Top Chocolate-Themed Travel Experiences For Lovers

Seen as an aphrodisiac, chocolate is one of the most popular gifts for Valentine’s Day. Combine the sweet treat with a pampering travel experience, and you have what many call the perfect gift. These hotels around the world have chocolate-themed travel experiences ideal for lovers during this sweet-treat holiday. Here’s where you can find them.

Sweet symphony menu at Thompson DC

The wine and chocolate-pairing menu at the Thompson Washington D.C. blends complementary flavors that are a great way to wrap up a weekend of romance. They include milk chocolate filled with mastice and white chocolate dusted with pistachios paired with a fruity and floral wine from the Italian Piedmont region and a chocolate knafa with milk chocolate infused with orange blossom water and layers of white chocolate and semolina topped with Biscoff crumbles. It is paired with a Joel Gott “Palisades” Red Blend from California. Like other World of Hyatt properties, diners can earn points for food and beverage purchases, even when not staying at the hotel.

The hotel also has a “Barbiecore”-themed suite that fans of the color pink will want to experience while it’s in place throughout the month of February. Silk and velvet fabrics fill the room, and even in the bathroom, pink soap and toiletries await on the vanity. There are also pink-themed cocktails in the rooftop lounge making this one of the most romantic rooms in the capital.

Cacao ceremonies in Mexico

Honoring the Mayan ancestors of the region, the staff at W Punta de Mita, part of Marriott Bonvoy, have developed a new cacao ceremony for guests. The purpose is for self-reflection and spiritual awakenings, and couples find that this can be a great way to renew their love before a flower-fueled altar on the beach. Sound and healing frequencies encompass guests as they sip cacao to activate blood circulation and boost their overall well-being.

At Rancho Pescadero, part of The Unbound Collection by Hyatt, in El Pescadero, Mexico, a similar cacao ceremony uses strong, organic cacao from Tabasco as part of the group event. Guided breath work helps guests to relax in the process.

Learn to make truffles with a professional chef

At the Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows, guests can take part in different immersive activities through the Create and Cultivate series. One of those is learning about the health benefits of chocolate and cooking with the property’s own pastry chef. By the end of the class, guests will have made their own (and tasted) truffles. Like other Andaz properties, this resort in the shadows of Camelback Mountain is part of the World of Hyatt loyalty program.

Chocolate and strawberries treatment in Laguna Beach

At The Surf & Sand Resort in Laguna Beach, California, guests can indulge in a chocolate and strawberries treatment that’s perfect for the romantic holiday. This is a new addition to the spa menu. It includes a strawberry seed sugar scrub and then a whipped chocolate cream butter massage and wrap. The experience is capped off with a rose hydrosol mist. Don’t forget to take advantage of the benefits, including the option to earn points, from the I Prefer Hotel Rewards program from Preferred Hotels and Resorts during the stay.

“Bean to Bar” experience at Rabot Hotel, St. Lucia

It starts with visitors walking through the cocoa groves to learn more about how it grows. Later, participants crush their own cocoa pods to make their own chocolate bar from scratch. An experienced chef helps them to develop the best flavor combinations. While the bar is being finalized, guests enjoy a three-course cocoa-themed lunch in view of the famous Pitons. Rabot Hotel from Hotel Chocolat is part of the island’s oldest cocoa-producing estate. For more relaxation, the spa menu includes cacao massages, a cacao detox body wrap, cacao body exfoliation and cacao facial.

Visit the “Chocolate Capital of Belize”

Follow in the footsteps of a recent visit from British Royals William and Kate by taking a traditional Maya chocolate-making in the chocolate capital of Belize, Toledo. Participants learn how to harvest the cacao, extract beans from the pods, ferment, dry and roast them, and then grind the nibs using a Mayan stone tool. There’s also a dark and milk chocolate tasting dipped with a sweetened corn tortilla plus a chocolate drink.