Love is in the Lair this Valentine's Day

Face it. This Valentine's Day, sweet nothings simply won't cut it. Luckily, some of the more imaginative hotel brands out there have come to the rescue with romance packages that are just right for Valentine's Day. Here are a few that caught our eye.

Champagne and orchid petals
Fairmont, which boasts 56 hotels and resorts from Arizona to Zanzibar, has a knack for developing inventive getaways, like its romantic "holi-dates" packages. Take the "Make Room for Romance Turndown Package," a $125 add-on amenity at Fairmont Orchid, a top lodging in Hawaii. It has all the bases covered. Champagne and candles? Check. Bonbons and bubble bath? You bet. Want to say it with flowers? This one even includes a trail of orchid petals. If you're looking for something more lasting, you can always plunk down $8,530 for the "Diamonds are Forever Package" at Fairmont Banff Springs in the Alberta Rockies. The engaging two-night experience comes complete with a loose half-carat Canadian diamond.

Express your love with chocolate
HKHotels' quartet of très chic boutique properties in NYC also knows a thing or two about setting the mood. For a truly tasteful getaway, Hotel Elysee has created a "Chocolate Lover's Package" (available weekend nights thru February from $330) that features Leonidas cocoa-dusted truffles, assorted chocolate-y soaps, plus a guide to the city's hottest chocolate spots. Couples in the mood for something spicier can check out the Library Hotel's "Erotica Package" (from $429). After booking into the book-themed lodgings, guests are encouraged to peruse a Kama Sutra Pocket Guide, then apply what they've learned by using a complimentary Kama Sutra Love Essentials kit loaded with edible Honey Dust, Love Oil, and other eros-inducing items.

Wine and divine
The Kimpton Collection's 40-plus hotels are also rising to the occasion. For instance, Dirty Martinis and oysters on the half shell mean you're virtually guaranteed to be sleepless in Seattle if you reserve the "Naughty Escape" at that city's Hotel Monaco (available February 14 from $188). But across town sister property Hotel Vintage Park gets kudos for taking a different tack. It celebrates the power of one by offering a "Wine and Divine Package" (available Valentine's Day weekend from $275) for ladies only. Expect a bottle of Working Girl wine, a spa gift basket, a tarot card reading, and a customized itinerary of Seattle's steamiest night spots. An "intimacy kit" is included as well because you never know when cupid's arrow might hit the mark.

In love with love
Loews' 18 North American hotels and resorts are known for programs like "Loews Loves Kids" and "Loews Loves Pets." So it's little wonder that Loews Loves Love too -- and it has the packages to prove it. The Annapolis, Maryland, location even has a Cupid Concierge on hand just in case you want to do some adlibbing! When an escape from the city is in order, though, why not think pink at the vintage Don CeSar Beach Resort in St. Pete Beach, in the lovely Tampa Bay Area? Florida's petit-four pink palace takes the cake with a "Tickle Her Pink Package" (available January 25- February 29 from $598). Along with an on-the-beach couples' massage and a Four Diamond dinner, this bundle features some colorful added touches like rosy strawberries and pink champagne. Rose-colored glasses extra.

Fancy footwork
Historic Hotels of America lists more than 200 classic accommodations, everything from converted convents and speakeasys to a former jail. But if your definition of romance includes dancing, the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, is the obvious choice. In addition to offering an on-going "Winter Romance Package," this stately resort promises to sweep couples off their feet February 15-18 by showcasing fancy footwork (from $424). Highlights are a Big Band dinner dance and a cabaret-style dance finale.

---Susan MacCallum-Whitcomb

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