100 Small Romantic Hotels & Places
Come discover 100 of the most romantic small hotels and places in the world.
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Unique Experience
If you’re looking for a look-alike hotel that could be found anywhere, then this is not the right guide for you. We favor one-of-a-kind unique, hand-crafted hotels. Our heart quickens with maximalist decor, not minimalist.
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Historic Old World Districts
We’ve a soft spot for historic old-world districts with their centuries-old inns, cobblestoned streets, ancient cathedrals and fortified walls.
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Romantic Settings
We love a stunning setting. From the North Pole to Patagonia, and the Scottish Highlands to the Japanese Alps, we’ve uncovered secluded romantic hotels in some of the world’s most spectacular settings.
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Bohemian Neighborhoods
We’re partial to authentic lived-in neighborhoods filled with artists and galleries, musicians and late-night clubs, chef-owned restaurants and ethnic diversity.
Guidelines to getting on our small romantic hotel list
Only a few years ago, it was so easy for us to pick out a romantic hotel. We favored stunning settings, good food and an authentic sense of place. A creative owner’s quirky, stylish, whimsical and playful imprint was prized.
Small was beautiful.
But now some beautiful natural settings are being developed by hotel groups & developers that are a bit too focused on selling corporate retreats, condos, villas and time-shares for our tastes.
So we’ve updated our guidelines, adding two new ones:
We’re unambashedly in love with and search out artistic, talented one-of-kind, creative amateur hoteliers. Bottom line, if it is clever and unique enough, a motel-chic place could get listed here.
We’re drawing the line on condo-hotels & time-share properties, however. We just don’t think kitchens and all they entail — food shopping, cooking & cleaning up — belong in a romantic place.