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6 Babysitter-Worthy, Big-Ticket Romantic Escapes

Locations in this article:  London, England New York City, NY

Once in a blue moon, it’s fun to plan a romantic splurge. Be it an anniversary, a proposal, a honeymoon or even this upcoming Valentine’s Day, Poshbrood founder Elizabeth Thorp shares six of the most romantic, over-the-top luxury hotels and suites around the world, worth splurging on a babysitter and some extra amenities.

Valentine’s Day is around the corner, but love isn’t always in the air. When’s the last time you and your mate had a vacation that didn’t involve Disney characters or a visit with your in-laws? Are you swooning over your spouse? Perhaps, not so much?  It’s time for you to arrange childcare because I’ve rounded up six babysitter-worthy getaways to alight those forgotten sparks.

1.) All-Inclusive Adults: Blue Diamond Maya Riviera

When you’re paying for someone to watch the kids, it’s such a relief to know exactly how much you’re spending on vacation. How many times have you added up all the fruity cocktails you ordered in your head, cringing when the front desk handed you your folio at check out?! A lot. Part of a new travel trend, Blue Diamond is an adults-only luxury all-inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Just 35 minutes south of the Cancun airport, the modern and chic all-suites resort is built between river waterways, a mystical Mayan cenote and the Mexican Caribbean Sea.

At this property, all-inclusive does not mean buffet food. The resort has a 24-hour a day a la carte dining program. Daily rates include luxurious accommodation, all meals, all premium beverages, a personalized daily restocked mini-bar, one ocean dive or snorkeling tour per person, one Mayan Temazcal session per stay.

Free Wi-Fi (even on the beach!) three pools, a spa, private beach club, fitness centers, three restaurants, a coffee bar, cigar bar and nearby golf allow guests to do as much or as little as they want.

Room rates begin at $600 a night.

2.) Find Downton Abbey Stateside in Blantyre, Massachusetts

Located on 117 acres in the heart of the Berkshires, Blantyre is a Tudor-style mansion in Lenox with 21 guest accommodations. Built in 1902, the property is reminiscent of a gentler time of elegance and romance.

Blantyre is strictly for the 14 and older crowd, catering primarily to couples looking for a country-manor style escape. Guests will feel like they’re in a “Downton Abbey” episode with the hotel’s ivy covered exterior, turrets, lead glass windows, gargoyles, overstuffed chairs and heirloom pieces.

And when it comes time to dining at Blantyre, it’s an old-school, formal affair. Gentleman must wear a jacket and tie dress to take their date to the quiet, wood-paneled dining room filled with fresh flowers and candlelight.

In the winter, go ice skating hand-in-hand, snuggle up in the Warming Hut to play pool and sip hot cocoa. In warmer months, hike, play croquet, tennis, lounge by the pool or see a performance at nearby Tanglewood, the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Exclusive for guests, the Potting Shed spa has a hot tub, wood-burning fireplace, steam room and sauna – as well as a variety of treatments.

Rooms begin at $600 a night including breakfast.

3.) City Couple Chic: The Greenwich Hotel, New York

Remember how you used to be hip, artsy and sophisticated pre-kids? Well, rediscover your chic city couple at The Greenwich Hotel, Robert De Niro’s luxury hotel in the TriBeCa neighborhood of downtown Manhattan.

The Greenwich has 88 Rooms and Suites, of which no two are alike. Furnishings draw from a wide range of influences…from Tibetan silk rugs to English leather settees. Bathrooms are exotic and glam Moroccan tile or Italian Cararra marble. The latest technology complements the hotel’s old- world charm. Rooms feature high-definition flat screen TV’s, iPod docking stations, and complimentary WiFi. DVD players, laptop computers and pre-loaded iPods are available upon request.

Be sure to have cocktails or a meal in the hotel’s cozy and private Drawing Room for romance and possible star spotting. Also eat in the hotel’s Italian tavern, Locanda Verde, so you can feed each other the best Pumpkin Agnolotti with sage brown butter that you could ever imagine.

A stay at The Greenwich Hotel is not complete without a visit to the lantern-lit Shibui Spa and pool. The pool is surrounded by an authentic 250-year old Japanese farmhouse creating a tranquil Asian haven in the middle of the Big Apple.

Rooms start at $500 a night.

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