Recommendations for perfect weekend break, euro city or uk, romantic small hotel, good food essential...

[CountessDracula]

dh and I want to go somewhere really lovely for a weekend for our wedding anniversary this year (end sept). We have rather neglected our anniversary for a few years since dd has been around, we have had a bit of a tough time recently which we have come through and have really sorted out and we are madly in lurve . We would really love to go somewhere relaxing and beautiful and stay somewhere small and intimate and fab. Nothing too designery really, maybe with nice antiques and big snuggly bed and a balcony with a view...

All suggestions welcomed...

Barcelona - we stayed here www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/hotels/grand-marina-h otel-barcelona.html
not small but very intimate in feel (maybe a bit too modern) - beautiful room service, great views, sauna and pool and within walking distance of las ramblas etc

we stayed in Venice as well on the Lido - amazing small family hotel with ventian glass chandeliers, and balconies - will try to remember where it was

Thanks RS
That doesn't look like the sort of thing we are after!

We have discussed so far

Istanbul (went there as part of our honeymoon so would be good second one!)

Budapest (dh loves, I've never been)

Prague (neither of us been, worried it may be heaving though)

Venice (dh been when interrailing for one day, I've never been, worried it may be sinking !!)

sorry
have heard wonderful things about Prague from everyone who has been - was next on our list but we are going to Rome

oh no don't be!

it's just it's big and modern
we want small and old or interesting

how about Milan or Florence? dh and I had a fab weekend (in Milan) moons ago

there was a feature in Traveller magazine (condenast) about hotels for romantic weekend breaks and we booked one of the hotels they recommended. I will see if I can find it but the feature is probably years old and out of date.

florence would be good I think too

god how weird!!

thanks foxlet

Florence is wonderful

we stayed in Tuscany so got a train into Florence so can't recommend a place to stay but i don't think you could be unhappy if you went there - it is a very romantic city

St Emillion just south of Bordeaux. Amazing food and wine, and a little different too.

Have been to Prague twice (once with DP once with friend) it is very romantic if you choose but hen / stag parties are around.
Venice I have been and would say it is one of the most romantic places I have been to(and am well travelled) in the world (St marco Square is enchanting at night)
Paris is a romantic city if you want somewhere nearer,
Have a fab time where ever you go..

Venice not sinking ....
How about Hotel Ca D'oro ..small and on back streets of Venice.
or Ca Dogaressa has a view of canal.
Can go on and on about hotels in Venice if needed.
What about Dubrovnik ? V romantic hotel in centre the Pucic Palace bit £££ though. Hotel Argentina has wonderful rooms with a view and only a short stroll into Dubrovnik centre.

St Emilion maybe a little small - how big is it? We go to france a lot and love it but maybe would be good to try somewhere else? Paris we have done a bit bu tI do really like ti

We would like to be walking distance from good restaurants etc, somewhere fairly busy would be good I guess. Defo not in the middle of nowhere!

What is the food like in Dubrovnik?

Florence I loved but was with the 'girls' Sienna in Italy is beautiful, In fact italy is a lovely place
Personally my preference is anywhere in France (but only cos i lived there for 5 years) .... oh those were the days!

advantage of france - we can speak the lingo

Italy we can't
Spain we can get by, dh not mad about spain tho

uh oh dd awake

will be back, keep 'em coming you are stars!
Rosa will check those venice ones out

Why not Riems in France (champagne region) it is LOVELY there, not too far either..

If you look on easy jet (dunno bout your budget) you can get some cheap flights to Nice, drive along to St Tropez or just outskirts very nice along the coast..

St Emillion is small but not tiny. Again on the small towns in France theme, there is St Jean de Luz just south of Biarittz and technically the Basque country. There I would recommend staying in the Parc Victoire. T

Our fave uk hotel is Crathorne Hall Hotel, in Yarm, N. Yorks.
We spent our honeymoon there and the food is exquisite.
You can just do nothing - the grounds are beautiful for walking in and they even let you take their dof ofr a walk!

The rooms are superb and the staff are really friendly.

Apart from Paris, I'd rather go there than any other europe break!

GREAT ! WIne is good as well. Some nice small places to eat ..Great place at the port sort of blackboard with catch of the day. I took parents there in late september / early Oct and we were sitting outside.Dubrovnik itself is great for a couple of days as it is small but hiring a car for a day is not expensive and you can potter up the coast if you feel like it.

that was supposed to read 'dog for a walk'!

CD - when I was looking for a fab hotel to stay in in Florence, for our anniversary this year - this place came out very well on tripadvisor and looks the intimate kind of place you might be thinking of.

Venice was lovely - really very very romantic.

We stayed in a wonderful apartment as we had the children with us. However, I would have booked this hotel had we been there on our own.

Prague also beautiful - but not been for a while.

The other place on our list of places to try is [[http://www.theresidence-tunis.com/en/ the residence tunis] which is run by the same group as the residence in mauritius.

Or what about going to Le Touquet in France - nice and easy to get to, fabulous shopping and good restaurants. Not sure of small hotels though - we have always stayed at the Westminster, which although delightful, is big!

oh we have been to St Jean de Luz and we loved it! Only for a day though, not stayed

soapy that florence one, the rooms look a bit sort of severe looking

The other one looks amazing but a bit ott!!

(sorry I am hard to please I know!)

Lucie thanks, we don't wnat a country place though