Choosing a Honeymoon Home Base

Whatever you’re looking for in the way of accommodations—high-rise hotel, seaside bungalow, bed-and-breakfast inn, small traditional hotel, or private villa—you’ll find tempting honeymoon accommodations around the world.

Just as varied as the type of accommodations is the range of prices of these properties. Everything from budget motels with Spartan furnishings to private islands that attract royalty and Hollywood types is available.

Choosing a honeymoon accommodation is even more important than selecting a hotel for a traditional vacation. You'll find that a honeymoon resort, unlike a property on a traditional vacation or a business trip, for example, becomes your home away from home, especially if you select a beach honeymoon. This is not just where you spend your nights, but also a good portion of your days, languishing on the beach, lying beneath towering palms, and luxuriating in a warm sea.

All-Inclusive Resorts

For many honeymooners, all-inclusive resorts are a budget bonus. Especially popular in the Caribbean and Mexico but found at many resort areas around the world, the all-inclusive vacation is becoming ever more popular with honeymooners — and their families. Their "one price pays all" policy makes the all-inclusive trip more and more convenient for parents purchasing a honeymoon package as a gift for newlyweds. Air, transfers, meals, drinks, watersports, and even tips are included in the tab at most all-inclusive resorts.

This all-inclusive policy means that you're free to try anything you like without worrying about spending your vacation budget for the next five years. Ever been curious about windsurfing? Take a lesson. Want to know how to reggae dance? Throw off your shoes and jump in line. Wonder how those brightly colored drinks with the funny umbrellas taste? Belly up to the bar. You're free to try it all.

Some couples don't like all-inclusive because of the concern (not unfounded) that once you've paid for the whole package you'll be unlikely to leave the property to sample local restaurants and explore the island.

The all-inclusive confinement is, however, up to the individual couple. Perhaps your goal for this trip is to languish away the mornings in bed (this is, after all, your honeymoon), roll out to the beach, grab a rum punch in one hand and your partner's hand in the other, and sit there until the sun slowly sinks into the sea. An all-inclusive is just right for you. You won't have to worry about taxis or rental cars or reservations.
Or maybe the two of you want to try it all: scuba diving, sailing, windsurfing, golf, or tennis. An all-inclusive is just the ticket for you as well. The one-price-pays-all policy will be a better deal than paying for individual lessons.

Who else should check out an all-inclusive? Those who are:

• honeymooning on a tight budget. You’ll know how much to put aside for the entire vacation before you ever buy your ticket. Once you arrive, feel free to live like a king and never have to count how much money’s left or how high the tally's going on your credit card. All-inclusives, like other hotels, come in a varied price range.
  
• honeymooning with the kids. If the two of you are using your honeymoon to blend a new family, you’ll find that you can still have a romantic trip with kids along thanks to all-inclusive resorts with children’s programs. The kids will have fun doing age-appropriate activities, making new friends, and learning about a new culture, while the two of you enjoy a the start of your life together.
  
• receiving the trip as a gift. All-inclusive resort vacations are increasingly popular as wedding gifts. They permit parents to pay for the trip up front and for honeymooners to enjoy themselves without feeling like they're running up a huge tab for parents or in-laws.
  
• getting married on your honeymoon. Several all-inclusives offer free weddings; all offer various wedding packages. You’ll find experienced wedding planners at these resorts who can simplify paperwork and make your wedding a special, hassle-free day.
  

We love all-inclusive resorts, but we are careful to balance a stay there with island tours or visits to off-property restaurants. Even with these extra expenditures, we've found most of these resorts to be economical choices.

In selecting an all-inclusive, read through the offerings carefully. Are all drinks included or just wine with dinner? Are tips included? Airport transfers? Watersports but not motorized sports? Scuba diving? Know what features are important to the two of you and see if those are included in the package price.

Bed & Breakfasts and Small Inns

If you’re looking for peace and quiet, B&Bs and small inns offer good getaways and a chance to immerse yourself in more of the local atmosphere.

These small inns, many built around historic greathouses on former plantations, are intimate properties that only host a handful of guests at a time. Here the two of you will be part of just a small group of guests, and you’ll get to know each other as you would aboard a small cruise. Often the owners of the inn reside right on property, so you'll receive personal attention.

Villa Honeymoons

For some couples, the idea of real romance is a private villa, without other guests. Just the two of you—alone, except for the occasional visit by a cook or maid who is there to meet your special requests, to introduce you to island cuisine, and to make you feel pampered in what really is your home away from home. Italy, St. John, St. Thomas, Jamaica, and Barbados are especially popular destinations for villa rentals.
Many resorts also offer villa rentals. These homes are located on the resort property and guests enjoy the security and services of the resort while at the same time having the space and facilities of a villa home.

Lovetripper Tip
A tip for couples: let your hotel know when you make the reservation that you will be celebrating your honeymoon. Although most have honeymoon-anniversary packages that you can purchase for extra amenities such as breakfast in bed or champagne on arrival, many hotels like to recognize honeymooners. Some hotels offer a special gift or even a room upgrade if available. Remember, as much as you want to have a good time, the hotel also wants to make this an extra special trip for the two of you. What better way to bring back return guests than to help create a idyllic honeymoon?

More to read in this section:

• Where should we go?
• Top Honeymoon Destinations Around the World
• How do we decide?
• Caribbean Quiz
• Budgeting for Your Honeymoon
• High versus Low Tourism Season
• Tourism Seasons
• Savings Tips for Your Honeymoon
• Calculating the Cost of Your Honeymoon
• The Wedding Night
• How Long to Honeymoon
• Choosing a Honeymoon Home Base
• Emergency Situations on Your Honeymoon
• FAQ: Honeymoon Questions to Ask Each Other
• FAQ: Questions about Cruises
• FAQ: Questions for Each Other About Cruises
• FAQ: Questions About Resorts
• FAQ: Questions About All-Inclusive Resorts
• FAQ: Questions About B&Bs dominiums and Villas
• FAQ: Private Yacht Charter Honeymoons