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Asking someone to marry may be one of the most important
questions of your life, and the right place can make it all the
more memorable.
Boutique hotel travel specialists Mr & Mrs Smith have come up
with a list of the top 10 hotels to propose.
And for those Kiwi blokes who cannot make it to places like Italy and Bhutan to propose to the love of their life, just head down to Mollies in Auckland, which made it to number 5 on the Top 10 list.
This list is not endorsed by Reuters.
1. PALAZZO BARBARIGO, Venice, Italy
This dramatic 18-room destination hotel adds a modern shot of plush
velvet, saucy feather-trim and moody mirrored wall to polished
parquet floors and period details. In the bedrooms, the theme
continues with mini-bars in deco-style cocktail cabinets. Sigh over
Grand Canal views in one of the lovely Junior Suites, which also
have separate dressing and wardrobe areas. Then whisk your lover
out of the door and straight onto the gondola you've arranged at
the hotel's marble-clad waterside landing.
2. NOIR D'IVOIRE, Marrakech, Morocco
At this ravishingly restored riad, the delight is in the detail:
capacious beds and baths; real fires for winter nights; fresh
oranges brought to your room each evening; squirreled-away bowls of
nuts and dried fruit dotted around; giant swags of tasselled silk
and linen; and artisan toiletries presented in glass vials with
silver caps. Add on a hammam, boutique, candle-lit courtyard and
excellent chef, and you've already got romance with a capital 'R'.
If you really want to push the love boat out, check into one of the
Royal Suites, which have private roof terraces with plunge
pools.
3. CAYO ESPANTO, Ambergris Caye, Belize
Three miles of the coast of Belize, this palm-fronded
private-island resort is ultra-exclusive. It's surprising, then,
that it can also nurture such a laid-back and unpretentious air.
Hidden among the palm trees on the Caribbean shore, its handful of
luxurious villas offer a uniquely personalised level of service.
Your every need is met by a houseman who'll do everything from fix
you drinks to accompany you on excursions - it's like having your
own genie. Casa Ventana is set out to sea on its own wooden
pontoon. It may be the smallest of the resort's six villas, and
lack the private pools of its neighbours, but who needs a pool when
you've got the Caribbean on four sides?
4. WILSON ISLAND, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
With just six luxury tents set beside the sea on a tiny tropical
islet, Wilson Island may just be the most romantic campsite on
earth. You can gaze straight out at the ocean from the comfort of
your bed, taking in the empty beach strewn with coral, and spend
days draped around each other in a hammock big enough for two. If
you're planning to propose, you'll be looking for Isolation - the
most private of the island's six luxurious beachfront tents.
5. MOLLIES, Auckland, New Zealand
Music, food and romance await at the elegantly attired Mollies,
Auckland's bohemian boutique hotel famed for its sociable soirees.
With classic-meets-arty interiors dotted with pianos, regular opera
recitals, gourmet dining and a sensual spa, there's a fairy-tale
feel about this glamorous harbourside getaway. Seclude yourselves
away in Room 8, a New York-style loft with views over the
water.
6. CROSBY STREET HOTEL, New York, USA
There's an English elegance about the Crosby Street Hotel, a
kitsch-but-classy boutique bolthole on a calm, cobble-stoned street
in sassy SoHo. While away the days watching romantic films in the
sexy screening room, curled up by the fireplaces in the luxurious
lounges or making the most of the spectacular bar and restaurant
scene in the NY neighbourhood. Pick one of the Junior Suites on the
10th and 11th floors - their winning combination of height and huge
warehouse windows will give you some of the best views in southern
Manhattan.
7. THE LOUISE, Barossa Valley, Australia
Indulge your inner gourmand at the Louise, the Barossa Valley's
brightest star. Concern for guest satisfaction and food-and-wine
passion have informed every decision at this South Australian
retreat: privacy is paramount, room facilities are state of the
art, and the restaurant is truly outstanding. Hide away in No 29 -
the best of the 10 suites revolving around the entrance piazza. It
has a private courtyard and terrace, spa tub, underfloor heating
and recessed candle nooks in the bathroom, and an outdoor
shower.
8. LA RESIDENCE, Garden Route & Winelands, South
Africa
This mini, modern Versailles presiding over Franschhoek's valley of
vines has a contemporary shell and a romantic colonial interior. La
Residence is filled with Persian rugs, exotic antiques and fine art
works. This Winelands estate will make you feel as though you've
been whisked off to your own private palace to live in the lap of
luxury. White and gold Frangipani is the most tucked-away of the
ground-floor suites and has a monumental four-poster bed,
18th-century French dressers and mirrored bathroom, complete with
chandelier, roll-top bath and chaise longue.
9. AMANKORA, Bhutan
Not so much a hotel as a pilgrimage, Amankora consists of five
luxurious lodges dotted around the remote Himalayan kingdom of
Bhutan, set against a spectacular backdrop of plunging valleys,
lush rice paddies, and mountaintop temples. Whether you make the
full 10-day trip to visit each lodge or tailor-make your Bhutanese
excursion to suit the time you have available, Amankora can arrange
your travel and put together a programme of mountain-trekking,
temple-hopping, or spa pampering as you wish.
10. HOTEL DE LA PAIX, Siem Reap, Cambodia
The Babylonian-meets-metropolitan facade of this spectacular spa
hotel offers just the faintest hint of what awaits inside. White is
the shade of choice throughout, set against dark tiles and brooding
monochrome images of temples and carvings. The rooms have an
understated elegance, the restaurant, Meric, is renowned throughout
the city, and the breath-stealing majesty of Angkor Wat is just 10
minutes away into the jungle. Duplex Spa Suite 346 is swoon-worthy,
with an alfresco rooftop bath and enough space to host a cocktail
party should you have something to celebrate.
