Who doesn’t love a good staycation?
If this is your first time planning a hotel date night in your town, I’ve got you covered.
Hotel date nights are a great way to celebrate a special occasion or reset and decompress without forking up cash for an entire vacation. Besides, half the time you take a vacation, you feel even more tired than before you left.
When you plan a hotel date night, you can focus more on pleasure and less on travel. Hotels are also an excellent place for a romantic night (and a little intimacy).
When booking a hotel for a fun date night, do your research.
- What fun things can you do within walking distance?
- What amenities are provided?
- What should you bring?
- What can you do for fun in the room?
You don’t need a fancy hotel room for a romantic evening together. All you need is a little creativity! Here’s my comprehensive list of hotel date night ideas.
When it comes to hotels, you usually get what you pay for.
If you’re balling on a budget, keep expectations realistic.
My wife and I have always regretted not paying the extra $50-$100 a night for the better hotel. I know that’s a lot of money, but sometimes when you go cheap, it feels like a waste because the experience could have been more enjoyable.
Activities Within Walking Distance
Brewery
Having a brewery nearby is always clutch. We like to do beer flights to start the night out. You get to sample several beers, loosen up, and the atmosphere is always chill.
Breweries usually have solid appetizers, so don’t be afraid to get a snack to tie you over until dinner.
Winery
Looking for another great start to the night? Look no further than your local winery.
The best wineries will send their sommelier to talk you through your tasting. Some will also recommend small bites as a pairing for each wine. We love to start the night out with a charcuterie board and a delicious glass of wine.
Broadway Show
Don’t underestimate how fun a good Broadway play can be.
I still remember my first show. I was a bartender in the city at a bar across from the performing arts center. That night, a couple at the bar had two extra tickets to Wicked and offered them to me. When I got off, I went to the play with a coworker and was truly blown away.
I always imagined plays were for the stuffy elite types, and boy, was I wrong. It was a fantastic performance and would be perfect for a date. Trust me, to my guys who might be hesitant, plays are a good time.
Comedy Show
There’s no such thing as a bad comedy show.
I’ve been to dozens of shows and always found myself hysterically laughing.
Pro Tip: Amateur night usually has cheap tickets and can still be entertaining. The schedule is usually 10 or so comedians. Each gets 15 minutes with a hard stop, so they come with their best material. Not every comedian will be a hit, but you’ll still leave with a sore belly from laughing all night.
Speakeasy
Hitting the local speakeasy is a great way to cap off the night.
The bartenders are knowledgeable and can direct you to the perfect cocktail for your preferences. The atmosphere is usually dark and perfect for a romantic date night.
My wife and I took a trip to Savanah, Georgia, for our 3rd anniversary. While we were out, we stopped at this basement speakeasy called Alley Cat Lounge. It was in a colonial-style building, and the entrance was in the back alley of the building. It was such a fantastic experience.
Nowadays, every city has a local speakeasy, and they’re easy to find on Google. Each has its own personality and atmosphere, and the service is top-notch.
Fine Dining Restaurant
Book a hotel with a fine-dining restaurant nearby if you’re a couple that enjoys a proper date.
Being within walking distance of a high-end restaurant is always a treat.
Enjoying your dining experience is much easier when you don’t have to worry about a long drive and a busy parking lot. And if you’re anything like my wife and me, we like to catch a buzz at dinner. So, the less you spend on Uber, the more you can spend on delicious food and drinks.
Pro tip: Many high-end restaurants will work with nearby hotels to get on the concierge’s list of recommended establishments. Ask your hotel concierge if the local restaurants offer any specials or discounts for hotel guests.
Live Music
Live music venues are abundant if you visit a city like Austin or Nashville.
If you get a hotel in a popular area of town, you can usually find live music just by walking up and down the street. It’s also a great way to discover new places. Just follow the sound of the music.
High-Rise/Rooftop Bar
It’s hard to beat a high-rise rooftop with a city view.
There’s something about being above the lights that make you feel like you made it, and it’s the perfect atmosphere for a date night. If you pick the right hotel, you won’t have to leave.
The Hyatt in Denver has a bar called the Peaks Lounge on the 27th floor. You can enjoy the breathtaking city and mountain views, floor-to-ceiling windows, comfortable lounge furniture, a fireplace, and craft cocktails.
Imagine having that an elevator ride away.
Amenities at the Hotel
Hot Tub/Pool
Having a nice hot tub and pool is essential for any hotel stay.
Some luxury hotel pools will come with poolside service and a view. Who doesn’t love lounging next to the pool with a fresh cocktail in hand?
The Halcyon Hotel in Cherry Creek, Co, has a rooftop pool and hot tub surrounded by cabanas, TVs, music, and a full bar with craft cocktails. You can soak with your person and then take a quick elevator ride to your room.
Full-Service Spa
Imagine a couple’s massage, facial, manicure, and pedicure, all a few floors away. Enjoying a complete spa treatment with your partner and then retreating upstairs to your room is incredibly relaxing.
Some resorts will even send massage therapists to your room!
My wife and I stayed at a resort in Cabo called Pueblo Bonito Sunset. The spa was underground, and felt like we were in a cave. They had a cold plunge, steam room, sauna, hot tub, plush robes, and slippers that you could use before and after your massage. It was so luxurious.
The best part? It was at our hotel, so after the massage, we grabbed a glass of wine on the way back to the room and crashed with a movie on. You can’t beat that.
Restaurant & Bar
Sometimes you just want to stay in the hotel.
If that’s the case, research which hotels have the best full-service restaurants and bars. I’m not talking about your standard hotel food, either.
Some of the best dining experiences in town can be found inside a hotel.
