Hot honeymoon trends for 2012
Hot honeymoon trends for 2012
It’s the most important holiday of your lives, so you want to get it spot on. Jane Anderson, editor of 101 Honeymoons, takes a look at the in-the-know trends that are leading honeymooners to the best deals, the best adventures and the best memories in 2012.
Stylish all-inclusives
Traditional all-inclusives have stepped up the pace, whilst swanky hotels have cottoned on to the fact that an all-inclusive option is a great way to attract savvy honeymooners looking for value-for-money style. All-inclusive pioneer, Sandals leads the field with recent multi-million dollar revamps in five-star resorts across Jamaica, St Lucia and Antigua, plus the new Sandals Emerald Bay in the Bahamas. At all resorts, ‘luxury included’ means everything from dining at la carte restaurants to unlimited scuba diving. Watch out for its first ‘over the water suites’ due to open in 2012 at Sandals Grande St Lucia.
Other Caribbean all-inclusive options to look out for include Crystal Cove and Turtle Beach, both part of Elegant Hotels in Barbados and Young Island in the Grenadines. The Indian Ocean is catching up fast. Les Pavillons in Mauritius has new all-inclusive rates while Beachcomber Hotels has all-inclusive options at Shandrani, Le Victoria, Le Canonnier and Le Mauricia. The stunning resorts of Meeru Island and Lily Beach Resort & Spa are the first to bring luxury all-inclusives to the Maldives and offer honeymooners complimentary room upgrades where possible.
UK seaside chic
The emergence of a new generation of chic British seaside hotels and groovy self-catering pads is enough to make staycation honeymoons a hot trend – plus you avoid airport hassles and stay green. We love the new Cary Arms nestled on the cliff at Babbacombe with its New England meets Devon seaside cool and gourmet food. There’s even a wedding pod overlooking the sparkling sea if you fancy. Cornwall is always going to be a hotbed of romantic seaside hideaways and The Scarlet comes top of our list with its sexy red bathtubs on the beach where you can sup champagne together surrounded by flaming torches. The Lugger is another dreamy Cornish choice with its new Cottage Suite. Hotel du Vin Poole has in-room couples’ spa treatments and boat trips along the Jurassic Coast. Drakes in Brighton or Escape in Llandudno will revolutionise your opinion of b&bs forever. If you want self-catering, look no further than Coastal Retreats with gems like Coral Cottage and The Studio hidden along the majestic Northumbrian coast.
Luxury adventure
You want the excitement of the days when you used to backpack, but you want to do it with masses of pampering along the way. Thankfully there’s a whole world of luxury adventure out there. Increasing numbers of couples are rejecting traditional hotels in favour luxury tented camps such as Sher Bagh in India with its classic 1920s British-Raj feel. Egypt is home to the surprisingly hip Al Tarfa Desert Sanctuary. Or how about more traditional safari spots like Selous Safari Camp in Southern Tanzania? For a edge-of-the-world experience head to Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay in Oman’s rugged Musandam Peninsula where you can paraglide into the resort.
Minimoons
A minimoon of around three nights is the perfect indulgence for cash-rich, time poor newlyweds or those who fancy a quick, blow the budget honeymoon, possibly followed by a longer break a few months later – which is also a great way to avoid that back to reality comedown after a wedding.
The UK is packed with decadent hotels from the Missoni in Edinburgh to Sanctum Soho in London. If you want the latest country house hangout, checkout Sweeton Manor in Dartmoor National Park with its cute thatched cottages. Alternatively treat yourselves to first class Eurostar tickets to Paris and check into Pershing Hall or the achingly hip Hotel Amour in arty Pigalle. A long weekend in Ibiza can be done in style with new British Airways flights from London City Airport and it’s not all about clubbing with hip hideaways like the new Giri Residence Spa & Hotel and agrotourism gems like Cas Gasi, although the funky Ibiza Gran in the heart of the action is hard to resist. Or how about a hop over to Dubai for a few fashion-fuelled nights in the new Armani Hotel Dubai? For total blow the budget decadence book a minimoon with Jeffersons Private Jet Holidays where you choose the departure airport and time, where you want to go and the champagne vintage.
Hip hotels in traditional honeymoon spots
The emergence of uber trendy hotels have breathed new life into many traditional honeymoon spots. The Atlantis Hotel has brought a fresh vibe to the dramatic east coast of Barbados, while Mount Hartman Bay Estate in sleepy Grenada has injected a touch of the James Bonds. For rock chick chic, book at room at Geejam in Jamaica where everyone from Gorillaz to Gwen Stefani have stayed. If the World Cup has made your man mad keen on Cape Town, Beaumont House adds a touch of class. For wow factor, Sri Panwa in Phuket takes some beating and if you’ve always wanted to honeymoon in Vegas, but don’t like brash gaming hotels, check out Vdara. Closer to home, La Reserve, Ramatuelle has to be one of the Côte d’Azur’s sexiest hotels. The Almyra in Cyprus has designer Kyma suites with their own rooftop lounge, while the Kempinski Hotel Barbaros Bay Bodrum in Turkey is a romantic Zen experience. Borgo Egnazia in Puglia opens its shimmering five-star self this autumn with stunning private pool villas.
* Find a full selection of honeymoon packages at 101 Honeymoons.
