Montage Resort & Spa

Romantic Getaways

That jumbled day planner is the giveaway — you need a getaway. Just the two of you. No phones. No faxes. No emails. Not to mention, no kids. It’s time for romance, or at least some serious relaxation with your significant other. We’ve picked some places sure to put the love back in your life.

Esperanza
Swaying in a hammock overlooking the sparkling Sea of Cortez may be as energetic as you’d like to be at Esperanza, a luxurious escape at Punta Ballena near Cabo San Lucas, but then you’d miss the Couple Clay Bake, a sensuous soak in a tub laced with what’s billed as a natural Mexican aphrodisiac. Follow that up with a clay body mask and sage-oil massage, and you’ll feel "like bud-da." The resort’s spa mixes up fresh ingredients each day such as cactus, hibiscus, and sea salt to create sybaritic experiences for the two of you. Try the Fruits of Passion package in the couple’s suite. It begins with a partners’ soak in the private pool followed by body scrubs of coconut and lime, or if you prefer, papaya and mango, finished off with a massage.

The resort stretches over 17 acres with winding paths, pools, and a terraced restaurant overlooking the sea. Its 50 casitas and six luxury suites are decorated in earthy elegance with handcrafted furniture, Mexican artwork, and generous baths. The little resort has garnered some big accolades from the travel industry, including being named the number two hotel in Latin America by Conde Nast Traveler. Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report ranked it number three among the top international resort hotels.

As your Esperanza respite draws to a close, how’s this for a grand finale? The resort’s A Night to Remember package offers dining under the stars on a pristine stretch of beach. Mariachis serenade while you sip Champagne by your own private bonfire. The big finish — fireworks at just $500 per minute.

The resort closes June 17 for enhancements during the off-season but will reopen in the fall. Rates from $675 to $5,500. (866/311-2226, www.esperanzaresort.com)

Montage Resort & Spa
No need to check in at this luxury hideaway on a Laguna Beach bluff — they do it for you. No sooner do you pull in to the resort’s portico than a bellman whisks you to your room. Forget the line at the reception desk — there is none. That gives you all the more time to soak up the spectacular ocean view on this craggy strip of coastline. While the Montage is just off busy South Coast Highway, it feels — and sounds — like a world apart. The rambling 30-acre resort has more than 250 rooms but still seems cozy, and although casual, is also elegant. The Montage is built in the Craftsman style, and in keeping with the area’s artistic roots — the town hosts the Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters each year — rooms are accented with Early California art. It even has its own art gallery. Sink into a comfortable couch in the Lobby Lounge (it can get quite lively there at night) and drink in the vista with your cocktail. Sliding glass doors open onto a terrace overlooking the mosaic-tiled pool, rocky cliffs, and wide sweep of sea.

Rooms have lots of luxe touches: cushy feather-top beds, plump pillows, marble baths, and balconies that beckon. It’s tempting to linger over that morning latte, but outside your room there’s plenty of pampering. Mobile Travel Guide gave its first five-star rating to Spa Montage for its plush amenities and personal service. In this 20,000-square-foot sanctuary you can indulge in tailor-made treatments with a holistic approach designed to rejuvenate the mind, spirit, and body. The spa offers rotating wellness classes ranging from global dance to beach boot camp. Peggy Hall, creator of Yoga for Surfers, leads decidedly non-surfers through a series of flowing moves aimed at increasing flexibility and focus. Wellness manager David-Dorian Ross — a world champion in Tai Chi — provides personal postural assessments. You can also opt to pound the treadmill in the ocean-view fitness center.

