If you and your honey want to welcome spring in style, staying at a cozy and romantic bed-and-breakfast or small inn is a splendid way to celebrate the season of flowers, inspiration and renewal of life. More intimate than a chain hotel or a megaresort, inns range from quaint guesthouses to full-service inns to posh lodges and offer personalized service and pampering from the moment of check-in and throughout your stay.
From California to Maine, from Alaska to Florida, every state has its share of inns, so it all comes down to choosing what you like, whether it’s lakeside, mountainside or small-town charm. Here’s a sampling of inns that will send your hearts all aflutter when it’s time for a romantic getaway.
The Swag in Waynesville, North Carolina
The Swag, a tranquil mountaintop hideaway in North Carolina’s swath of the Smoky Mountains, is where log cabin meets luxury and ritzy meets rustic. Combined with a verdant garden filled with jewel-tone flowers and vegetables, myriad hiking trails to see wildflowers and local fauna including everything from birds to bears, and the inclusion of three sumptuous meals, it’s the ideal Smokies getaway. With a sky-high elevation of 5,000 feet, The Swag, sharing a border with Great Smoky Mountains National Park, has dramatic and spectacular see-to-forever views at every turn, especially from Gooseberry Knob, a popular spot for picnicking, cuddling while watching the sunrise (or set) or simply relaxing. Just 17 suites, cabins and cottages make up the inn, but don’t look for a television. You won’t find one. Rates are all-inclusive.
2300 Swag Rd., Waynesville, NC 28785. www.theswag.com.
The Georges in Lexington, Virginia
With only 21 rooms set in three buildings in historic downtown Lexington, The Georges is ideally set within walking distance of restaurants, shops and historic sites. Each of the rooms has a view of either Washington and Lee University, Virginia Military Institute, Main Street or House Mountain that stands sentry over Lexington. The rooms are spacious, the linens luxurious and breakfast is freshly made and is included at TAPS, one of The Georges two restaurants — the other is Haywood’s Piano Bar and Grill — best described as continental gourmet. Lexington is nestled in the hills and meadows of Virginia’s picturesque Shenandoah Valley, so there are plenty of nooks and crannies to explore and photograph, including the stunning stone archway of Natural Bridge State Park.
11 N. Main St., Lexington, VA 24450. www.thegeorges.com
Lookout Point Lakeside Inn in Hot Springs, Arkansas
If you want a lakeside setting with myriad opportunities for romance combined with the adventure of canoeing, boating or kayaking, the luxury Lookout Point Lakeside Inn on Lake Hamilton fits the description perfectly. Each of the cozy rooms — all uniquely and stylishly decorated in bright colors — overlook the sparkling lake, its shadows and swirls created by the surrounding Ouachita Mountains. Just 16 extravagant rooms make up the boutique inn, guaranteeing privacy and lots of quiet moments. Adding to the romance, breakfast can be served in your room, an intimate table for two, and loaded with items including fresh fruits, buttery biscuits, lemon ricotta pancakes and egg-and-cheese quesadillas. A short drive away are Hot Springs National Parks, gardens, wineries and spas.
104 Lookout Circle, Hot Springs, AR 71913. www.lookoutpointinn.com.
Hotel Les Mars in Healdsburg, California
The Hotel Les Mars in Healdsburg is one of those quintessential wine country inns complete with French furnishings including four-poster beds, rich colors and wonderful antiques. The hotel, a member of Relais & Chateaux, brings the French countryside to small-town California. The Old World-style hotel offers breakfast in your room and extras of personalized service for its guests, including partnering with Silver Service Tours for wine tours in a Range Rover or Mercedes. Right off, the enticements of the 16-room inn are extras like wrought ironwork, canopied four-poster beds, gas fireplaces, original artwork, marble vanities and huge showers. After you’ve visited Sonoma County’s wineries, galleries and boutiques — historic Healdsburg Plaza is but a block away and a hundred wineries are within a 10-minute drive — unwind with the hotel’s daily wine and cheese reception that’s held in the warm and inviting walnut-paneled library.
27 North St., Healdsburg, CA 95448. www.hotellesmars.com
Harraseeket Inn in Freeport, Maine
While an inn with 94 rooms, suites and townhouses may not at first seem romantic, the Harraseeket Inn in Freeport is the anomaly. With its classic New England look and historic buildings, dating to 1798, the inn offers champagne, roses and chocolate-dipped strawberries, all of the ingredients of a romantic stay for two. Plus, many of the rooms have fireplaces, just as you would expect in Maine’s colder climate, so there are plenty of chances for snuggling. Two restaurants anchor the inn. The first is Maine Harvest, open for a sumptuous breakfast buffet of eggs your way, pancakes, French toast and fresh fruits in season. The other is Broad Arrow Tavern, which has an open kitchen and wood-fired oven and grill. Items including lobster, blueberries, raspberries, beef, eggs and maple syrup are, as you would expect, locally sourced. The inn is within walking distance of the entire village of Freeport, so plan a visit to the original L.L. Bean or go whale, moose and birdwatching. Don’t miss the opportunity to take your sweetie on a scenic cruise to enjoy Maine’s ruggedly beautiful coastline.
162 Main St., Freeport, ME 04032. www.harraseeketinn.com
Inn at Lost Creek in Telluride, Colorado
High altitude lovebirds will enjoy Telluride’s Inn at Lost Creek, rising above sea level some 9,500 feet. Here, the light is unreal, glowing silver and gold and red, all at the same time. The dog-friendly inn, which offers 32 rooms ranging from studios to two-bedroom condominiums, is in the heart of Telluride’s Mountain Village. With lots of wood, natural stone and light, the inn can be defined as mountain elegant. In winter, the snow is pure and pristine, and the Inn at Lost Creek just so happens to have ski-in, ski-out accommodations. In spring and summer, the air is clean and idyllic for hiking the wildflower-filled San Juan Mountains, with its venerable peaks rising above 14,000 feet. Breakfast is buffet-style with all the usual fixings of eggs, bacon and pastries plus extras like smoked salmon. Plan your visit during one of Telluride’s many festivals, among them the Telluride Wine Festival, Telluride Jazz Festival and Telluride Film Festival.
119 Lost Creek Ln., Telluride Mountain Village, CO 81435. www.innatlostcreek.com
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