It’s here! It’s finally open! Now all I need is $200,000! This month’s Romance Wanderlust takes you to The Maldives, where The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island Hotel Muraka Villa is open. The Conrad Maldives includes beach villas and water villas, but The Muraka features an underwater bedroom. As ever, this is not a review nor an endorsement, and in real life if I had this much money I hope I’d use at least some of … Continue reading Romance Wanderlust: The Muraka Hotel→
This month’s Romance Wanderlust goes out to all of you 1980’s teens who went out late at night and threw things at a movie screen. The castle from The Rocky Horror Picture Show is now a luxury hotel. It probably doesn’t have phone though because, as everyone who went to the movie knows, castles don’t have phones. In case anyone missed it, The Rocky Horror Picture Show (RHPS) is a movie from 1975 starring Tim … Continue reading Romance Wanderlust: Oakley Court→
Welcome back to Romance Wanderlust, where I write about romantic destinations to which I have not been. This is not a review or an endorsement, just a description of a thing I read about online while sitting at home in my pajamas. This month’s destination is Chawton House, where you cannot spend the night (alas) but you can eat, read, and get married. Extra points if you do so in Regency attire and if you … Continue reading Romance Wanderlust: Chawton House→
YOU. GUYS. STOP THE PRESSES. I have found the Romance Wanderlust of my dreams. As ever, this is not a review nor an endorsement, I was just googling and went “Oh my Goodness I have to go here.” But I have not gone. Yet. North Shire Holiday Retreat is a collection of cottages, caravans, and campgrounds on the moors, near the town of town of Whitby in the UK. All I needed to know about … Continue reading Romance Wanderlust: North Shire Holiday Retreat→
This month in Romance Wanderlust, we are visiting wedding venues. Specifically, wedding venues that donate their profits to charity. As always, this is neither a review nor and endorsement of any of these places, because I haven’t actually been to most of them. There is one exception: Casa Garden, where I had my own wedding almost twenty years ago. Casa Garden, in Sacramento, California, is a restaurant and event venue staffed entirely by volunteers. All … Continue reading Romance Wanderlust: Wedding Venues that Make a Difference→
In this month’s Romance Wanderlust, we are going to Niagara Falls, New York and Niagara Falls, Ontario. Both towns have been popular honeymoon destinations since the 1800s. They were hit hard by economic recession, but the tourist industry remains as well as, of course, the Falls. As always, this is neither and endorsement nor a review as I’ve never been to the Falls. Help me out, commenters – is this destination worth seeing, or skipping? … Continue reading Romance Wanderlust: Niagara Falls→
GUYS. As of the date I’m writing this, Ponden Hall is for sale. Today’s Romance Wanderlust doubles as Real Estate I’m Not Actually Going to Buy, as I drool over the building that is thought to have inspired Wuthering Heights and also served as a template for Wildfell Hall (from The Tenant of Wildfell Hall). This building is located in the Yorkshire Moors. Ponden Hall is known to have been important to the Brontë siblings (Charlotte, Branwell, … Continue reading Romance Wanderlust: Ponden Hall→
I know what you’re thinking. “It’s winter! It’s cold! Carrie is going to take us someplace tropical!” Well NOT SO FAST, Bitches. I’m Googling ice hotels for this month’s Romance Wanderlust, and you’re all Googling with me! Bwah ha ha! But seriously, these places are beautiful. Weird and cold, but beautiful. After careful consideration, I’m focusing on one ice hotel in particular. The not very creatively named ‘ICEHOTEL’’ is located in the village of Jukkasjärvi. … Continue reading Romance Wanderlust: ICEHOTEL→
Every month I travel vicariously, searching the internet for romantic destinations that I am, alas, unlikely to visit. For January, I thought it would be fun to hear from you. How do you make your travel decisions? What kinds of destinations strike you as romantic? For starters, let’s pretend that you have a very large sum of money at your disposal. Then, let’s pretend that you have a lot of free time. Finally, let’s assume … Continue reading Romance Wanderlust: What’s Your Dream?→
A surprising number of romances are set at some sort of Christmas-themed hotel or resort. If you crave an extravagantly decorated Christmas with all of the ambience and events and none of the stress, and you like the option of celebrating it all year, The Inn at Christmas Place is here for you. As ever, this is neither a review nor an endorsement – it’s just what happens when I Google odd things instead of … Continue reading Romance Wanderlust: The Inn at Christmas Place→
This month’s Romance Wanderlust involves a place that many of you have mentioned in the comments in the past. I’ve never stayed at Sylvia Beach Hotel, but it seems that many of you have and loved it. This hotel perches on a cliff overlooking the surf at Newport, Oregon, and is specially designed for readers. Originally called The Cliff House Hotel, the hotel opened in 1909. After having a succession of owners, including one whose … Continue reading Romance Wanderlust: The Sylvia Beach Hotel→