In the end, you can’t beat walking hand in hand along the bluffs or poking about in the tide pools on the beach below. For a romantic dinner, book a table at Studio, where chef James Boyce is creating some serious culinary buzz. Rates from $695 to $6,000 through March 31. (866/271-6953, www.montagelagunabeach.com)

La Casa Que Canta
It means "the house that sings" because the sounds of the sea are everywhere. La Casa Que Canta can make your heart sing, too. The readers of Conde Nast Traveler rated this chic little retreat Mexico’s top resort and ninth in the entire world. The resort’s freshwater infinity pool seems to float over Zihuatanejo Bay, blending seamlessly into the blue Baja waters. Or guests can lounge by the two-level saltwater pool at the base of a dramatic cliff. Most of the resort’s 25 suites, with names like Romance, Talisman, and Inspiracion, have their own private pools and ocean-view terraces. You can also rent luxurious, four-suite villas offering the ultimate in personal service — each comes with its own chef and concierge. The resort has a plush new spa, gym, lounges, and a restaurant where, according to Vogue, "the food is as stylish as the rest of the place." Rates are $415 to $3,250 through May. (888/523-5050, www.lacasaquecanta.com)

Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa
We know it’s right in our own backyard, but this tranquil retreat is worth a visit. After all, people from all over the world jet here to stow away in cozy casitas, whack tennis balls, and warm up from winter’s chill. For us, it’s just a short drive — yet it’s a long way from reality. Calmness begins when you turn up a winding road lined with pepper trees and eucalyptus. You enter the resort’s reception area through a tiled courtyard with a stone fountain and outdoor fireplace, accented with rustic Mexican furniture. There’s an intimate, fire-lit restaurant with wood-beamed ceilings. But there’s no more peaceful place to lunch than outside on the terrace overlooking the grounds.

Rancho Valencia’s 49 casitas are intimate hideaways inspired by early California haciendas. Each has a sunken living area with a fireplace for curling up and a private garden patio. If you have something more expansive in mind, the Hacienda suite has three bedrooms, a living room, and kitchen, along with its own pool, spa, and cabana.

The new Spa at Rancho Valencia opens onto a tropical courtyard with a fireplace and fountain. The relaxation room is made for lingering. Nestle in a wicker chair and sip herbal tea while awaiting your treatment. The spa offers Time for Two, billed as the "ultimate in sensual delights" for you and that significant other. Enjoy couple’s treatments in the spa suite with its own fireplace and French doors opening onto a private patio with soaking tub. In the Bergamot Bliss, you immerse yourself in the pool and then, according to the spa, "playfully polish each other" with a blend of bergamot, lemon, and lime sea salt, before experiencing an outdoor massage and linen wrap. There’s also a steam room, sauna, cold-water plunge, and a pool with cabanas.

Of course, there are more energetic pursuits. The spa’s fitness studio offers yoga, Pilates, and spin classes. And the resort is world renowned for its tennis programs, not to mention the world-class golf courses nearby. If you’re feeling especially genteel, take in a game of croquet on a green sweep of lawn with white Adirondack chairs lined up like sentries. Rates from $450 to $5,000 through June 30. (858/756-1123, www.ranchovalencia.com)

Britt Scripps Inn
Step back in time at this Victorian boutique hotel in Banker’s Hill, just a block from Balboa Park. The Queen Ann-style inn opened last year on Valentine’s Day after a $6 million restoration. That’s an impressive sum considering the original mansion, built in 1887 by lawyer Eugene W. Britt, cost $3,000. (Britt later sold the home to media mogul Edward Scripps.) The inn reflects the grace and grandeur of its turn-of-the century roots, from the hand-carved oak staircase to the two-story stained glass window. The inn’s nine rooms are furnished with antiques true to the period, rich fabrics, and claw-footed bathtubs. But owner Gordon Hattersley III says this is no museum piece. While it celebrates the past, the inn has thoroughly modern amenities including flat screen TVs and Internet access. (One can only wonder what the Victorians would think!) Join fellow guests for wine and cheese in the parlor before heading out for a night on the town. After lingering under those 1,000-thread count sheets, it’s time for breakfast — and we don’t mean cornflakes. The bountiful menu might include homemade muffins or an omelet with baby spinach and truffle oil. You can work off the calories later when you explore Little Italy, Balboa Park, and the Gaslamp. Did we mention, the restaurant with the ultimate San Diego view — Bertrand at Mr. A’s — is right across the street? Now that’s romance. Rates from $205 to $515. (888/881-1991, www.brittscripps.com) — Andrea Naversen