Here at Backroads, we’re biking and hiking experts—but we’re also seriously dedicated hotel pros. Every year, our local experts around the world scope their region’s most beautiful and romantic hotels. Then our hotel team gets to work, selecting the best of a great bunch for guests on our active travel trips.
World’s Most Romantic Hotels
With this list, we’re sharing the inside scoop on some of our absolute favorite romantic hotels. Forest hotels that seem suspended in the trees, glass-roofed cottages with Northern Lights views and opulent castle hotels on the shores of French rivers. Get ready for romance at these exceptional hotels around the world.
Sao Lourenço do Barroucal—Alentejo, Portugal
Though it’s just two hours from Lisbon, Sao Lourenço do Barroucal feels a world—and a century—away. At this former monte alentejano farming village that’s been reimagined as a luxury hotel, romance lives in the unhurried moments. Still a working farm owned by the same family for two centuries, horses graze the meadows and vineyards crisscross the oak-dappled hills.
Two farm-to-table restaurants make the most of the agrarian bounty, and unfussy luxury shines at the onsite spa, the simple yet chic rooms and the lovely outdoor pools. Far from the city lights, you can join centuries of couples here who have gazed up at the night sky of stars, letting the same constellations illuminate a new generation of love and celebration.
Visit with Us: Portugal’s Algarve & Alentejo Bike Tour
Château de la Treyne—Lacave, France
Over-the-top romance finds its perfect partner at Château de la Treyne, a Relais & Chateaux medieval chateau perched on the banks of the Dordogne River. At this fairytale castle—think turrets and formal gardens—each of the 18 guest rooms offers a unique blend of opulent details like antique four-poster beds and French windows opening out to sweeping views of the hotel’s 300 acres of private forest.
Luxurious relaxation reigns here. Stroll beneath centuries-old cedars, go for a swim in the hotel’s heated pool or find your favorite partner for a game of tennis to stoke your appetite before dinner. The Michelin-starred restaurant draws ingredients from its own garden to put a modern spin on traditional regional cuisine. Take a seat in the ornate dining room with its wood-paneled ceiling, massive fireplace and candelabra-lit tables or, in the warmer months, request a seat on the dining terrace on the chateau walls overlooking the river.
Visit with Us: Toulouse to Bordeaux Bike Tour
My Arbor—Brixen, Italy
Calling it a treehouse hotel doesn’t quite capture the architecturally ambitious and surprising nature of My Arbor, a wellness-focused hotel on the wooded slopes of Mount Plose in South Tyrol near the ancient town of Bressanone. Partially set on stilts, this hotel seems to levitate among the trees, giving a gloriously dreamlike quality to the experience from the moment you approach.
Inside, you’ll quickly come to appreciate the deep commitment to connection—to nature, oneself and loved ones—of this family-run hotel. It’s a place of deep care, from the nestlike rooms with misty mountain views and reclaimed larch walls to the included activities like guided forest bathing, yoga and hikes. Also included? Access to the gorgeous wellness area with its five saunas, pools, relaxation areas and cuddle nests. All you must do is sit back, relax and let the romance of the place sweep you away.
Visit with Us: Bavaria, Tyrolean Alps & the Dolomites Multi-Adventure Tour
Northern Lights Ranch—Lapland
Ambiance is key to a romantic night, and there’s no better mood lighting than a sky aglow with the aurora borealis. At the Northern Lights Ranch in Finnish Lapland, you get all the Northern Lights magic with none of the frostbite. This boutique wilderness hotel has cozy heated cabins with all the creature comforts plus floor-to-ceiling windows and glass roofs.
The hotel has an app that alerts you in real time to lights displays, so you’ll never accidentally sleep through a spectacular show. And if watching the Northern Lights from bed isn’t romantic enough, complete the package with a soak in a private outdoor hot tub. Extra bonuses for the hotel’s resident reindeer, which roam the property, and the hot chocolate bar, perfect for staying warm on cold arctic nights.
Visit with Us: Finland Northern Lights Hiking & Walking Tour | Finland Northern Lights Women’s Hiking & Walking Tour
Son Brull—Mallorca, Spain
That Mediterranean vacation house you’ve always dreamed of? This is it. Set in a reimagined 18th century monastery, this Relais & Chateaux property remains a meditative place perfect for a romantic stay. Surrounded by centuries-old olive trees, citrus groves, fig trees and vineyards of local varietals like Callet and Prensal Blanc, Son Brull makes the most of its abundance with seasonal dishes at the onsite restaurant and spa treatments featuring local ingredients.
