Of all the most socially acceptable reasons to take a whole bunch of time off from work, a honeymoon may just be your splurgiest, most over-the-top trip. We’ve combed the planet for the best romantic holidays across every climate, season, and category—from short-hop mini-moons to far-flung forays into the exotic.
For the ultimate jet-setters planning on both a short, post-nuptial trip and an epic honeymoon around your first anniversary, we suggest one destination closer to home, and another more off-the-beaten path. If you’re getting hitched in 2020, here are the top ten destinations that should land on your honeymoon shortlist.
7. Colorado
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Ski bunnies needn’t look any further than the usual suspects (we’re pretty keen on the newly opened W Aspen for an active honeymoon with a heavy dose of aprés ski), but consider the Centennial State during the other times of the year, especially as you wind your way between cozy mountains and hidden hot springs.
Motor lodges, once the preferred layover spot along America’s highways, became so dreadfully unpopular that most went out of business. Then, like all trends, they started to become cool again as young hospitality entrepreneurs purchased disused inns, transforming them into destinations in their own right with mod hipster furnishings and elevated comfort food. The Colorado Rockies sport some of the best options, like LOGE Breckenridge, which opens in 2020 to join road-trippers’ favorites like Amigo Motor Lodge and Spoke and Vine Motel.
Denver is also a prime candidate for an urban mini-moon—it’s small enough to get a vibe for each neighborhood, while also proffering big-city appeal and plenty of worthy eating, drinking, and sightseeing options. Base yourself at The Ramble, styled as a hybrid between a hunting lodge and speakeasy. It’s located in the RiNo district where graffiti-lined Larimer Street leads to some of the most compelling modern architecture in America; boxy geometry home to food halls, indoor markets, and co-working spaces. Add drinks at The Infinite Monkey Theorem—an urban winery—followed by a dinner of perfected New American mains at 12@Madison, and you’re off to the races. The brand new Sunday Vinyl, by James Beard Award winning Bobby Stuckey, is already the Mile High City’s hottest address, where the ambient music is chosen as carefully as the food and beverage program.
