Love is in the air for Valentine's Day celebrations

   One-Tank Trip for Feb. 4/12

   (c) By Jim Fox

   Love is in the air as Valentine’s Day approaches and here are a few suggestions that turned up in the One-Tank Trip E-mail in-box.

   Do not disturb

   “Why not take time out from our silly schedules for a little romance at a hideaway for two and fall ‘inn’ love again?” asks Laurel Armstrong, a tourism industry representative in Southwestern Ontario.

   On behalf of Ontario's Finest Hotels, Inn and Spas, she reports there are “25 Valentine’s Heartening Getaways” available.

Lovers can check into the Valentine’s package available at the Little Inn of Bayfield.

   “From a romantic and cozy lakeside inn to the luxury of a world-class spa housed in an historic mansion, Ontario’s Finest Hotels, Inns and Spas offer couples with romantic notions an unparalleled variety of memorable locations and those special-extras packages in special settings,” said Kathy Nichol, executive director.

 

   “If you’ve got a favourite community, odds are in your favour that you’ll find a wonderful heritage and noteworthy inn nearby that specializes in the little luxuries of life,” she added.

   The “hopeful romantics among us” will enjoy exploring the range of accommodations with fine dining, spa services, winter activities and a respite from hectic schedules.

The Breadalbane Inn in Fergus is ready with a Valentine getaway package.

   Throughout Ontario, from the city scene to countryside, the member properties have special savings and in-room extras from flowers, champagne and chocolates to spa services, carriage and sleigh rides.

   Properties include the Breadalbane Inn in Fergus; Briars Resort and Spa, Jackson’s Point; Harbour House, Niagara-on-the-Lake; Inn and Spa on the Twenty, Jordan; Little Inn of Bayfield; Millcroft Inn and Spa, Alton; Old Mill Inn and Spa, Toronto; and the Westover Inn, St. Marys.

The Harbour House in Niagara-on-the-Lake is a member of Ontario's Finest Hotels, Inn and Spas with Valentine’s getaway packages.

   For those who are romantically spontaneous and can travel at short notice, several properties have last-minute getaways at great prices.

   Packages are designed to meet exacting quality assurance standards of services and unique and romantic settings for guests, anticipating and exceeding expectations – from luxurious linens and in-room amenities to superlative dining and wine lists – and well-trained staff, Nicol said.

   “My own experience with visiting a number of Ontario's Finest Inns, Hotels and Spas is that they offer amazing value for couples with great amenities, locations, dining and more,” Armstrong said.

   For details on Valentine’s Day getaways, go to www.ontariosfinestinns.com

    Love is sky-high, too

   “Love is always in the air at 360, Toronto’s most romantic restaurant,” said Irene Knight, marketing manager at the CN Tower.

   The towering fine-dining spot, with its lofty wine “cellar” 351 metres (1,151 feet) in the clouds, is where “award-winning cuisine and ambiance set hearts spinning,” she added.

CN Tower’s sky-high restaurant 360 has a special Valentine’s Day menu with a revolving view of Toronto. (Jim Fox photo)

   It’s always busy on Valentine’s Day and to mark the occasion, the CN Tower will be lighted in red.

   The restaurant offers market-fresh cuisine with regional ingredients, a selection of more than 550 Canadian and international wines and a “magnificent revolving view of Toronto.”

   Reservations are recommended. More information and menus at www.cntower.ca; (416) 362-5411.

   Getaways around the world

   To help broaden our horizons, Mark Bernhardt of Siren Communications helps round out trips with these getaways to drool over.

   Calling them his “favourite love-struck package picks for everyone on Cupid’s list,” let’s start with Toronto.

   The five-star Hazelton Hotel has a Valentine’s package for “couples looking to discover each other again, new parents in need of a luxurious night out or lovers who wish to celebrate in style.”

   Couples will enjoy access to the luxury hotel’s saltwater lap pool, steam room and state-of-the-art fitness centre.

   Available from Feb. 11 to 15, it includes an overnight in a superior room with breakfast in bed from Mark McEwan’s ONE Restaurant, in-room champagne and fruit platter, rose petals decorated throughout the room, fresh flowers, a $300 spa credit and private movie screenings with white chocolate popcorn and champagne.

   There’s also the service of a “pre-arrival Romance Consultant” to assist with all details of the stay. Rates are from $775 a night. www.lhw.com; (416) 963-6300.

   Bernhardt’s other picks are the Auberge Saint-Antoine in Quebec City; Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic; Gansevoort Hotel Group, New York City; The Cove at Atlantis in the Bahamas; and the One&Only Palmilla, Los Cabos, Mexico.

   -30-

Jim Fox can be reached at onetanktrips@hotmail.com