Top romantic retreats for 2012
Top luxury villa company CV Travel has come up with its top choice of romantic retreats for 2012, from cosy villas for two on the Greek islands, to a boutique London hotel, a town-house in rural France, to a Spanish cottage.
Coastal sun-kissed Greek villa for two
Pelagia Cottage, Messinia, Greece
What could be more romantic than sitting in a hot tub overlooking the Greek coastline as the sun sets across the Gulf ofMessinia. CV Travel’s Pelagia Cottage is a beautifully restored villa in a superb setting on the edge of a low headland on the Peloponnese. The property has two outdoor dining terraces, one dappled by shade and the other with a private jacuzzi on the headland with rock bathing just below and within walking distance of beautiful sandy beaches, local shops and tavernas in the Greek village of Stoupa.
A 7 night stay in Pelagia Cottage costs from £1680 - £1925 per week including car hire, maid service and food hamper, based on 2 guests sharing.
Just a diamond’s call away
The Draycott Hotel, Kensington, Great Britain
Romantics and lovers of tradition will enjoy the afternoon tea and biscuits, champagne at six and bed-time hot chocolate at the 5* Draycott Hotel, a red-brick house in the heart of Kensington and Chelsea, close to Sloane Square and temptingly close to London’s high end shops. The Draycott recalls an era of Edwardian grandeur in style, with high ceilings, period antiques and theatrical memorabilia and is set around a peaceful private garden square. 24-hour concierge service ensures that a call for a large diamond at 2am will at least be answered. Those falling for the hotel’s charms, and each other, can also book a wedding reception there at a future date.
A two night stay at the Draycott Hotel costs from £318 per person in 2012 (based on a standard double bedroom), including breakfast.
`Wedding cake’ villa above the sea
La Ventana, Siesta, Ibiza
For those with nuptials on the mind La Ventana in Ibiza is a real `wedding cake’ of a whitewashed Spanish villa, tucked up in a private location on the cliffs above the small town of Siesta. Its immensely intimate setting, with wide-open sea views from its raised private terrace and its own hexagonal swimming pool make it a very special romantic retreat. The villa is private, but within a romantic stroll of a spa, lovely beaches and the bars and restaurants in the town.
La Ventana can be rented through CV Travel from £2,170 per week between April and October 2012. Sleeps up to 4.
Centuries of love
The Cockloft, Cotswolds, Great Britain
Stroll in the grounds of Wiltshire’s oldest inhabited manor house, with its 13th century porch and 15th century chapel, and amid the ancient yews, stumble across a love folly and pluck a bloom from the profusion of old fashioned rose species that fill the gardens in May and June. This historic manor house has witnessed centuries of romance and modern-day romantics can enjoy a week’s stay at `The Cockloft’ in the grounds of the manor house, a heavily-beamed, ancient, stone-built house with traditional polished wood floors, furnished with antiques.
A week’s stay at The Cockloft can be booked with CV Travel costs from £600 for two.
Villa for two on the island of Corfu
Villa Akrothalassia, St Spiridon, Corfu
Akrothalassia on the North east coast of Corfu is a very romantic, secluded property situated deep within a private olive grove, just a few steps away from the sea. The property’s romantic charm includes a Jacuzzi bath which has superb views of the sea with an eye-catching silhouette of an offshore island.
A week’s stay starts from £1415 based on 2 people sharing and includes car hire maid service and food hamper.
A tower for two in rural Umbria
`Renato's Tower', Borgo San Biagio, Umbria
This quirky, restored medieval tower in a hilltop Umbrian hamlet with a hot-tub on the roof terrace, is absolutely perfect for a romantic weekend or honeymoon retreat. From the rooftop terrace couples enjoy beautiful views of the undulating countryside while the tower offers rustic and comfortable accommodation on 4 floors and is in close proximity to historic towns and places of interest for plenty of romantic excursions.
Renato’s Tower can be booked for two from £995 per week.
Wake up to the waves
`La Trasita', Positano
Wake up to the sound of the waves and the scent of the sea in a 14th century Saracen tower, perched on the headland on a coastal path leading away fromPositano, making it a unique venue, with its own roof terrace, galleried double bedroom and sitting room with balcony. Sea views are, naturally, unrivalled.
La Trasita is available to book through CV Travel from £1445 for two to share per week.
Town house on Sicily’s coastline
Casa Cefalu, Sicily Coast
Wander through the streets and squares of Cefalu with its palazzi, churches, old fashioned bars and a sandy beach, before returning a short stroll to Casa Cefalu, a pretty town house in the medieval centre of Cefalù, on the north coast of Sicily.From the house’s two terraces magnificent views over the roofs of the medieval town, the twelfth-century Norman cathedral and out to sea can be seen.
Casa Cefalu can be booked through from CV Travel from £895 for two to share per week.
Charming rural retreat, inland Mallorca
Son Siona, Mallorca, Spain
Son Siona is a traditional cottage with plenty of rural atmosphere and secluded countryside for a very peaceful and romantic stay. The local village of Buger is a short walk away and is one of the smallest municipalities on the island of Mallorca and one of the most attractive. Bursting with character and cosiness, the house has its own private pool and large private gardens, making it perfect for seclusion and romance.
Son Siona is available to rent through CV Travel from £805 to £1565 per week.
Town house a deux in one of France’s most beautiful villages
La Petit Gordes, Gordes, France
Take a leisurely stroll together through the stone paved streets of one of France’s most beautiful villages, Gordes, a picturesque hillside town with spectacular views overlooking the hills of Luberon, and a place where film stars and local artists have made their home. Visit the Saint-Firmain Palace cellars, the Sénanque Abbey and the Village des Bories. CV Travel’s La Petite Gordes is a charming two bedroom stone town house with a large private pool, just 5 minutes walk from the centre ofGordes, and driving distance from the beautiful town of Bonnieux and the city of Avignon.
La Petit Gordes can be booked through CV Travel. A 7 night stay in La Petite Gordes costs from £2,360 to £3,655 per week including villa hire and maid service, for up to 4 guests sharing. Return flights, transfers and car hire can be arranged on request.
For more information, visit cvtravel.co.uk.