The’romantic getaway in France It’s not just about a simple room with a view. It unfolds in a forest near Tours, traversed at tree height; on an ochre cliff facing the Calanques; among the vineyards of the Luberon; or in a narrow alley on the Île de Ré that smells of the sea. From Provence to Corsica, from Saint-Germain-des-Prés to the Atlantic coast, ten destinations offer ten romantic getaways for two, for a romantic weekend that begins the moment you step through the gate.
A Couple in the Countryside
Loire Valley Lodges: The Most Secluded Getaway Less Than Two Hours from Paris
In Touraine, a path winds through 300 hectares of private forest to a wooden lodge perched four meters above the ground, among the treetops. You climb the stairs, push open the floor-to-ceiling window, and all that remains is the forest, the king-size bed facing the trees, and the feeling of being alone in the world. That’s the whole idea behind Loire Valley Lodges: to truly disconnect, together. The minimum age is 14, and each terrace features a private hot tub where you can slip in at night, a glass in hand, while a stag bellowing in the distance. Each of the 21 lodges, measuring about 35 m², has been designed by a contemporary artist, so you choose yours as you would choose an atmosphere for the night; some feature a private sauna in the Spa+ version. In the morning, breakfast arrives in a basket hoisted by a pulley up to the terrace, to be shared in a bathrobe while gazing at the tree canopy. The day is spent as a couple: a couples’ massage in the lodge, a Japanese-style forest bath, or a lap in the 20-meter swimming pool. When evening falls, you head back down for dinner at the Ardent restaurant, located in the old farmhouse, where the chef prepares dishes featuring local ingredients—wild herbs, tree bark, and game—a restaurant that the Michelin Guide awarded a “Key” in 2025. Cell service is spotty—and that’s just fine. A private spa on the terrace, with the forest as your only witness: for a true digital detox for couples less than two hours from Paris, few places can compare.
Loire Valley Lodges
37320 Esvres-sur-Indre
Les Petites Maisons – Hameau des Baux, the village of olive trees with a swimming lane reserved for adults
In Paradou, between Les Baux-de-Provence and Saint-Rémy, you don’t pull up in front of a hotel but at the entrance to a hamlet: stone houses scattered throughout a 5-hectare olive grove, a chapel, a square lined with plane trees, and a fountain. Nestled within the Alpilles Regional Nature Park, just five minutes from Les Baux-de-Provence, the Hameau des Baux feels like a village all to yourself. This 4-star hotel features 21 rooms and suites, ranging from 35 to 65 m², designed in the style of a Provençal farmhouse—with whitewashed walls, terracotta, and exposed beams—most of which have private terraces overlooking vineyards or almond trees, perfect for enjoying a morning coffee for two without seeing a soul. Art is everywhere—artist residencies and sculptures dotted throughout the gardens—and you can stroll from one installation to the next as if in an open-air museum. Two swimming pools are spread across the estate, including a lap lane reserved for adults, separate from the family areas. In the evening, you can dine at the Allegria restaurant or, more casually, under the trellis at the guinguette—a recreated village square where aperitif time seems to go on forever. For couples looking to explore, the estate lends out bicycles to ride to the hilltop villages, organizes a vintage convertible ride through the Alpilles, and offers a picnic overlooking the Luberon. The estate also welcomes families—the only downside for a romantic getaway: outside of school breaks, when the hamlet returns to its siesta-time quiet, you have the Place des Platanes and the cicadas all to yourselves. It’s hard to find a more charming house in the Alpilles: for a romantic weekend in Provence, this spot ranks among the most desirable in the region.
