The Carlton and Grand Canal Hotel in Venice, Italy is perfect for an international getaway.
Couples often focus on personalizing their weddings while neglecting to make their honeymoon uniquely theirs. Are you a formal sophisticate, a laid-back casual, or a romantic escapist? Travel expert Bob Boles of hotelbook.com says the key to a happy honeymoon, besides the companion choice, is to identify your travel style and match your destination accordingly.
"The Internet has provided us with the most useful travel tool available," Boles says. "Couples are now empowered to do their own research on destinations, local events, restaurants, and hotels with the click of a button."
Dedicated to offering couples more alternatives, Boles and his travel team have identified independent and boutique hotels worldwide at www.hotelbook.com for travelers to more easily find the right hotels for their post-nuptial escapes. Drawing from Modern Bride's list of top honeymoon travel destinations, Boles suggests the following hotels for discriminating couples:
· Bermuda's Waterloo House is an elegant five-star destination with 29 luxurious bedrooms, a manor house and surrounding cottages dating back to 1815, amid four acres of terraced gardens by the infamous Hamilton Harbour.
· Miami Beach's Hotel Ocean is a luxury boutique with 27 Mediterranean-themed rooms appointed with original décor and fireplaces. The hotel offers VIP access to trendy nightclubs, restaurants, and a private jet for daytrips to a remote island.
· Also on Ocean Drive, Miami Beach's The Bentley Hotel is a five-star, all-suite hotel with art deco architecture and 53 designer suites. It has an incredible view of the Atlantic from a spacious rooftop sundeck complete with pool and jacuzzi.
· Maui's Prince Hotel Makena Resort is a five-star hotel secluded on a quarter-mile of crescent-shaped Maluaka Beach, and built around an Asian meditation garden. Rooms open to the garden and the ocean, and guests have access to the Makena North Golf Course designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr.
· On the Big Island of Hawaii, the 1800-acre Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, is a five-star destination on Kauna'oa Bay, considered by many to be the island's most beautiful beach. Besides the white sands and shimmering waters, this hotel also offers access to Golf Digest's No. 1-rated golf course in Hawaii, the Mauna Kea Golf Course.
· The Caves in Negril, Jamaica, is an all-inclusive property with vibrant roomy cottages built above natural volcanic caves overlooking the ocean. Complete with a saltwater pool, sauna, hot tub and Jacuzzi, the hotel's 10 handcrafted cottages are set in a garden on the edge of the sea.
· Across the Atlantic in Rome, the Boscolo Exedra Hotel is a five-star white marble palazzo from the 19th century overlooking Michelangelo's Basilica Degli Angeli and situated for discovering the city. The hotel features two exclusive restaurants, a wine bar and champagnerie, as well as a rooftop terrace with pool offering a stunning view of the city.
· Another option for Italian travelers is the Carlton and Grand Canal Hotel in Venice, where 145 rooms in 18th Century Venetian style offer a splendid view of the Canal Grande and the Hotel's traditional courtyard.
Boles encourages couples to educate themselves before settling on a destination, and suggests www.hotelbook.com as a resource for finding and booking independent and boutique hotel finds.
Jasmine
