America's Most Romantic Hotels

Credit:

Courtesy of <a href="http://www.postranchinn.com" target="_blank">Post Ranch Inn</a>

Love is always in the air at these romantic hotels from coast to coast.

Imagine
you and your better half cuddling fireside as the sun dips behind the distant
mountains. The only sounds are from the wild; the only sights are canyons and the
stark desert. No, you’re not in the Sahara. You’re at Utah’s ultra-romantic
Amangiri resort.

With
Valentine’s Day looming and no end to winter in sight, who doesn’t dream of
stealing away on vacation? But you don’t need to travel to the ends of the
earth (or beloved spots like Paris or the Caribbean) to find that
spark-kindling setting. From seaside New England to Washington State’s wine
country, we’ve uncovered dreamy properties certain to get you in the
mood—whatever your idea of romance and your price range.

You can
take your love to literal new heights at Big Sur’s Post Ranch Inn, a cliff-top
hotel whose treehouses and cottages perch a thousand feet above the Pacific.
The policy of no clocks or televisions encourages couples to reconnect, while
perks like a gratis convertible inspire drives along scenic Highway 1 with
impromptu picnics on any of the breathtaking beaches.

Of
course, romance doesn’t require endless water views; cozying up in a country
bed-and-breakfast has its own appeal. Hillside Victorian cottages with a white
picket fence and fairy-tale-like setting draw couples year round to Landrum,
SC, where they check into the affordable Red Horse Inn. Blame its high
occupancy rate on the waterfalls, rocking chairs, and in-room candlelit
dinners.

Great
country inns know just how to take care of their guests, and indeed many of our
favorite romantic hotels are a quick jaunt but worlds away from major cities.
It’s about a two-hour drive from Phoenix to an enchanting resort of adobe
suites with kiva fireplaces set among the red-rock canyons of Sedona, while 2 1/2
hours gets you from Atlanta to a Blue Ridge Mountains retreat.

And
sometimes, romance is just a subway ride away. Lovebirds who want to fall in
love with their hometown all over again—or flock to a hotel with urban
sophistication—can look no further than actor Robert De Niro’s Greenwich Hotel
in New York City.

Read on
to find the perfect romantic hotel for you two and make that daydreamed getaway
a reality.

—Stephanie Orma