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Beyond Soggy Petals in the Bathtub: Mr & Mrs Smith’s Top Ten Valentine’s Breaks for Stylish Lovers

Jan 23, 12 | 12:05 am

Valentine's Day breaks have a bad rep: a single wilted rose on the bedside table, overcrowded restaurants, and headache-inducing red and pink everywhere - and who needs a headache on Valentine's night? Boutique hotel experts Mr & Mrs Smith have sifted through the schmaltz to find Valentine's packages that will really set hearts aflutter (and won't involve soggy petals clogging the plughole). Here are 10 hot properties that offer something a little bit different...

The Connaught, London
Set in swanky Mayfair, the Connaught has old-fashioned values (top-notch butler service, antique furniture) as well as modern frills (the UK's only Aman Spa). With their ‘Truly, Madly, Deeply' package, you'll enjoy a one-night stay, champagne on arrival, an edible Valentine in-room treat and English breakfast. And just this once, you're encouraged to take home the (personalised monogrammed) towels.
Valentine's package price: From £385
Dates: 1-29 February
mrandmrssmith.com/the-connaught

Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa, Wiltshire
This hotel has it all: an award-winning spa, croquet lawn, equestrian centre (horse riding for two can be arranged) and tennis courts are all feathers in this handsome hotel's hat. Arrive to pink champagne in your room, then tuck in to dinner at the Michelin-starred Park restaurant; next morning, enjoy a full English breakfast.
Valentine's package price: From £470
Dates: 14 February
mrandmrssmith.com/lucknam-park

St Moritz Hotel, Cornwall
A multitalented modernist resort overlooking the Camel Estuary, the St Moritz Hotel has a Cowshed spa, activities galore and a buzzing restaurant and bar. February has been declared the ‘month of love' and their romantic package includes one night's stay and a top-secret ‘Luxe Love' box of adult treats.
Valentine's package price: From £195
Dates: 1-29 February
mrandmrssmith.com/st-moritz

Stoke Park, Buckinghamshire
Fancy living it up at an imposing stately mansion? Indulge yourselves with a one-night stay, dinner and breakfast, a personalised cake for two, chilled champagne and chocolate-dipped strawberries. They'll also give you an SPC bath and body oil collection - ideal for trying out the sort of massages they don't provide in their incredible spa.
Valentine's package price: From £470
Dates: 10-14 February
mrandmrssmith.com/ stoke-park

Lime Wood, Hampshire
This stately pile has a serious air of luxury, with devotedly designed interiors, a super spa and two tantalising restaurants. Lime Wood's five-course Valentine's feast (designed to be shared) includes truffle-baked clams, roast Hampshire mallard carved at the table and baked Tunworth cheese with homemade bread - perfect for dunking à deux.
Valentine's dinner price: £170 per couple, excluding drinks. (Why not make a night of it, boutique bedrooms from £295 on Valentine's night?)
Dates: 14 February
mrandmrssmith.com/lime-wood

Aquapura, Douro Valley, Portugal
Portugal's sexiest spa retreat offers views of the valley in all its sweeping vine-clad majesty as well as a tempting Valentine's package: during your two-night stay you'll be welcomed with a cocktail, pampered with a 55-minute spa treatment for two, and wined and dined with a delectable three-course meal.
Valentine's package price: From €285
Dates: 9-15 February
mrandmrssmith.com/aquapura

A'jia Hotel, Istanbul, Turkey
Sleek design and a grand Ottoman exterior entwine on the banks of the Bosphorus: inside, your Romance Suite awaits. Sip cocktails at check-in, then luxuriate during a 30-minute massage for two, followed by dinner with wine. Next morning, discover the delights of a Turkish breakfast.
Valentine's package price: From £540
Dates: 14 February
mrandmrssmith.com/ajia-hotel

Canal House, Amsterdam, Netherlands
This Dutch masterpiece boasts both a romantic-hideaway garden and some seriously seductive bedrooms. Escape to Amsterdam for the night and enjoy homemade chocolate truffles, a Green & Spring candle in your room and a three-course dinner, with a full breakfast laid on the next day.
Valentine's package price: From £228
Dates: 10-18 February
mrandmrssmith.com/canal-house

La Mamounia, Marrakech, Morocco
Ravishing and regal, this legendary den of decadence is set in royal gardens, styled with a medley of art deco and Moorish opulence, and as sensuous as a seraglio. Arrive for your two-night stay in a chauffeur-driven Daimler, then prepare to be spoilt: your Moroccan adventure involves a 30-minute massage, 45-minute helicopter tour of the Atlas Mountains, dinner, breakfast and a 60-minute Shiseido spa ritual.
Valentine's package price: From £2,140
Dates: 9-20 February
mrandmrssmith.com/la-mamounia

Grand Hotel Villa Cora, Florence, Italy
Built in the 1870s by Baron Oppenheim for his wife, Grand Hotel Villa Cora is a love letter in art and architecture: it's opulent in the extreme, but by no means over-blinged. Book through Mr & Mrs Smith and receive an upgrade to a deluxe room, a special gift and breakfast in bed.
Valentine's package price: From €250
Dates: Until 31 March
mrandmrssmith.com/villa-cora

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NOTES:
Not all rates are tax inclusive.

Mr & Mrs Smith's hotel collection features the most stylish places to stay around the world, whether you're looking for a romantic boutique hideaway, a luxurious spa retreat or a cosy country inn. Offering a handpicked selection of more than 850 properties - each carefully chosen for its mix of individuality, atmosphere, style and service, and insider guides to the destinations featured: mrandmrssmith.com.

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