Holiday Trips for Families & Couples

1. Sea Island Resort

As the recipient of the Four Forbes Five-Star awards for fourteen years running, there’s no denying that the Sea Island Resort is an absolute dream to stay in. The hotel is gracious and warm, providing guests with an ultra-luxurious home away from home that is a world away from the stress and busyness that daily life typically comes with. Enjoy the distinctive warmth and hospitality of the resort through one of its many cottages or enjoy a stay at the Cloister or the Lodge instead. No matter where you stay at Sea Island, it’s bound to be magnificent and absolutely memorable.

St. Simons Island, GA 31522, Phone: 855-572-4975

2. Paradisus Palma Real

Paradisus Palma Real Resort in the Dominican Republic is a luxury Caribbean getaway offering championship golf, seven restaurants and several pools. This all-suite luxury beach vacation getaway has a sandy beach, five tennis courts, a casino, and a full service spa. For families, the resort offers a kids' program, kids pool with water slides and toddler pool. Choose from 496 oversized Suites, including 102 Royal Service Suites and two Presidential Beachfront Suites.

The resort offers many vacation activities, including wine tasting, dance classes, painting, photography, kayaking and diving.

Dining options include five a la carte restaurants and two poolside buffet restaurants offering contemporary world cuisine and nine bars. There is also nightly entertainment. A visit to YHI Spa is a must, especially on a romantic getaway or honeymoon. Enjoy a massage, relax in the sauna, practice yoga and unwind in the Zen garden. Take a guided meditation class to quiet your mind. (809-688-5000).

3. The Royal Crescent in Bath

At The Royal Crescent in Bath you can relax at the spa, and tour Bath and the surrounding English countryside on your luxury spa vacation. Built around hot mineral springs, the City of Bath has been one of the top fashionable leisure destinations in Britain for centuries. The Royal Crescent hotel, completed in the 18th century, is a unique collection of houses set in an elliptical shape around beautiful gardens. The hotel has 45 individually decorated rooms and suites, some with wood-burning fireplaces, high ceilings, 17th century four poster beds and private terraces. Guest rooms have been restored with authentic period carpets, furnishings and fabrics.

A collection of eighteenth century paintings and contemporary portraits of notable personalities who visited Bath can be found throughout the hotel. The hotel suites are named after famous people such as Jane Austen, Sir Percy Blakeney and Ralph Allen. The Bath House, nestled within the gardens, features a 12-meter relaxation pool, steam and sauna Karahafus, and cool and tepid plunge tubs. Choose from a selection of unique treatments to try on your luxury spa vacation.

Be sure to visit the Pavilion Conservatory, the Library, and take a walk through the hotel's secluded gardens. Pimpernel's restaurant serves contemporary British foods with influences from the Mediterranean and the Far East. The restaurant can put together a picnic basket which you can take with your on a trip to the English countryside. The City of Bath is located 1 hour and 20 minutes from London by train or by car. (+44-1225-823333).

4. Divi Flamingo Beach Resort in Bonaire

Divi Flamingo Beach Resort, located on the Caribbean island of Bonaire, offers guests spacious rooms, views of the Caribbean Sea, and Divi Dive Bonaire - a PADI five star dive operation with custom dive boats. The resort is an affordable scuba diving vacation destination. Activities at the resort include a casual casino with gaming tables and slot machines, snorkeling, mountain biking, mangrove kayaking, sunset dinner cruise, and big game fishing can also be arranged. But the main reason to check into this unique resort is scuba diving. Divi Dive Bonaire runs daily boat dives to Bonaire's best reefs, and provides dive training and certification.

The hotel offers studio, standard, superior, and deluxe guestrooms. Deluxe rooms are oceanfront with full ocean views and private balconies. Superior rooms have views of the pool or partial ocean views and standard rooms offer tropical garden views. Rooms have one or two double beds, color television, air-conditioning, and in room safe. There are two dining options: the Chibi Chi Restaurnat and the Calabas Restaurant. The Chibi Chibi restaurant serves lunch and dinner daily and you can watch the fish swim right below you while you eat. The Calabas Restaurant serves a casual beach-side buffet breakfast daily. Bonaire is a 2-hour and 40 minute flight from Miami. On Bonaire there is no public transportation except taxis. There is a Hertz car rental counter at the resort. The resort is five minutes from the airport. Meal plans are also available and can be purchased with your reservation (800-367-3484, 011-599-717-8285).

5. Ashford Castle

Ashford Castle is a romantic getaway in Ireland, offering luxury accommodations and a choice of activities. Each guest room and suite is individually decorated with classical furnishings. Choose from several dining options, including George V restaurant, Connaught, Drawing Room and Cullens. Vacation activities at the hotel include scenic golf, fishing, falconry, lake cruising, horseback riding and archery.

