Top 5 International Boutique Hotels for a Luxurious Honeymoon Abroad

Looking for that quaint little hotel, just right for your wedding getaway? Red Carnation Hotels is known for its award-winning boutique properties that hold romance at the heart of their collection and have shared with us their top 5 international boutique hotels for a luxurious honeymoon abroad. Romance has been the inspiration behind some of their most incredible rooms and experiences, and a stay at one of their immaculate properties promises that you and your beloved will play a part in the love stories that they have been creating throughout their history.

South Africa

The Twelve Apostles Hotel & Spa:

In Cape Town, The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa sits serenely over the coast, enjoying sweeping views of the curving shore and the hills that crescendo above them. In the distance, on the far side of the coastline crescent is Lion’s Head mountain. Its tall silhouette is like a natural lighthouse over the city below. Located near Camps Bay Beaches and only fifteen minutes from the V&A Waterfront, while still on the mountain, guests can step out onto our flora and fynbos-framed trails to explore and enjoy this gorgeous setting with a sundowner picnic.

While The Twelve Apostles has many locations where you can view the tranquil coast, none quite compare to the Presidential Suite.

The entirety of the Fairest Cape is on full display from this palatial suite, from the lofty plateaus of Table Mountain to the coastal promontories and Atlantic seas below. In the bedroom, large windows offer indulgent panoramas, while in the living area, floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors welcome guests onto the private wraparound terrace—the ideal setting for a languorous breakfast or sleek sundowner. The best view of all might be from its grand bathroom: an Italianate, antique lion-faced tub is the perfect perch from which to gaze out at Lion’s Head mountain. At night, a candle-lit bath pairs with a chilled bottle of Champagne for one of Red Carnation Hotels’ most romantic nightcaps.

The Oyster Box:

Within fifteen minutes from leaving the airport, guests can be sitting out on the terrace, gazing out over the ocean and feeling the warm sea breeze on their skin. The Oyster Box is just steps from Umhlanga’s golden beaches, opposite the historic red-and-white lighthouse, with direct access to the rolling waves.

Each suite features a private terrace with loungers and a heated plunge pool, ideal for long days and nights spent relaxing in each other’s company beneath the South African sky. Inside, luxurious king-size beds gaze out at the ocean, with spacious lounge areas from which to enjoy the sumptuous scenery.

The Oyster Box’s spectacular ocean views formed the backdrop to Bea and Stanley’s first meeting, and it’s this unrivaled view that’s the centerpiece of The Oyster Box’s most romantic rooms: the Sea Facing Deluxe Suites. This pair of majestic residences feature expansive, private views of the lollipop red-and-white Umhlanga lighthouse and the Indian Ocean beyond.

Bushman’s Kloof Wellness and Wilderness Reserve & Retreat:

Cradled by the rugged Cederberg Mountains, Bushman’s Kloof offers a unique wilderness escape in South Africa. This ecological oasis is set within a 7500-hectare private reserve. Offering five-star luxury accommodation and inspired South African cuisine, memorable days at Bushman’s Kloof are spent discovering the wide-open plains, awe-inspiring wildlife, and pristine mountain landscapes.

Bushman’s Cederberg House is an opulent private villa offering an idyllic escape for couples looking for a luxurious escape. Set on the banks of the seasonal Boontjies River, the villa has a wide outside terrace, offering a large outdoor living space for al fresco dining. The private heated rim-flow pool gazes out over landscaped indigenous gardens to the rugged Cederberg Mountains beyond.

Bushman’s Kloof has unique access to more than one hundred thirty ancient rock art sites, some dating back as far as ten thousand years, and the opportunity to discover the region’s ancient San culture in the company of experienced local guides.

Botswana

Xigera

Xigera Safari Lodge is a romantic safari escape in Botswana’s bush – and is deeply rooted in the Okavango Delta, with a breathtaking landscape of seasonal floodplains and riverine forests, tawny grasslands, and verdant papyrus wetlands.

All but hidden amid a canopy of magnificent indigenous trees, Xigera Safari Lodge offers twelve spacious suites; each individually designed. Built with sustainability in mind – Xigera is solar-powered – the lodge is equally a unique celebration of African art, culture, and creativity.

Each of Xigera’s twelve guest suites takes full advantage of the remarkable location, cocooned by the boughs of indigenous forests and gazing out over seasonal floodplains filled with wildlife. Spread across two islands to maintain the aura of wilderness, and ensure privacy and peacefulness for guests, each suite sits on raised stilts, allowing both wildlife and the life-giving waters of the Okavango to pass beneath.

The lodge showcases a collection of extraordinary experiences for outdoor romance, such as stargazing, helicopter safaris, bush dining, private game drives, water safaris, land safaris, and unique glass-bottomed mokoro rides through the floodplains.

Dorset

Summer Lodge Country House Hotel & Restaurant

In the charming Dorset village of Evershot, the fairy-tale world of Hardy is brought to life by Summer Lodge Country House Hotel & Restaurant. At Summer Lodge, Ivy Cottage has been entertaining courting couples for four hundred years. Set in a charming stone-built Dorset chalet, the cottage exhibits the finest in intimate English countryside design. Inside, an open log fire contributes to the cottage’s abundant Austen reminiscent romance.

While outside, the bijoux garden makes for a serene perch to enjoy a morning coffee or a shared sundowner. There’s also two master bathrooms: one with a standalone central tub, the other with a spacious walk-in shower.

The Ivy Cottage’s most decadent detail is its open-air hot tub, located in the private garden. While one can enjoy it throughout the day, its irresistible come evening, when the vapors from its inviting waters mingle with the garden’s fairy candles. Set under the dramatic Dorset stars, this enchanted garden is transformed into an atmospheric haven where partners can enjoy each other’s company in blissful peace and quiet.

Guests wishing to enjoy Ivy Cottage’s romantic setting can try Summer Lodge’s locally sourced cuisine from the comfort of their pied-à-terre. The vast amenities of Summer Lodge’s five-star service are always available to make for the most memorable experience.

As if these top 5 international boutique hotels for a luxurious honeymoon abroad aren’t enough for you to book that plane ticket, just think about the endless memories you and your significant other would create. These properties speak for themselves when it comes to quaint luxury and quite the experience. So, what’re you waiting for? Dive in and determine which one of these boutique hotels you see yourself relaxing in!

Credit: The Travel Corporation