Ditch the cliché box of chocolates and celebrate creatively with these couple-perfect activities, whether you’re spending the day with a partner or a friend.
One of the highlights of staying at Barcelona’s The Edition hotel is a visit to the nearby MOCO Museum, stuffed with world-class contemporary art. And when you book the hotel’s glitzy V-Day package, you’ll get an exclusive behind-closed-doors tour of the masterpieces as part of the deal. Other highlights of the special stay, available throughout February, include a boozy masterclass at the Punch Room bar and a candlelit dinner on the balcony of your own slick penthouse.
editionhotels.com/barcelona
Nothing says ‘I love you’ like a splurgey sunrise hot air balloon ride – especially when that ride happens to be over the epic Sahara desert. You’ll rise in darkness to travel from your luxurious base, The Royal Mansour hotel in Marrakech, then take off in time to catch the Instagrammable early morning hues of the landscape. If stomachs start to rumble for breakfast, you’ve got a champagne picnic to tide you over until you return to ground level.
royalmansour.com
Dans Le Noir Spa is unlike any other pampering spot you’ve been to. Here massages are performed by visually impaired or blind therapists, in treatment rooms that are dimly lit or in total darkness. The idea is that, by being in the dark, all your other senses are raised (and, as an added plus, sighted visitors can gain an appreciation of what it’s like to be blind). Book in with your other half for a one-of-a-kind shoulder unclenching session, starring chocolate-scented massage oil.
lespadanslenoir.com
Here’s one way to inject fresh thrill into a too-comfortable relationship. When you sign up for a tandem bungee in one of 10 expert-led locations across the UK, including London and Manchester, you’ll be strapped to your partner or bestie while plunging through the air. Once you get past the falling and screaming bit, the adrenaline high is fantastic. You won’t even need that half-bottle of bubbly that they include after every jump.
virginexperiencedays.co.uk/lovers-leap-tandem-bungee-jump
Just want to celebrate with a really top-notch meal? The first European outpost of Wolfgang Puck’s Spago opened last year in Budapest’s Belle Epoque Matild Palace, and the restaurant is marking its first Valentine’s Day in the city with a decadent six-course menu, available until February 16. Expect scallop ceviche with zingy grapefruit, miso-glazed pike perch with black rice risotto, and prosecco blood orange granita, alongside views over the historic city centre.
marriott.com/en-us/hotels/budlc-matild-palace-a-luxury-collection-hotel-budapest/overview
There’s nowhere more romantic on earth than the Maldives, which is why honeymooners head to the paradisical islands in their droves. Dial up the castaway fantasy even more by booking into Veela Private Island’s ultra-private Pool Residence, only accessible by boat. It’s hard to work out which exclusive perk your loved one will appreciate most: the on-site spa treatment room, the powdery private beach area or the butler dishing up meals in your own gazebo.
velaaprivateisland.com/accommodation/villas.html
Rugged, green and wild, Montenegro’s scenery is next-level – and best enjoyed from the air. Make it a date for two in a private hydroplane, taking off from luxury resort development Porto Montenegro and zipping across to glassy Skadar Lake, where you’ll visit a local restaurant and dine on just-caught fish plucked from the waters. After your adventure, you can kick back and watch the sun set through the windows of your creamy-hued contemporary suite.
ihg.com/regent/hotels/gb/en/porto-montenegro/tivpm/hoteldetail
