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The Best Romantic Hotels & Resorts
- Hotel Place St. Michel (Coral Gables; tel. 800/848-HOTEL or 305/444-1666): This European-style hotel in the heart of Coral Gables is one of the city's most romantic options. The accommodations and hospitality are very Old-World European, complete with dark-wood paneled walls, cozy beds, beautiful antiques, and a quiet elegance that seems startlingly out of place in trendy Miami.
- Hotel Impala (South Beach; tel. 800/646-7252 or 305/673-2021): During the heyday of 1990s excess, Miami Beach was known for the fabulous parties thrown by the eclectic designer Gianni Versace. The late Versace desired an intimate European-style guesthouse that would please well-seasoned travelers, and the Impala is the result. His personal touch on this renovated Mediterranean inn is still evident, from the Greco-Roman frescoes and friezes to an intimate garden perfumed by strategically planted hanging lilies and gardenias.
- Jules' Undersea Lodge (Key Largo; tel. 305/451-2353): Submerge yourself in this single-room Atlantis-like hotel that offers a surprisingly comfortable suite 30 feet underwater. Don't worry; there's plenty of breathing room.
- Little Palm Island (Little Torch Key; tel. 800/343-8567 or 305/872-2524): Accessible only by boat, this private 5-acre island is not only remote, it's romantic -- there are no TVs, telephones, or fax machines in the luxurious thatched cottages.
- Marquesa Hotel (Key West; tel. 800/869-4631 or 305/292-1919): Don't be fooled by the Marquesa's location on heavily populated Key West: This charming B&B is in a wonderful world of its own, far enough from the tumult, yet close enough if you want it.
- The Gardens Hotel (Key West; tel. 800/526-2664 or 305/294-2661): A well-kept secret (until now), The Gardens Hotel is an exotic, lush, serene, and sultry escape from the frat-boy madness that ensues on nearby Duval Street.
- Sundy House (Delray Beach; tel. 877/439-9601 or 561/272-5678): With just 11 suites surrounded by more than 5,000 species of exotic plants and flowers, gazebos, and flowing streams, Sundy House is a gorgeous getaway that's close enough to access the beach, but still safely hidden from the mood-ruining madness and conventionality of your typical tourist-class beach hotel.
- Island's End Resort (St. Pete Beach; tel. 727/360-5023): Sitting right on Pass-a-Grille, where the Gulf of Mexico meets Tampa Bay, this little all-cottage retreat is a great hideaway from the crowds of St. Pete Beach. You won't have an on-site restaurant, bar, or other such amenities, but you can step from your cottage right onto the beach. And if you get the unit with two living rooms, you'll have a whirlpool tub and your own Gulfside pool.
- Turtle Beach Resort (Siesta Key, off Sarasota; tel. 941/349-4554): Sitting beside the bay, this intimate little charmer began life years ago as a traditional Old Florida fishing camp, but today it's one of the state's most romantic retreats. It's a tightly packed little place, but high wooden fences surround each unit's private outdoor hot tub, and one-way mirror walls let you lounge in bed while passersby see only reflections of themselves.
- Disney's Wilderness Lodge & Villas (Lake Buena Vista; tel. 407/934-7639): This impressive resort is reminiscent of the grand lodge at Yellowstone National Park. The spewing geyser out back, the mammoth stone hearth in the lobby, the Artist's Point 360-degree view of Bay Lake, and the towering forest sheltering the resort from the rest of the world are just a few of the reasons to stay here. Some guest rooms have patios or balconies overlooking the lake, woodlands, or meadow.
- The Villas of Grand Cypress (Orlando; tel. 800/835-7377 or 407/239-4700): This luxury condominium resort has lush grounds dotted with bougainvillea and hibiscus, lakes full of largemouth bass and bream, and grounds speckled with trumpeter swans, wood ducks, and the occasional fox or bobcat. It shares a golf academy, racquet club, and equestrian center with the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort. Best of all, the woodsy grounds make you feel as if you're far, far from Disney, even if it is right next door.
- The Lodge & Club at Ponte Vedra Beach (Ponte Vedra Beach, near Jacksonville; tel. 800/243-4304 or 904/273-9500): Every unit in this intimate hotel in upscale Ponte Vedra Beach has a romantic seat built into its oceanview window, plus a big bathroom with a two-person tub and separate shower. Gas fireplaces in most units add even more charm. One of the three pools and whirlpools here is reserved exclusively for couples. You can even get married in the semicircular meeting room overlooking the Atlantic.
- Seaside (near Destin; tel. 800/277-8696 or 850/231-1320): If residents of Northwest Florida don't stay at Henderson Park Inn for their getaways, they head for the romantic Gulf-front cottages at Seaside. Built in the 1980s but evoking the 1880s, the Victorian-style village of Seaside (a short drive east of Destin) has several cozy cottages designed especially for honeymooners.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
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