Valentine’s escapes for every taste
Valentine’s Ball and Massage Lesson at Culloden Estate, Belfast
First, an opulent Valentine’s Ball on Saturday, with drinks and dinner. Make a night of it and stay over – then, on Sunday, after a deluxe breakfast, learn the art of massage a deux. A personal masseuse will explain how it’s done, introduce you to a selection of oils, then demonstrate various techniques before leaving you to practice. Couple’s massage lessons for £105 per couple. Valentine’s Ball is £45 and a rooms start at £130. To book, call 028 9042 1066. www.hastingshotels.com
Bath and Beyond at the Landmark
The weekend kicks into gear with the strawberries and champers that greet you in your plush room. Next up is the entrance of your very own bath butler, who is tasked with running you the perfect, tea-lit bath using the hotel spa’s ESPA products. Save some fizz and berries for the bath, but leave space for the three course dinner that awaits you in the Winter Garden restaurant, accompanied by live music. Breakfast in bed the next day polishes off the perfect Valentine’s weekend. From £479. To book, call 020 7631 8000. www.landmarklondon.co.uk
Rendez-Vous at the Metropolitan
The Valentine’s-themed surprise in this new lovers’ package is the “seduction box”, complete with a 24-carat gold item that is defined only as a “little something” (it may be a naughty little something), a silk WINK blindfold by Jimmy Kane, a Kama Sutra card deck of 50 ways to please your lover, COMO Shalbala Harmony massage oils and more. You can kick back with a movie of your choice, and when you wake, it’s a champagne breakfast and much more lying around before the 4pm checkout. From £399 per night. To book, call 020 7447.1047. www.metropolitan.london.como.bz
Outdoorsy Valentine’s at Hotel du Vin, Poole
In the former Mansion House near Poole Harbour, an area famous for its boating tradition and spectacular natural beauty, you’ll find the ideal outdoorsy Valentine’s break. The package includes two nights with breakfast and dinner, two passes to a “Jurassic Jaunts” guided walk along the fossil-rich coastline, and an hour of horseback riding along the Heathland or Strutland Bay. (If you don’t fancy a gallop, you can have a Valentine’s cream tea instead). From £369 per couple. To book, call 01202 785570 and quote “Breeze du Vin Couple”. www.hotelduvin.com/Poole
Vintage Love Affair at Claridge’s
As if staying at Claridge’s weren’t romantic enough, the hotel has laid on several Valentine’s packages, the kingpin being A Vintage Love Affair. A bottle of Dom Perignon Vintage Rose 1998 will await you in your room with crystal flutes (to take home), alongside Laduree rose marshmallows. Next day it’s a full English breakfast and a late check out at 2pm so you can enjoy a proper post Valentine’s lie-in. From £545 per night. Available on weekends throughout February. To book, call 020 7107 8862 and quote “A Vintage Love Affair”. www.claridges.co.uk
Red Wellies at the Four Seasons
A sprawling mansion in the middle of Henry VIII’s old hunting park, with nearby stables, an extensive indoor pool and first-rate Espa spa, was always going to be a romantic destination. Add a pair of free Hunter wellies (red ones, naturally), dinner for two with a glass of champagne in the hotel’s Seasons restaurant (all fresh, local produce) and an English breakfast in your super-soft, king-sized bed, and you’ve got it made for Valentine’s Day. From £455. To book, call 01252 853000. www.fourseasons.com/hampshire