STORIES

Fresh flings or half-century anniversaries, it hardly matters how long you’ve been together. A romantic escape resets the pace in ways everyday life rarely allows. Think candlelit dinners, horizon views and historic rooms where mornings arrive slowly. These are places that invite you to step outside the present for a while – butterflies optional.

1. Aigialos Hotel: Greece

Every traveller carries a postcard image of Santorini in their mind — blue-domed chapels, whitewashed terraces and pathways that tumble towards the caldera. At Aigialos Hotel, that vision becomes reality. Set along the cliffs of Fira, the hotel’s neoclassical houses open onto sweeping Aegean views, where breakfasts stretch and sunsets feel quietly ceremonial. Romance feels effortless here, shaped by light, sea air and the gentle theatre of the island itself.

2. Rathsallagh House: Ireland

Stroll hand-in-hand with your sweetheart in the storybook-style walled garden of Rathsallagh House. The four-star country house was converted from Queen Anne stables in 1798 and has won numerous awards for its sublime surroundings and services — from the National Breakfast Awards (won a record four times) to our very own Wedding Experience Award. You know the drill here: standalone bathtubs, open fires, Irish country house cooking and glorious historic grounds. 

3. Castello di Gargonza: Italy

High in the Tuscan hills, Castello di Gargonza feels purpose-built for retreating from the world together. The restored medieval village invites couples to slow their pace – wandering stone pathways, lingering over candlelit dinners rooted in regional cooking and finding quiet corners within gardens scented by wild herbs and roses. Afternoons drift easily between the panoramic pool and long terrace lunches, the surrounding landscape unfolding in soft greens and golds. Romance comes easily here – held in the views, the history and the slowing of time.

4. Dalen Hotel: Norway

Set deep within Telemark’s dramatic landscape, Dalen Hotel feels suspended in another era. Built in 1894, the historic wooden hotel is defined by its dragon-style architecture, carved balconies and richly detailed interiors. Days lend themselves to waterside walks and long dinners rooted in local produce, while evenings are spent lingering in candlelit lounges, creating an atmosphere that invites stillness rather than spectacle.

5. Manowce Palace: Poland

Overlooking the Szczecin Lagoon, Manowce Palace feels wonderfully removed – a historic residence surrounded by forest, water and open sky. The restored interiors balance period detail with a lighter, contemporary ease. Couples come for the stillness as much as the setting: garden walks, slow dining and afternoons spent watching light move across the lagoon. It’s a retreat defined less by spectacle and more by atmosphere – expansive outside, calm within.

6. Solar Do Castelo: Portugal

Tucked within the walls of Lisbon’s São Jorge Castle, Solar Do Castelo feels wonderfully removed from the city’s momentum below. Built on the site of the former kitchens of the Royal Palace, the boutique hotel pairs heritage architecture with an intimate, almost residential calm. Yellow façades glow in the evening light, peacocks wander the courtyards and the city hums just beyond the gates – close enough to explore, distant enough to forget.

7. Hotel Milenij: Croatia

Facing the Adriatic in Opatija’s grand seafront, Hotel Milenij carries the quiet confidence of the Riviera’s golden era. Its historic location opens onto sweeping coastal views, where balconies catch the last light and the sea remains a constant presence. Couples settle easily into the rhythm here – mornings on the terrace, long seafood dinners and slow walks along the Lungomare promenade just beyond the door. Romance is shaped as much by the setting as the atmosphere, unhurried and unmistakably coastal.

8. Schloss Frankenberg: Germany

Set in the rolling vineyards and hills of Franconia, Schloss Frankenberg brings medieval grandeur into the present with a lighter, more intimate touch. The restored castle balances original stonework and vaulted spaces with elegant, contemporary rooms. Couples wander the surrounding grounds, settle into long dinners in the castle restaurant or simply take in the far-reaching countryside views. The experience feels restorative rather than theatrical, shaped by landscape and history.

9. Sundbyholm Castle: Sweden

On the shores of Lake Mälaren, Sundbyholm Castle offers a gentler kind of grandeur. The 17th-century estate is surrounded by parkland, gardens and still water, its symmetry softened by the landscape. Interiors lean traditional without feeling formal, inviting couples to settle rather than admire from afar. Walks along the lakeshore, dinners in chandelier-lit rooms and long summer evenings outdoors shape the experience – romance carried quietly in the setting itself.

