The Best Romantic Hotels & Resorts in Florida
- Jules' Undersea Lodge (Key Largo; tel. 305/451-2353): Submerge yourself in this single-room Atlantis-like hotel that offers a surprisingly comfortable suit -- 30 feet under water. Don't worry; there's plenty of breathing room, but you really have to like the person you're with to take this plunge.
- Kona Kai Resort, Gallery & Botanic Garden (Key Largo; tel. 800/365-7829 or 305/852-7200): A haven for vacationing adults, Kona Kai features a private beach and stylized, modern rooms and suites amid a 2-acre property, lined with native vegetation and fruit trees.
- Little Palm Island Resort & Spa (Little Torch Key; tel. 800/343-8567 or 305/872-2524): Accessible only by boat, this private 5-acre island is not only remote but also romantic -- there are no TVs or telephones in the luxurious thatched cottages.
- The Moorings Village (Islamorada; tel. 305/664-4708): A former coconut plantation, the Moorings features 18 different cottages on 18 stunning acres of beachfront, and lush gardens studded with bougainvillea and coconut palms.
- La Mer Hotel & Dewey House (Key West; tel. 800/354-4455 or 305/296-6577): These picture-postcard turn-of-the-20th-century Victorian and historic homes have spacious, modern British colonial-style rooms overlooking lush gardens and the ocean.
- 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 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 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.
- Turtle Beach Resort (Siesta Key, off Sarasota; tel. 941/349-4554): Sitting beside the bay, this intimate charmer began life as a traditional Old Florida fishing camp, but today it's one of the state's most romantic retreats. It's a tightly packed 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.
- 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 has a romantic seat built into its oceanview window, plus a big bathroom with a two-person tub and separate shower. Gas fireplaces in preferred rooms and suites add even more charm. One of the three pools and whirlpools here is reserved exclusively for couples.
- Casa Marina (Jacksonville Beach; tel. 904/270-0025): The words luxury and Jacksonville aren't as oxymoronic as it seems when it comes to this 25-room "old-world meets modern oceanfront Jax Beach" hotel.
- WaterColor Inn (near Destin; tel. 866/426-2656 or 850/534-5000): This David Rockwell-designed beachfront boutique hotel feels more like a private beach house. Guest rooms feature a pantry, a walk-in shower with views to the beach, and Adirondack chairs on the balcony.
- Seaside (near Destin; tel. 866/624-1054 or 850/231-1320): The romantic Gulf-front cottages at Seaside were built in the 1980s but evoke the 1880s, in the Victorian-style village of Seaside (a short drive east of Destin), with several cozy cottages designed especially for honeymooners.
