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