10. Gino Park Palace: Slovakia

Set within landscaped parkland near the Váh River, Gino Park Palace balances architecture with contemporary comfort. The restored 17th-century manor feels spacious yet private, its gardens creating a quiet buffer from the outside world. Couples fall into an easy rhythm of spa afternoons, romantic meals and walks beneath mature trees. It’s a stay defined by stillness and ease, where romance builds gradually rather than announcing itself.

11. Villa Bergzauber: Austria

Overlooking Windischgarsten in the Austrian Alps, Villa Bergzauber Villa Bergzauber is a historic villa built in 1900. Couples spend days hiking and exploring mountain scenery, then return to calm, uncluttered interiors and terrace views across the valley – a stay defined by fresh air, far-reaching views and the closeness that comes with stepping away from everything else.

12. Chateau Liblice: Czech Republic

Just beyond Prague, Chateau Liblice offers a Baroque counterpoint of symmetry and calm. The palace rises from formal gardens and wooded grounds, its architecture lending a sense of occasion without excess. Rooms are spacious, hushed and steeped in history, while the surrounding parkland invites long, unhurried walks. Evenings centre on considered dining and gorgeous interiors, a setting that feels romantic through scale, quiet and distance from the city.

13. The King´s Head Inn: England

In the Cotswold village of Bledington, The King’s Head Inn offers a fireside take on romance that feels easy and familiar. The 16th-century village inn is all beams, worn stone and softly lit corners made for lingering. Days revolve around countryside walks and unhurried pub lunches, while evenings bring seasonal menus and local ales. It’s romance without ceremony, grounded in comfort and the gentle charm of rural England.

14. Hotel Puntagrande: Spain

Set between volcanic rock and the Atlantic on El Hierro’s wild coastline, Hotel Puntagrande feels shaped by the elements as much as by design. The historic former harbour building sits dramatically above the water, waves breaking below its terraces. Rooms are intimate, outward-looking spaces where the ocean is ever-present. Days drift between coastal walks and long, sea-led lunches, the island’s slower rhythm taking hold. Romance here is pared back – defined by horizon, light and shared solitude.

15: Schloss Wartegg: Switzerland

Overlooking Lake Constance, Schloss Wartegg feels more lakeside retreat than formal castle. Gardens, orchards and open water surround the historic residence, setting an unhurried pace from the moment couples arrive. Rooms face the lake, drawing the outside in, while days unfold between walking trails and long terrace dinners shaped by seasonal produce. The atmosphere is calm and restorative, offering space to slow down and settle into the landscape.

16. Palazzo Bifora: Malta

Within Mdina’s fortified walls, Palazzo Bifora distils romance into a more intimate form. This beautifully restored historic palazzo pairs limestone architecture with softly contemporary interiors, vaulted ceilings offset by warm, low lighting. Couples gravitate to the rooftop terrace as evening falls, the island stretching out beyond the city walls. Days are spent wandering Mdina’s silent streets before retreating indoors, the stay shaped by history, enclosure and golden Mediterranean light.

17. Twr y Felin Hotel: Wales

Once a working windmill, Twr y Felin rises above Pembrokeshire’s shifting coastal light with quiet confidence. The restored structure blends contemporary design with its industrial past, art-lined interiors offering contrast to the rawness outside. Couples wake to sea air, walk cliff paths and return for evenings of thoughtful, low-key dining. The romance here grows naturally, carried by horizon views and the steady rhythm of the Welsh coast.

18: Esperas Santorini: Greece

Clinging to the cliffs of Oia, Esperas is shaped entirely by its setting. Suites step down the caldera in soft white curves, many with private terraces angled towards the horizon. Days drift between slow breakfasts and candlelit dinners, the Aegean stretching endlessly below. The hotel’s rock-carved pool offers one of Santorini’s most cinematic sunset vantage points, where time seems to pause as the light fades across the water.

19. Hotel Villa Cipriani: Italy

Set above the hill town of Asolo, Villa Cipriani looks out across vineyards, terracotta rooftops and the rolling Veneto countryside. The historic villa has long drawn writers and artists seeking retreat, and that reflective atmosphere lingers. Rooms open to wide views, while days unfold between poolside afternoons and strolls through Asolo’s quiet streets. Evenings return to the terrace for dinner, the town lights flickering below.

20. Renvyle House: Ireland

Set between mountain and Atlantic along Connemara’s rugged edge, Renvyle House draws its romance from the landscape first. The historic manor faces weather-shaped coastline and wide, changeable skies. Inside, period rooms and fireside spaces offer warmth after salt-air days. Couples spend their time walking empty beaches, tracing coastal roads and returning for dinners rooted in local produce. It’s a place that feels grounded and expansive all at once, shaped by light, weather and the pull of Ireland’s west.