Proposal season is almost over. If you committed yourself to your significant other over the holidays or plan to do so by Valentine's Day, then you’ll need to start thinking about more than just a ring. It’s time to start planning the perfect honeymoon. We’ve rounded up our favorite locations for honeymooners with a range of styles. Check it out.
One&Only Ocean Club in The Bahamas
For the Pool Seekers
We have chosen this hotspot, because it recently completed a massive renovation. We suggest love birds stay in the Hartford Wing. The guestrooms in this area were just expanded and redesigned. Now, guests can see the ocean and gardens from this wing. We like the idea of sipping celebratory champagne on the terrace or balcony while enjoying the sunset.
We know couples will also enjoy the new, 125-foot long infinity-edge pool at One&Only Ocean Club. Along the pool a special concierge team will serve sweet treats like lollipops and spritzers. After a morning of swimming and sunbathing, grab a bite at the Ocean Pool Grill. Here, local eats like spiny lobster and oysters are on the menu. This new eatery will also celebrate the sunset on Thursdays through Saturday with entertainment.
Leeu House, South Africa
For the Wine Aficionados
The intimate, 12-bedroom hotel in South Africa’s Franschhoek Valley (known for its wine) opened last month with neutral, calm interiors and high-tech bedrooms (think media hubs, Nespresso coffee machines and heated bathroom floors). The whole venue feels like a relaxed, welcoming country house, thanks in part to the living room and its romantic, wood-burning fireplace and great views of the manicured gardens outside. Nice Touch: Visitors will want to take a dip in the 50-foot heated pool and relax on the terrace in the morning. In the afternoon, we suggest booking a bicycle to explore Franschhoek. Foodies will be happy to hear that the area is filled with award-winning restaurants, while our art aficionados will want to visit the nearby galleries and boutiques.
For dinner, Leeu House hands the control over to Chef Oliver Cattermole, who uses local produce for his creative dishes. Guests should order South African vintage wines for dinner or afterwards in the conservatory or on the terrace. Good to know: A spa opens here in June.
Hotel Husafell, Iceland
For the Eco Conscience Adventurers
Hotel Husafell is a luxury lodge that balances on the edge of glacier and boarder Iceland’s wilderness. The hotel is 90 minutes from Reykjavik and 20 minutes from Langjokull glacier (another major site to see). Travelers who head here will explore lava caves, go hiking and enjoy horse-back riding. Dinning at Husafell means guests will be tasting a Nordic-inspired menu. Think locally caught seafood, game and produce grown in nearby geothermal greenhouses.
Nice Touch: This hotel uses 100 percent renewable energy that is produced on site. With only 36 guestrooms, there will be plenty of room in the outdoor thermal pools and hot tubs. We think couples should enjoy the views of the Northern Lights from these warm-water escapes.
Mandarin Oriental, Morocco
For the Romantics
Mandarin Oriental, Marrakech recently opened, and we are happy to set the scene for honymooners. Imagine walking along the resort, with almost 50 acres of landscaped gardens, all the while inhaling the fragrance of 100,000 roses. Yeah, we think it sounds pretty romantic, too. Guests will also get some of those roses all to themselves in the secluded gardens that are a part of the 54 private villas, which come with swimming pools and hot tubs. Sweet. Want a view of the gardens? We suggest one of the seven suites with a rooftop plunge pool and 360-degree views of the landscape. Nice Touch: The Atlas Mountains provide a dramatic background.
The hotel’s architect is Pascal Desprez, while the design, which uses natural, local materials, was created by French architects, Patrick Gilles and Dorothée Boissier. Guests can get a full grasp of the atmosphere at one of the restaurants or bars. Mes’Lalla serves a spin on traditional Moroccan under the helm of Chef Meryem Cherkaoui. However, Le Salon Berbère is where the views are. Pay attention to the view of the blue and green pools as well as those Atlas Mountains — it’s a real showstopper. Another dining option is at the Pool Garden, next to the main swimming hole, which serves locally sourced produce (yes, please).
If guests want to spend most of their time outside, and they will, they should have their spa treatments in the spa suites’ private terraces or gardens. Hint: The spa also has two hammams.