Just over a week to go till 14th February and Valentine’s Day… when neither your romantic nature nor the national economy will forgive you if you’re miserly. But what to choose to demontrate your love this year? A weekend away? A simple gift of chocolate? Here are a few suggestions...

	Valentine’s Stay in London Rocco Forte’s Brown’s Hotel claims a romantic history, including a visit by Theodore Roosevelt on his honeymoon. This year, to celebrate Valentine’s Day, Brown’s Hotel is offering a special package: with a complimentary bottle of champagne to welcome you and your loved one… and a special bath with rose petals and fragrant bath salts. To remember your stay, each Valentine couple will be presented with a pair of monogrammed bathrobes. www.brownshotel.com
	Moroccan Romance If London isn’t far enough from the stresses of the office, how about a short trip to the Kasbah Tamadot in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, just one hour from Marrakech? The hotel was bought by Sir Richard Branson in 1998 – during, apparently, one of his ballooning expeditions. The staff now numbers 100, most of whom are local villagers specially trained for the job; along with the hotel’s ‘extended family’ of three mules and two camels. Enjoy a fairytale stay in palatial surroundings, hidden behind stone walls… and your own taste of Arabian Nights. www.kasbahtamadot.virgin.com
	Melting Hearts If time is short (or times are hard), then melt your lover’s heart with chocolate from Fauchon of Paris. For a mere 20 euros, this Rose Petal Heart offers you a selection of 15 chocolate hearts: milk chocolate with hazelnut praline and dark chocolate with Gianduja and ‘crispy thin pancakes’. But there are many other Valentine’s Day specials from Fouchon, ranging from ‘Love Fruit Preserve’, to a more masculine ‘Heart-Shaped Black Box of Chocolates’. Take your pick from the website… www.fauchon.com

Text: Charis Whitcombe
Photos: The brands