Les Petites Maisons – Hameau des Baux
13520 Le Paradou
La Bastide de Marie, the most popular charming inn among the Luberon vineyards
A path lined with cypress trees, olive trees, and lavender winds its way up through the vineyards, and you quickly realize that you’re not arriving at a hotel but at someone’s home. La Bastide de Marie, an 18th-century farmhouse taken over by the Sibuet family, has only 14 rooms and suites, with no numbers on the doors: each bears a color name—Gris de Sauge, Mauve d’Aster—that extends to the walls, the linens, and the bathroom. It’s the perfect spot for a leisurely romantic getaway. Lunch is served under the linden tree, with a menu featuring ingredients from the vegetable garden and a bottle of wine produced on the estate, all surrounded by the 26 hectares of vineyards at Domaine de Marie. The afternoon slips by between the two pools—one of which is heated—sheltered by a low stone wall, and the Pure Altitude spa, with its two treatment rooms and treatments featuring Provençal plants, such as a honey wrap or a massage with lavender sachets—to be booked for two. Wine lovers can grab a pair of pruning shears for a morning in the vineyards, head down to the cellar for a tasting, or hop on an electric bike for a picnic between Gordes, Bonnieux, and L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. By moonlight, the hotel also sets a table for two amidst the vineyards—and it’s not uncommon to witness a marriage proposal here. This 5-star hotel doesn’t try to be ostentatious—quite the opposite: in the Luberon, few properties of this caliber offer such an intimate experience, making it one of the region’s most beautiful luxury destinations for a getaway just for two.
Marie's Country House
64 Chemin des Peirelles, 84560 Ménerbes
Domaine de la Bretesche: The Most Picturesque Golf Getaway Just Outside Brittany
As you pass through a gate, a 15th-century castle comes into view, reflected in the waters of a pond, with its towers and ramparts set amid 200 hectares of forest. At the gateway to the Brière Regional Nature Park, on the border of Brittany, 2.5 hours from Paris and half an hour from La Baule, the Domaine de la Bretesche is straight out of a novel. Guests stay in the historic outbuildings—25 rooms, six suites, and nine villas—waking up to a view of the castle or the Cour Carrée and its century-old linden tree. This Relais & Châteaux property is perfect for stays where everyone can set their own pace: one might head out to the 18-hole golf course designed by Englishman Henry Cotton in 1967, nestled among oaks and birches, while another heads to the Cour Carrée Spa and its glass-roofed indoor pool, featuring Cinq Mondes treatments, before a couples’ ritual. A rare find: a 5-star hotel situated right on its own golf course, with the first hole just a few meters from the lobby. In the evening, head to Le Club restaurant, where Chef Filipe Silvestre showcases Breton regional cuisine. The next day, cycle around the pond, stop by the permaculture garden, and enjoy a massage in the garden chalet during the warmer months. The estate also regularly hosts weddings with sumptuous ceremonies set against the backdrop of the château. For a weekend getaway for two in the countryside—amidst golf, forests, and moats—few places in Brittany offer such a romantic setting to set down your clubs.
Domaine de la Bretesche
Domaine de la Bretesche, 44780 Missillac
Right on the water
Les Roches Blanches, the most spectacular seaside setting
In Cassis, the road ends where the sea begins. Les Roches Blanches is housed in a former mansion dating from 1887, perched on the rock between the harbor and the ochre cliffs of Cap Canaille, at the gateway to the Calanques National Park. Converted into a hotel in the 1920s, it has retained its Art Deco decor, its scalloped staircase banister, and the memory of Churchill and Édith Piaf, who once stayed there. Here, everything faces the open sea, and every moment is shared as a couple, gazing out at the horizon. Two swimming pools cascade down toward the Mediterranean, including a 25-meter infinity pool where you can swim at sunset, with the bay as your only backdrop, and a staircase carved into the stone leads straight to the sea for a secluded swim. The rooms, facing either the water or the terraced gardens, feature a understated Art Deco style, some with balconies overlooking the cape. The Sisley spa at this 5-star hotel in Cassis It features four treatment rooms—including one for two—nestled among the pine trees, perfect for a four-hand treatment side by side. At the restaurant Les Belles Canailles, Chef Alessandro Guardiani showcases Mediterranean cuisine, and the concierge service arranges a boat for a romantic outing for two through the calanques, anchoring in a cove for an aperitif as you glide along the water. Two Michelin Keys in 2025, a Clé Verte certification: of the entire Provençal coastline, this is undoubtedly the most beautiful seaside retreat for a romantic getaway.
