.com

The Quality portfolio:

Quality Unearthed
Unique, Boutique abodes
www.qualityunearthed.com
01348 830 922
info@qualityunearthed.co.uk

Quality Cottages Wales
www.qualitycottages.com
01348 837 871
reserve@qualitycottages.co.uk

Top luxury villa company CV Travel has come up with its top choice of romantic retreats for 2012, from cosy villas for two on the Greek islands, to a boutique London hotel, a town-house in rural France, to a Spanish cottage.

Coastal sun-kissed Greek villa for two
Pelagia Cottage, Messinia, Greece

What could be more romantic than sitting in a hot tub overlooking the Greek coastline as the sun sets across the Gulf ofMessinia. CV Travel’s Pelagia Cottageisa beautifully restored villain a superb setting on the edge of a low headland on the Peloponnese.

The property has two outdoor dining terraces, one dappled by shade and the other with a private jacuzzi on the headland with rock bathing just below and within walking distance of beautiful sandy beaches, local shops and tavernas in the Greek village of Stoupa.

A 7 night stay in Pelagia Cottage costs from £1680 – £1925 per week including car hire, maid service and food hamper, based on 2 guests sharing. Contact CV Travel on 020 7401 1026,www.cvtravel.co.uk

http://www.cvtravel.co.uk/en/destinations/europe/greece/peloponnese/stoupa/accommodation/pages/pelagia-cottage.aspx

Just a diamond’s call away
The Draycott Hotel, Kensington, Great Britain

Romantics and lovers of tradition will enjoy the afternoon tea and biscuits, champagne at six and bed-time hot chocolate at the 5* Draycott Hotel, a red-brick house in the heart of Kensington and Chelsea, close to Sloane Square and temptingly close to London’s high end shops.

The Draycott recalls an era of Edwardian grandeur in style, with high ceilings, period antiques and theatrical memorabilia and is set around a peaceful private garden square. 24-hour concierge service ensures that a call for a large diamond at 2am will at least be answered.

Those falling for the hotel’s charms, and each other, can also book a wedding reception there at a future date.

A two night stay at the Draycott Hotel costs from £318 per person in 2012 (based on a standard double bedroom), including breakfast, available through CV Travel, 020 7401 1086, www.cvtravel.co.uk

http://www.cvtravel.co.uk/en/destinations/europe/great-britain/england/london/accommodation/pages/the-draycott-hotel.aspx

`Wedding cake’ villa above the sea
La Ventana, Siesta, Ibiza

For those with nuptials on the mind La Ventana in Ibiza is a real `wedding cake’ of a whitewashed Spanish villa, tucked up in a private location on the cliffs above the small town of Siesta. Its immensely intimate setting, with wide-open sea views from its raised private terrace and its own hexagonal swimming pool make it a very special romantic retreat. The villa is private, but within a romantic stroll of a spa, lovely beaches and the bars and restaurants in the town.

La Ventanacan be rented through CV Travel from £2,170 per week between April and October 2012. Sleeps up to 4.

Contact CV Travel on 020 7401 1035 or visit www.cvtravel.co.uk

http://www.cvtravel.co.uk/en/destinations/europe/spain/ibiza/siesta/accommodation/pages/la-ventana.aspx#/

Centuries of love
The Cockloft, Cotswolds, Great Britain
Stroll in the grounds of Wiltshire’s oldest inhabited manor house, with its 13th century porch and 15th century chapel, and amid the ancient yews, stumble across a love folly and pluck a bloom from the profusion of old fashioned rose species that fill the gardens in May and June. This historic manor house has witnessed centuries of romance and modern-day romantics can enjoy a week’s stay at `The Cockloft’ in the grounds of the manor house, a heavily-beamed, ancient, stone-built house with traditional polished wood floors, furnished with antiques.

A week’s stay at The Cockloft can be booked with CV Travel (020 7401 1086, www.cvtravel.co.uk) costs from £600 for two.

http://www.cvtravel.co.uk/en/destinations/europe/great-britain/england/cotswolds/accommodation/pages/the-cockloft.aspx

Villa for two on the island of Corfu
Villa Akrothalassia, St Spiridon, Corfu

Akrothalassia on the North east coast of Corfu is a very romantic, secluded property situated deep within a private olive grove, just a few steps away from the sea. The property’s romantic charm includes a Jacuzzi bath which has superb views of the sea with an eye-catching silhouette of an offshore island.