Unwind in the hotel’s whitewashed guest rooms, which mix original elements like exposed wood beams with luxe touches like Egyptian cotton bedding. Take advantage of the menu of pillows, sheets and toppers to customize your perfect night’s sleep. Extend bliss at the hotel’s wellness area with its pools, steam baths, sauna and relaxation areas.
Visit with Us: Spain’s Mallorca Bike Tour | Spain’s Mallorca & Menorca Bike Tour
Torfhus Retreat—Selfloss, Iceland
Eco-luxe meets Icelandic style at Torfhus Retreat, a hotel deeply rooted in the beauty and rugged tranquility of Iceland’s Golden Circle. Built to resemble a traditional Icelandic Viking farm with stone houses, living turf roofs and even fishing boats repurposed as cozy sofas, the sense of place here is strong.
Take a couples soak in a basalt stone hot pool as you gaze across the volcanic plains to snow-capped mountains—or at night in fall and winter, catch the Northern Lights from your cozy cocoon of geothermally-heated water. Explore the scenery on horseback together on a guided ride on an Icelandic horse, one of the hotel’s own herd.
Visit with Us: Iceland Northern Lights Multi-Adventure Tour
Cavas Wine Lodge, Mendoza, Argentina
Cavas Wine Lodge stays true to its name from the get-go. Drive through acres of vineyards as you approach and be greeted with a glass of local wine. Set in Argentina’s Mendoza wine region at the foot of the Andes, this Relais & Chateaux property lives and breathes the abundance of the land, offering the ultimate oenophile getaway.
Find romance at its best in the lodge’s colonial-style casitas surrounded by vineyards—beautiful spaces with private terraces, plunge pools, fireplaces and fresh flowers. Seasonal organic cuisine fueled by the hotel’s vegetable garden shines at the onsite restaurant, and if you can tear yourself away from the quiet luxury of the property, there’s plenty of wine tasting, hiking, horseback riding and rafting nearby.
Visit with Us: Argentina’s Mendoza Wine Country & Andes Multi-Adventure Tour | Argentina’s Mendoza Wine Country & Andes Family Multi-Adventure Tour
Inn at Burklyn—East Burke, Vermont
A true getaway, picture-perfect Inn at Burklyn sits high atop Vermont’s Darling Hill range. Every inch of the property exudes country-house romance. The wraparound porch, the rocking chairs and the soothing views out across a rolling landscape punctuated by tiny towns invite you to linger awhile with a loved one by your side. At this former estate, each room has a unique character, but all are designed with quiet luxury in mind.
If you can tear yourself away from in-room details like original fireplaces, ultra-modern marble bathrooms and sitting areas, you’ll find plenty of delights around this former estate. Sip afternoon tea together in the cozy lounge, and make time for leisure with activities like picnics, bonfires, croquet and massages. Don’t forget the enviable direct access to the Northeast Kingdom mountain biking trails, plus plenty of nearby hiking spots and lakes for swimming and kayaking.
Visit with Us: Vermont to Quebec Bike Tour
Nayara Gardens—La Fortuna, Costa Rica
Find Costa Rica’s signature pura vida lifestyle at its most romantic at Nayara Gardens in the shadow of Arenal volcano. Follow peaceful paths framed by bougainvillea to private villas and casitas with outdoor terraces and private plunge pools.
You’ll find everything that makes Arenal exceptional right at the resort. Soak up volcano views from the blissful comfort of Nayara Garden’s seven termas, mineral hot-spring pools tucked in among the flowering trees and palms. Throughout the resort, keep your eyes peeled for wildlife: Its tropical gardens and lovingly preserved jungle are refuges for monkeys, sloths and birds including colorful trogons, toucans, hummingbirds and even the elusive quetzal.
Visit with Us: Costa Rica Bike Tour | Costa Rica Easygoing Multi-Adventure Tour
Londolozi—Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa
If awe is your love language, you can’t do better than Londolozi, a Relais & Chateaux game lodge set along the banks of the Sand River in the heart of South Africa’s Sabi Sand Game Reserve near Kruger National Park. It’s a place that’s sun-kissed by day and lantern-lit at night, where animals roam freely and you can sip champagne on a deck overlooking a river where elephants gather.
A stay at Londolozi positions you perfectly for morning and evening safaris on which you might spot white rhinos, lions and of course elephants. And perhaps most special of all (no offense lions) is that, over generations, the lodge’s trackers and rangers have developed a unique relationship with the area’s wild leopards, which often leads to some exceptional sightings of these majestic big cats. Between game drives, spend time making the most of lodge offerings like bush walks, trips to local villages and yoga and wellness classes.
Visit with Us: South Africa & Botswana Active Safari | South Africa & Botswana Family Active Safari | South Africa & Botswana Active Safari for Families 20s and Beyond