Les Roches Blanches
9 Avenue des Calanques, 13260 Cassis
Hotel Juana: Art Deco on the Riviera at its most intimate
In Juan-les-Pins, across from the Pinède Gould, a white façade with clean lines evokes the era when the French Riviera was swinging. The Hôtel Juana dates back to 1931 and has lost none of its Art Deco charm: it’s the Juan of the jazz era—the Juan of the Duke of Windsor and Picasso—now designated a historic monument. Its 40 rooms and suites, ranging from 25 to 60 m², feature fine wood, marble, and rich fabrics; the top-floor rooms overlook the Mediterranean and the Lérins Islands—a cinematic setting for a night for two. Spend the day by the heated pool, tucked away in a palm-lined garden terrace, with a book and a cocktail within easy reach. Le Juana shares everything with the neighboring Hotel Belles Rives, its sister property on the waterfront: with a reservation, you can head to its private beach and water ski club—the very spot where the sport was born on the coast in the 1930s. It’s the perfect way to spend the morning on the water before heading back for lunch at the Paseo, under the patio’s gazebo, where Chef Steve Moracchini serves Mediterranean cuisine. At dusk, head to the Pinède Gould for one of the most beautiful sunsets on the coast, before a nightcap at the bar. Closed for the winter, the hotel reopens each spring for a vacation retreat—a leisurely getaway on the Cap d’Antibes, between dips in the water and strolls with your feet in the sand.
Hôtel Juana
La Pinède, 06160 Juan-les-Pins
Romantic City Break in Paris
Hôtel Montalembert: The Best Way to Experience Saint-Germain-des-Prés
On Rue de Montalembert, next to Rue du Bac, just a stone’s throw from the Musée d’Orsay, a golden-stone facade looks rather unassuming—and yet it was here, in 1926, that Paris’s first boutique hotel was born. A century later, the Montalembert celebrates its anniversary without having strayed from its roots: it remains a Left Bank institution—a haven for writers and publishers—perfect for an intimate, literary Paris for two. This 5-star hotel features 50 rooms and suites, renovated in the style of a Parisian apartment, with warm tones, moldings, wood paneling, and custom-designed contemporary furniture. The most beautiful rooms, with sloped ceilings under the roof, overlook the bell tower of Saint-Thomas d’Aquin, and two of them offer views of the Eiffel Tower—perfect for enjoying breakfast in bed with the Iron Lady in the window. Downstairs, Chef Cyril Russo serves seasonal French cuisine that has become a favorite among neighborhood regulars, and the fireplace lounge—with its wood paneling and bookshelves—invites couples to relax, a glass in hand, a book open, and the fire crackling in the background. Since 2024, a Calma Paris spa and fitness center have added a wellness retreat before heading out to explore the streets. After all, people come here as much for Saint-Germain-des-Prés as for the hotel itself: the art galleries, the antique shops, Le Bon Marché, the legendary cafés—everything is within walking distance, hand in hand. For a romantic weekend that captures the essence of old, literary Paris, it’s hard to find a better gateway to the Left Bank.