A week’s stay starts from £1415 based on 2 people sharing and includes car hire maid service and food hamper. Contact CV Travel on 020 7401 1026 or visit www.cvtravel.co.uk

http://www.cvtravel.co.uk/en/destinations/europe/greece/corfu/kalamaki-st-spiridon–perithia/accommodation/pages/akrothalassia.aspx

A tower for two in rural Umbria
`Renato’s Tower’, Borgo San Biagio, Umbria

This quirky, restored medieval tower in a hilltop Umbrian hamlet with a hot-tub on the roof terrace, is absolutely perfect for a romantic weekend or honeymoon retreat. From the rooftop terrace couples enjoy beautiful views of the undulating countryside while the tower offers rustic and comfortable accommodation on 4 floors and is in close proximity to historic towns and places of interest for plenty of romantic excursions.

Renato’s Tower can be booked for two from £995 per week. Call CV Travel on 020 7401 1039 or visit www.cvtravel.co.uk

http://www.cvtravel.co.uk/EN/Destinations/Europe/Italy/Umbria/Umbria–Tuscany-Borders/Accomodations/Pages/Renatos-Tower.aspx

Wake up to the waves
`La Trasita’, Positano

Wake up to the sound of the waves and the scent of the sea in a 14th century Saracen tower, perched on the headland on a coastal path leading away fromPositano, making it a unique venue, with its own roof terrace, galleried double bedroom and sitting room with balcony. Sea views are, naturally, unrivalled.

La Trasita is available to book through CV Travel from £1445for two to share per week. Tel 020 7401 1039 or visit www.cvtravel.co.uk

http://www.cvtravel.co.uk/en/destinations/europe/italy/campania/amalfi-coast-sorrento–ischia/accommodation/pages/la-trasita.aspx

Town house on Sicily’s coastline
Casa Cefalu, Sicily Coast

Wander through the streets and squares of Cefalu with its palazzi, churches, old fashioned bars and a sandy beach, before returning a short stroll to Casa Cefalu, a pretty town house in the medieval centre of Cefalù, on the north coast of Sicily.From the house’s two terraces magnificent views over the roofs of the medieval town, the twelfth-century Norman cathedral and out to sea can be seen.

Casa Cefalu can be booked through from CV Travel from £895 for two to share per week. Call CV on 020 7401 1039 or visit www.cvtravel.co.uk   

http://www.cvtravel.co.uk/en/destinations/europe/italy/sicily/sicily-coast–countryside/accommodation/pages/casa-cefalu.aspx

Charming rural retreat, inland Mallorca

Son Siona, Mallorca, Spain

Son Siona is a traditional cottage with plenty of rural atmosphere and secluded countryside for a very peaceful and romantic stay. The local village of Buger is a short walk away and is one of the smallest municipalities on the island of Mallorca and one of the most attractive. Bursting with character and cosiness, the house has its own private pool and large private gardens, making it perfect for seclusion and romance.

Son Siona is available to rent through CV Travel (020 7401 1035, www.cvtravel.co.uk ) from £805 to £1565 per week.

http://www.cvtravel.co.uk/en/destinations/europe/spain/mallorca/bay-of-pollensa–surrounds/accommodation/pages/son-siona.aspx

Town house a deux in one of France’s most beautiful villages

La Petit Gordes, Gordes, France

Take a leisurely stroll together through the stone paved streets of one of France’s most beautiful villages, Gordes, a picturesque hillside town with spectacular views overlooking the hills of Luberon, and a place where film stars and local artists have made their home. Visitthe Saint-Firmain Palace cellars, the Sénanque Abbey and the Village des Bories. CV Travel’s La Petite Gordesis a charming two bedroom stone town house with a large private pool, just 5 minutes walk from the centre ofGordes, and driving distance fromthe beautiful town of Bonnieux and the city of Avignon.

La Petit Gordes can be booked through CV Travel (020 7401 1044,www.cvtravel.co.uk) A 7 night stay in La Petite Gordes costs from £2,360 to £3,655 per week including villa hire and maid service, for up to 4 guests sharing. Return flights, transfers and car hire can be arranged on request.

http://www.cvtravel.co.uk/en/destinations/europe/france/provence/goult–surrounding-areas/accommodation/pages/la-petite-gordes.aspx

Paul Gauguin Cruises is offering a free Valentine’s Day gift package for guests from Jan. 30 through Feb. 18. Guests booking any seven-night sailing will receive the gift package of Leonidas chocolates, flower turndown service, and a $100-per-person credit at the Deep Nature Spa by Algotherm, compliments of Paul Gauguin Cruises (a $230 value). As with all 2012 sailings, guests also receive 50 percent off standard cruise fares and free airfare from Los Angeles.

Paul Gauguin Cruises also offers a gift registry, where guests celebrating their honeymoon, anniversary or other milestone event can choose a wish list of gifts, ranging from shore excursions to dining and spa options.