If love is a many-splendored thing—a multifaceted, kaleidoscopic experience that’s different for every couple—then so is the romantic vacation. There are almost as many definitions for a “great couples’ getaway” as there are destinations to travel to.Still, certain trips are almost guaranteed to conjure ideas of togetherness. We’ve seen the images countless times—of pairs strolling together along empty, sugary beaches; snuggling in front of fireplaces at mountaintop chalets; wandering hand-in-hand through foreign, cobblestoned streets—yet they manage to retain their magic. There are simply some places, some kinds of adventures, that make us want to fall in love.
Fez, Morocco
Desert Escape Though often overshadowed by Marrakesh, its fashionable neighbor to the south, this medieval city is the real soul of Morocco. And with new boutique hotels opening in restored riads and dars, Fez is quietly coming into its own. Housed in a 17th-century palace, Riad Laaroussa (doubles from $194, including breakfast) has seven suites with mosaic floors and antique Fassi furniture, all looking out on an orange-tree–shaded courtyard. At Dar Roumana (doubles from $109), a century-old manse on a hillside, you can take Moroccan cooking lessons.
The restaurant at Riad Ibn Battouta (dinner for two $88) serves traditional dishes, such as lamb tagine, on a glass-roofed marble patio. Within the city’s crumbling walls, 30,000 artisans fill the streets, brandishing everything from exquisite tiles to handworked leather goods. For a traditional Berber rug, head to Coin Berbère. At the newly opened Arganza, you’ll find shelves of argan oil—derived from a native tree—which is known as “Moroccan liquid gold” for its ability to diminish dry skin and wrinkles.
New York City
Urban Retreat From uptown’s bustling avenues to the quiet, cobblestoned streets of downtown, New York is a study in contrasts. The greatest challenge is deciding where to stay. With its fireplace suites, Lafayette House (doubles from $395) feels like your own pied-à-terre. Uptown, On the Ave (doubles from $199) has a modern flair, including Italian black-marble bathrooms. Pay a visit to the restored Plaza Hotel, where you can browse for art books at Assouline or try on vintage-inspired baubles at Kenneth Jay Lane, in the newly expanded shopping area. At the spruced-up Oak Bar, the wood paneling still glows warmly and the Central Park views are as stirring as always. Three blocks south, check out the skyline from the Peninsula New York’s new rooftop bar, Salon de Ning. The vibe: 1930’s Shanghai, with daybeds and mandarin-orange–flavored cocktails. For dinner, Café Cluny (dinner for two $90) is a portal to a Gallic village, where waitresses wear Audrey Tautou pigtails. End the evening at Smith & Mills, a tiny TriBeCa boîte in a former carriage house. The cozy banquettes can accommodate only a dozen-odd patrons. Bright lights, big city?From this vantage point, New York feels like a small town.
Whidbey Island, Washington
On the Waterfront Though it’s only a 20-minute ferry ride from from Seattle suburb Mukilteo, Whidbey Island feels like the Pacific Northwest’s last frontier—a lost-in-time place of towering redwoods and sparkling coves overlooking Puget Sound. Take refuge at the 28-room Inn at Langley (doubles from $195), in Langley, a pint-size town on the island. Each suite has a Jacuzzi with views of the evergreen-lined Saratoga Passage waterway (and the gray whales that swim through in spring). In the historic center, Lowry-James Rare Prints & Books sells vintage maps and Audubon lithographs; the Clyde Theatre, a 1937 movie house, screens the classics and contemporary films. Drive 30 miles north to Ebey’s Landing to walk the coastal bluffs, or make your way to Coupeville, known for its Penn Cove mussels, which no-frills Toby’s Tavern (lunch for two $22) serves right.