Montalembert Hotel
3 rue de Montalembert, 75007 Paris
Grand Hôtel du Palais Royal, THE boutique hotel in central Paris
Place de Valois, a small square tucked away from the hustle and bustle, right in the heart of Paris, just a few meters from the gardens of the Palais-Royal and the Louvre. Behind the 18th-century listed façade, a staircase with a wrought-iron railing winds upward—the sole survivor of the fire that destroyed the opera house that once stood there in 1781. Redesigned in 2023 by Pierre-Yves Rochon—designer of several luxury hotels—this boutique hotel with 68 rooms and suites embodies grand Parisian style, featuring numerous balconies, the most beautiful of which feature a panoramic rooftop terrace—perfect for a drink at sunset, just the two of you, with Paris at your feet. This 5-star hotel in central Paris has made wellness its guiding principle, even offering yoga and meditation in the guest rooms. On Sundays, guests can enjoy a champagne brunch on the terrace overlooking Place de Valois, and the rest of the time, Chef Maxime Raab—formerly of Fouquet’s—serves organic, seasonal cuisine at Café 52. In the basement, the spa was the first to partner with the Holidermie brand, featuring a Michelin-starred hammam and treatment rooms where you can unwind after exploring the city. And what a city: the arcades and gardens of the Palais-Royal for a twilight stroll, the Louvre just 100 meters away, the Comédie-Française around the corner—everything is within walking distance. For a romantic weekend in Paris, this intimate boutique hotel, situated across from the Palais-Royal, is one of the capital’s most beautiful destinations.
Grand Hôtel du Palais Royal
4 rue de Valois, 75001 Paris
On the islands
Les Oliviers de Palombaggia: A Home for Everyone Between the Maquis and the Sea
Just a few minutes from Porto-Vecchio, a trail branches off the road and winds through the maquis, leading to a 2-hectare estate where 13 dry-stone sheepfolds are tucked away among the olive trees. At Les Oliviers de Palombaggia, you don’t just get a room—you get a house—and that’s the ultimate luxury for a couple: no one else around. Junior suites, pool suites, and villas—ranging from 35 to 130 m²—all feature their own private pool or hot tub, an outdoor kitchen, and a terrace under a pergola, crafted from rough-hewn stone and light wood, with nothing out of place. You spend the morning in your pool, the afternoon on Carataggia Beach—white sand and crystal-clear water that you have to earn by walking—a fifteen-minute stroll, just the two of you, in silence. In the evening, the private chef comes to the villa to prepare a dinner just for the two of you, while in the morning breakfast is served on the terrace and the estate’s farm provides brocciu cheese and honey. The estate lends out electric bikes and paddleboards, and charters its boat for a trip along the coast to drop anchor in a cove, while the wellness center perched on the hillside offers treatments overlooking the bay. You can stay there for three days without encountering another guest. For a honeymoon or an anniversary away from prying eyes, the South Corsica has rarely been more low-key.
The Olive Trees of Palombaggia
Route de Palombaggia, 20137 Porto-Vecchio
Villa Clarisse & Spa, the Île de Ré’s best-kept secret
For a change of pace from Corsica without leaving the island, head to Ré. In a narrow alleyway in Saint-Martin, behind a carriage entrance, a former 18th-century mansion is home to Villa Clarisse: just nine rooms and suites, ranging from 30 to 45 m², designed by Pierre-Yves Rochon, all in white, with period fireplaces and wood paneling—offering the intimacy of a family home rather than a hotel. The real luxury is outside. A garden designed by landscape architect Louis Benech features palm trees, fig trees, and laurels surrounding a pool heated to 26 degrees, complete with a counter-current swim feature—a rarity in a historic center where water is scarce— where you can relax as a couple, sheltered by the walls. At the far end of the garden, a small spa features two hammams and two treatment rooms for Olivier Claire organic treatments, which can be booked side by side. There’s no on-site restaurant, but breakfast is served under the trees, and George’s Table—at the neighboring Hôtel de Toiras—is a four-minute walk away, on the harbor side, for dinner with a view of the boats. A butler—the only one on the Atlantic coast—handles the rest: bike rentals, dinner reservations, and massage appointments. Days are spent cycling from one village to another, lounging on the beaches, and watching the sun set over the salt marshes, before heading back through the cobblestone alleys, with the bell tower as a landmark. It’s small, it’s unassuming, and it’s exactly the kind of place you keep to yourself—just the two of you.
Villa Clarisse & Spa
5 rue du Général Lapasset, 17410 Saint-Martin-de-Ré
