| In the movie How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, | | | | calm waters of Lake Pichola. Parts of the |
| magazine writer Andie Anderson sets out | | | | James Bond film, Octopussy, were filmed |
| purposely to offload a new boyfriend by | | | | there. You can have dinner on a ceremonial |
| committing the worst possible dating sins. | | | | barge and be pampered by staff dressed in |
| She buys matching clothes for the two of | | | | immaculate tunics who will treat you like a |
| them, phones up his mother and asks for his | | | | maharajah. �An exquisitely exotic |
| baby photos, crashes his poker game and | | | | spot,� said a New Yorker. �It |
| starts moving her toiletries into his | | | | should be on your �before I die� |
| bathroom. | | | | list.� |
| | | | |
| The moral of the story is that romantic | | | | New York itself may be bright and brash, but |
| gestures should take into account the stage | | | | it has its romantic side � for instance, |
| of the relationship. In the first flush, you | | | | a picnic in Central Park, a walk hand-in-hand |
| should avoid anything that implies you are | | | | over the Brooklyn Bridge or ice-skating at |
| thinking too far into the future. Men can | | | | the Rockefeller Center. But many Americans, |
| make the same mistake, too, by buying | | | | it seems, would prefer to head down to the |
| outrageously sexy underwear in those early | | | | Hawaiian islands if love�s on their |
| courting days or, at the other extreme, being | | | | mind. Who could blame them when you have a |
| too comfortable with a woman and taking her | | | | paradise such as the Four Seasons Maui at |
| to a football game with his buddies on | | | | Wailea? Rooms are furnished in a |
| Valentine�s Day. | | | | contemporary Hawaiian design and there are |
| | | | amazing places to share views of the ocean |
| For the guys, even some of the reliable | | | | and the sunset. Apart from the facilities |
| Valentine�s stand-bys might be suspect. | | | | and services you�d expect from a top |
| Flowers? (maybe she�s allergic); candy? | | | | name like Four Seasons, there�s a world |
| (probably on a diet); a CD? (are you | | | | class spa and an impressive art collection. |
| absolutely certain she likes Meatloaf?). The | | | | �Wow, this was a truly memorable stay |
| fail-safe is always, always the romantic | | | | � the personal attention was |
| (and, ideally secret) getaway. can help you | | | | impeccable,� said a visitor from |
| choose a luxury hotel or a boutique hotel | | | | Atlanta. |
| � something right out of the ordinary. | | | | |
| Picture it � cocktails in a shared spa | | | | OK, I�ve whetted your appetite, just one |
| bath, his and hers fluffy white bathrobes, | | | | more suggestion before I let you loose on our |
| rose petals on the pillows. | | | | luxury hotel website to make your choice. |
| | | | The Burj Al Arab in Dubai has been called an |
| So � think Valentine�s Day, think | | | | �Arabian Nights Fantasy.� With its |
| Paris. Or is that a clich� these days? | | | | famous design resembling a billowing sail, |
| Apparently not. Every survey you read | | | | it�s surrounded by choreographed colour |
| insists that it remains Europe�s most | | | | sculptures of water and fire. |
| romantic city by a distance. You probably | | | | |
| did the 2-star pension in your student days, | | | | There are 202 duplex suites, the largest a |
| so head for the luxury of the Hotel de | | | | substantial 780 square metres and all |
| Crillon, a palace commissioned in 1758 by | | | | featuring remotely-controlled lighting, |
| Louis XV. Let�s face it, if it was good | | | | curtains and air conditioning. You get a |
| enough for Churchill, Teddy Roosevelt, | | | | 42-inch plasma screen, a choice of 13 pillows |
| Elizabeth Taylor and Madonna among others, | | | | and, if you and your credit card are up to |
| you might like it there too. One lucky lady | | | | it, a chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce shopping |
| from south-east England whose boyfriend | | | | experience. Nick from Seattle said: |
| proposed to her there on Valentine�s Day | | | | �They say this is the only 7-star hotel |
| said: �The Crillon treated us like | | | | in the world and now I know why!� |
| royalty and went out of their way to make the | | | | |
| two days absolutely unforgettable.� | | | | There have been many surveys about what makes |
| | | | a romantic trip a success. Ocean views, big |
| There can be no more romantic gesture than | | | | comfy bed, great food and discreet service |
| Shah Jahan�s 17th century 20-year labour | | | | usually make the top ten. But up there at |
| of love to his beloved late wife Mumtaz | | | | number one is generally: �quality time |
| � the magnificent Taj Mahal. Many | | | | with the one I love.� Enjoy! |
| cities in India have a romantic aura, but | | | | |
| perhaps the pick is Udaipur in Rajasthan. | | | | can help you choose luxury hotels or |
| If you�ve more than a weekend to spare, | | | | boutique Hotels � something right out of |
| you�ll love the 18th century Taj Lake | | | | the ordinary. Picture it � cocktails in |
| Palace, a fairytale of white marble and | | | | a shared spa bath, his and hers fluffy white |
| mosaic that shimmers over four acres on the | | | | bathrobes, rose petals on the pillows. |