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GRAND DEL MAR FOR LAVISH ROMANCE!

01.15.11

By Sheryll Alexander

Want to feel like you went to Tuscany for Valentine’s Day without going all the way to Italy? The Grand Del Mar in San Diego has that Mediterranean villa feel with all the elegance and sophistication you’d expect from a Tuscan billionaire’s mansion.

Plus, the Grand Del Mar is home to one of Southern California’s best restaurants: Addison. And, “The Grand” also has a luxurious spa with its own pool deck, golf course and club and a new nightclub.

For Valentine’s Day, The Grand Del Mar has several ways to celebrate the holiday of love.

The Ain’t Love Grand Package (available Feb. 1-28) starts at $945 per night (with additional nights at $365 on weekdays) and features:

One night accommodations

Room upgrade at time of booking

One dozen long-stemmed roses upon arrival

Fireside champagne, caviar and oysters for two served at outdoor fireplace

Romantic do-it-yourself spa treatment turndown amenity (which includes the spa’s house made salt scrub infused with fresh rosemary from the resort’s gardens and signature “renaissance” massage oil)

Breakfast for two in bed or at a resort restaurant\

Guaranteed late check-out at 2 p.m.

Complimentary overnight valet parking

Addison at The Grand Del Mar is a decadent experience for couples with over-the-top attentive service, lavish décor, absolutely delicious cuisine by Chef William Bradley and decadent wines chosen by a personal sommelier.

On Feb. 14, Addison is offering a sumptuous six-course tasting menu from 5:30-10 p.m. that costs $135 per person ($195 with wine pairings). Some of the evening’s dishes feature baby sea scallops with wild sorrel, a lamb rack with crèpinette and potatoes croustillant and a spiced “fig newton” with brown butter caramel and crème fraîche gelato.

Situated amid a spectacular private preserve in North San Diego County’s Carmel Valley, The Grand Del Mar is a luxurious retreat that combines the Old World charm of a Mediterranean estate with the modern luxuries of a world-class resort.

The AAA Five Diamond property features 249 elegant guestrooms and suites, San Diego’s only Tom Fazio-designed championship golf course, a Forbes five-star spa, the award-winning Addison fine dining restaurant with Relais & Chateaux Grand Chef William Bradley, four swimming pools and two outdoor tennis courts.

The Grand Del Mar, 5300 Grand Del Mar Way, San Diego, CA, 888-314-2030, [url=http://www.thegranddelmar.com]http://www.thegranddelmar.com[/url].

Sheryll Alexander is a lifestyles writer based in Costa Mesa, Calif.

VICEROY PALMS SPRINGS FOR SEXY ROMANCE!

01.14.11

By Sheryll Alexander

Love romance in very modern surroundings with nature still close by? The Viceroy Palm Springs embodies romance and enchantment from the ever-changing hues of the nearby San Jacinto Mountains to the heavenly cuisine to the relaxing vibe of this über sophisticated, yet casual boutique hotel.

And, The Viceroy is set just off the main drag in Palm Springs so you are nearby all the restaurants, bars and shopping. The hotel even offers complimentary bicycles for quick and relaxing jaunts into town. Or, if you just want privacy and relaxation, the three lovely and sexy pools at The Viceroy are THE place to unwind in downtown Palm Springs.

For Valentine’s Day, The Viceroy Palm Springs offers the Retreat to Romance package starting at $425 per night. The package includes:

Overnight accommodations in a premium studio, Wetherly Suite or Dorrington Suite.

Champagne and strawberries upon arrival.

A 60-minute couples massage.

$40 breakfast credit and late checkout (based upon availability).

Viceroy Palm Springs has 67 guest rooms, including studios, suites and private villas. All rooms feature modern styling amidst a black, white and lemon yellow palette selected to echo the sunny climate of Palm Springs and shade from its warmth. The resort’s modern “Hollywood Regency” design recaptures the look and glamour of Hollywood’s “Golden Age,” when celebrities flocked to Palm Springs for weekend getaways.

The property is spread over four acres with an intimate layout of landscaped courtyards, while surrounding mountains provide a dramatic backdrop to the resort’s setting. Three outdoor heated swimming pools invite guests to swim day or night. Designed for seclusion and staged sensibility, rooms are set around three distinct courtyards, convenient to all hotel amenities as well as swimming pools, citrus trees and manicured gardens.

The hotel’s Citron Restaurant and Bar offers breakfast, lunch, dinner, cocktails and poolside service for relaxed desert dining. The Estrella Spa at Viceroy Palm Springs offers privacy, luxury and an exceptional variety of revitalizing and relaxing treatments, as well as personalized programs in a serene indoor-outdoor atmosphere. The full-service facility’s boutique atmosphere includes a deluxe couple’s massage suite, outdoor massage cabanas, and yoga terrace.

Viceroy Palm Springs, 415 S. Belardo Rd., Palm Springs, CA 92262, 760-320-4117, [url=http://www.viceroypalmsprings.com]http://www.viceroypalmsprings.com[/url].

Sheryll Alexander is a lifestyles writer based in Costa Mesa, Calif.

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