The castle is a popular wedding venue with two nearby churches, beautiful open lawns and romantic water views. Get married in the Victorian walled garden or on the lawn overlooking the lake. If you've always dreamed of a castle wedding, this hotel can make your romantic dreams a reality. After an exciting day of activities, relax with a massage at the hotel spa featuring Yon Ka products.

6. Hotel La Perla in the Italian Alps

Visit in the summer or in the winter for an array of outdoor adventures. Hotel La Perla is surrounded by the beautiful Alps in the Dolomiti region of Italy. Guests are accommodated in individually decorated guests rooms with a cozy Tyrolean feel. There is warm wooden furniture with soothing, neutral colors. The Comfort layout has a sitting corner where you can have a romantic breakfast in the morning. The Romantic rooms are the largest at the hotel, featuring handmade woolen rugs and German style duvets.

Guest accommodations have unique touches - on their return visit many guests ask for the same one. Number 241 has a romantic style four-poster bed, while number 209 features a small wooden rocking horse that reminds you of your childhood. The property offers gourmet cuisine and a wellness center, complete with a beautiful indoor swimming pool. Summer activities include mountain biking and hiking the surrounding mountains. Special events, such as food events, are often offered at the hotel, so be sure to check the schedule on their web site. (+39 0471 83 10 0).

7. Hotel Quintessence on Lake Tremblant

Check into the elegant Hotel Quintessence with spectacular views of Lake Tremblant, Canada for a weekend of pampering and rejuvenation in a calm, natural setting. The hotel has 30 luxury suites, a gourmet restaurant and a full-service spa overlooking the mountain lake. Relax next to the infinity pool, in the large lakeview whirlpool, the steam room and sauna at Spa Sans Sabots. The spa has two treatment rooms where you can choose from a diverse menu of spa services. Since each guest suite measures from 700 to 1,200 square feet in size, guests can receive treatments in the privacy of their own suite, next to the fireplace.

Each romantic suite has a king-size bed and a cozy fireplace. Ask for a balcony or terrace with views of the water. The deep spa bathtub is perfect for taking long luxurious baths on your spa trip. Bathrooms have Aveda amenities. The restaurant serves fine French cuisine indoors, on the terrace, at the Chef's Table and in the Winebar. The hotel provides its guests with an intimate experience, offering attentive service and upscale amenities. Guests receive accompanied private check-in, concierge services to help them plan the best activities in the area, wood concierge for the fireplace, storage service for skis, bikes and golf clubs. Mont-Tremblant is 90 minutes north of Montreal, making the hotel a great weekend getaway from the city. (866 425-3400, 819-425-3400).

8. The Fairmont Royal York in Toronto

The Fairmont Royal York in Toronto is one of Canada's grand city escapes. As you walk through the hotel lobby, you will be surrounded by opulent furnishings, crystal chandeliers and beautiful hand-painted ceilings. The hotel has 1,365 guest rooms and suites. When booking a room, ask for one of the Fairmont View rooms which are located on higher floors with a south facing view towards Lake Ontario and the harbor.

The health club, open seven days a week, has an indoor lap pool, children's pool, saunas and steam rooms. The hotel fitness center is equipped with free weights and cardiovascular machines. The hotel has five restaurants and four lounges. EPIC serves innovative dishes prepared from local ingredients with classic French touches. You should also try York's Deli & Bakery if you are in a hurry. In the evening, stop at the Library Bar which serves some of the best martinis in Toronto. (416-368-9040).

9. Snake River Lodge and Spa

The Snake River Lodge and Spa, located in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is a romantic adventure vacation getaway with a full-service spa and heated walkway access to the ski lifts of the Jackson Hole Ski Resort. The lodge has an indoor/outdoor heated pool with waterfalls, warmed walkways, and hot tubs surrounded by steam-filled caves. In summer, the lodge provides a good base for exploring Grand Teton National Park, the entrance to which is only a few miles down the road. There is an array of activities to choose from on your romantic vacation, including hiking, mountain biking, golf, wildlife watching, hot air balloon rides, fishing and float trips down Snake River.

The town of Jackson, a 20-minute drive from the lodge, is home to numerous art galleries that sell paintings, pottery, and photography. There are 88 guest rooms and 46 luxury condominiums, decorated in elegant Western style. Sample regional specialties at the GameFish restaurant, or try one of the restaurants in Teton Village. Give your body a day or two to acclimate itself to the higher altitude in Jackson Hole before heading out on a strenuous hike or a mountain biking trip. Fly to the Jackson Hole Airport where you can rent a car. The hotel is a 45-minute drive from the airport. (866-975-ROCK).