Newly open in November 2009, Rockliffe Hall (www.rockliffehall.com) in County Durham is the most exciting hotel debut in the North for many years. And for those who believe that food and romance go hand in hand, a visit to this wonderfully romantic Victorian Gothic pile, former home to the family behind the Stockton to Darlington Railway and Barclays Bank, has all the right ingredients.

The star attraction is Kenny Atkinson, Hotel Chef of the Year (2009 Catey Awards) and finalist of BBC2’s Great British Menu – who will be working his Michelin starred magic in the à la carte restaurant, The Orangery. For its first Valentine’s Day as an hotel, Rockliffe Hall is offering a one-night Celebration Package at £250.00 for two, with a five course dinner in The Orangery, with a special menu by Kenny Atkinson, as well as full use of the gorgeous spa, English breakfast - and champagne and chocolates. The final intriguing ingredient is the view of the appropriately heart-shaped tree from the restaurant .......

“I was looking up. It was the nearest thing to heaven. You were there.”
An Affair to Remember

Tea and cakes. Champagne. Red roses. Chocolates. A good old weepy film. Popcorn for two. In bed. It was meant to be. Ever since it opened, nearly 100 years ago, amorous couples have been checking into London’s most discretely irresistible 5* hotel, deep in Belgravia. Nothing could be simpler than celebrating St Valentine’s Day at The Goring (www.thegoring.com): simply everything has been thought of – so all there is to do is think about each other…

A Goring Affair to Remember is priced from £365.00 for two and starts with Valentine’s Tea with cakes and fancies over a bottle of champagne, served in the comfort and privacy of the room. Then settle down to watch that old heart-throb Cary Grant with Deborah Kerr, in the timeless love story, An Affair To Remember – sharing a bucket of popcorn.

Le Marais is Paris’ oldest quartier, with the impossibly romantic Place des Vosges at its heart, home to the exquisite Le Pavillon de la Reine www.pavillon-de-la-reine.com, the only hotel on the square, set deep in its own secluded courtyard.

This is a hotel for couples who know and love Paris, looking for something just a little different and off the beaten track. It dates back to the 17th century, covered in ivy, and offers a truly romantic alternative…..

Check into the Suite de la Reine - where the works of Victor Hugo, Romantic writer and resident of the Place des Vosges, are evoked in the artwork, depicting facsimiles of his handwriting on the walls – and start le weekend à la française. For her – it’s down to the Spa de la Reine for Bridget Bardot’s favourite Carita facial.

Falling asleep by the fire…

It doesn’t get much better than falling asleep wrapped in your lover’s arms in a four poster bed by the light of a log fire. Say no more…The atmospheric Bailiffscourt Hotel & Spa in Climping West Sussex was built by the Guinness family in the 1920s using timber and stone from a medieval ruin. Oak panelled passageways, a stone chapel, a private footpath to the sea – just a five minutes walk - it’s easy to understand why this was built as a dream home. It is still one of the most romantic hotels in England with rooms starting from £210 per night.

Bailiffscourt Hotel & Spa, Climping, Nr Arundel, West Sussex, BN17 5RW.
To book: 01903 723511 / www.hshotels.co.uk. Press information: anita.gryson@mangopr.co.uk

The course of true love never did run smoothly, which is the why the gurus at The Grove, London’s Country Estate (www.thegrove.co.uk) in Hertfordshire have come up with a little TLC for the recently spurned. Get Over It at The Grove offers a refuge - to nurse the wounds, cry it all out and re-appear, serene and triumphant, ready for the next chapter.

From Sunday 14th February until Friday 19th February avoid the schmaltz and check into The Grove for a night and Get Over It with up to three friends, priced at £245 per person, based on two people sharing. Included? A bottle of wine; Kleenex tissues; a selection of suitable DVDs for a therapeutic movie marathon and an extra large collection of comforting chocolates. Supper – in the form of serious comfort food from the 24 hour room service menu – includes a choice of gourmet pizza, scrumptious burgers, French fries, ice cream sundae, popcorn and soft drinks.