One great example is a restaurant in Portland called Departure. Led by Top Chef runner-up Chef Gregory Gourdet, the Pan-Asian cuisine is the best I’ve ever had. The restaurant is pseudo-fine-dining and even has a view from the 15th floor.
Beer Taps
Believe it or not, there are even hotel rooms that have beer taps in the room!
Brew Dog hotel in Columbus, Ohio, offers hotel rooms with beer taps and beer fridges in the showers! Can you believe it? My friends and I have had entire conversations about the luster of shower beers, and now there’s a hotel that keeps them cold for you in the shower!
High-End Room Service
Picture it now.
You and your partner in your robes, sitting in a plush king-sized bed, eating a romantic dinner while sipping fine.
This is the epidemy of hotel date night!
If you’re big balling, you can check out any 4 Seasons hotel in the US. They offer 24/7 room service with a menu straight from their fine dining kitchen. Think about that! You can get a perfectly seared medium rare steak at 2 am. Talk about some late-night munchies!
Free Rentals
I once stayed at a hotel that offered free transportation, and it made getting around so convenient.
The rentals included Range Rovers (talk about riding in style), bikes, mopeds, and electric scooters.
Local passes
Some high-end hotels offer free passes to local studios, spas, museums, and more.
That’s right. If you pick the right hotel, you can take a free hot yoga class, tour the city’s science museum, or pop in to see the botanical gardens.
Parking, Valet, and Bell Service
If you really want to take a load off, find a hotel that will do all the heavy lifting for you. Pun intended.
It’s lovely when you don’t have to worry about parking, unloading your luggage, and hauling it up to your room.
Pro Tip: Make sure to tip the service staff upon arrival. Often times they’ll spread the word that you’re a good tipper, and the rest of the team will jump to give you better, faster service during your stay.
Transportation
Many hotels offer free shuttles to help get around town. This can help save time and money. No need to wait for cabs and Ubers. The best hotels will even arrange a pickup time to bring you back to the hotel.
Dog Friendly
It can be a struggle for dog people to enjoy a night away without worrying about their pup. Way more hotels are dog friendly than you might think. Call them and see if you can bring your best bud along.
Things to Consider When Picking Your Room
Jacuzzi tub
It’s like a scene from a movie. Sitting in a jacuzzi tub naked with the person you love, enjoying perfect privacy. Crack open the bubbly, put on your favorite playlist, and soak in the relaxation.
Pro Tip: bring some bath salts and a scented candle, and lower the lights to set the mood. If you don’t have bath salts, squirt some liquid soap under the faucet for a bubble bath.
Smart TV
Even most budget hotels have smart TVs these days. It’s essential if you’re trying to lay in bed and watch movies or binge a new Netflix show. Sometimes that’s all a hotel date night needs.
Patio or Balcony
If you do some digging, you might find a hotel room with a balcony.
There’s something extraordinary about opening the balcony door and letting the breeze flow in. Some balconies even have a hot tub and a view. What a combo! Privacy with a view.
One of the best views I’ve ever had from a hotel balcony at the Marriott Hotel and Resort on Waikiki Beach in Oahu.
We were facing toward the beach, and every night the sun would set over the ocean right in front of us. It was truly magnificent. There were a couple days when we hurried back to our room to enjoy the sunset.
Mini fridge and bar
It’s always clutch when the room has somewhere to cool your refreshments.
I’ve seen some hotel rooms that even have craft cocktail stations inside the room! I’m talking shaker tin, strainer, glasses, and everything. Look up some tasty cocktail recipes with your partner and enjoy delicious cocktails right there in your room.
Living Room
If you plan to eat in the hotel room, the living room can be the perfect place to enjoy your meal.
It sucks when you’re cramming around a tiny coffee table that can barely fit one plate. Look for a room that has a couch and a dinner table.
Kitchenette
Half the reason for doing a hotel date night is that you want to cozy up in the room alone!
Grab groceries for a tasty meal and cook while enjoying your private space. One option we’ve always relished is packing some meat, cheese, and crackers for a charcuterie board. It’s the perfect snack while hanging in your room.
Or, you can crush a tub of ice cream while sitting in bed. Having a kitchenette with a freezer makes that possible!
Bed Size
Everyone knows the bigger the bed, the better. See if you can find a room with a California king. It’s a game-changer!
At home, we always have two people plus a dog occupying our bed. Most nights, I feel cramped into the edge of the bed, making room for everyone else. It’s hard to beat a good night’s sleep when you can sprawl out as much as you want.
View
Having a nice view can make all the difference. Even if you have a luxury suite, it sucks looking out the window at a brick wall and an alleyway. Make sure to request a room with a view!
Often you can discretely tip the person working the front desk, and they’ll upgrade your room for no additional charge. All you have to do is ask. This has worked for us several times.
Pro Tip: If you have a high-rise room with a nice view, don’t be afraid to get intimate by the window (if you know what I mean).
Themes
Certain hotels have themed rooms that can make for a unique experience.
After you stay in enough hotels, the rooms all start to feel the same? Why not try something different?
The Curtis hotel has a video game suite with the Donkey Kong arcade game and Super Mario wall decorations. That’s right. You can play video games right there in your hotel room. They also have a Star Trek themed room with full-sized cardboard cutouts of famous characters.
Aromatherapy
This is a tough one to find, but some hotels provide aroma therapies in the room. If you’ve ever had a massage with aromatherapy, you know it takes relaxation to another level.
You can pick from various scents like lavender, sandalwood, and more.
Espresso Machine
Nobody thinks of Folger’s quick mix coffee when they think of a hotel date night.
But espresso, now that’s a different story.
Some high-end hotels have espresso machines in the premium rooms. My wife and I love hammering down a double shot of espresso to wake up before dinner, and it’s equally enjoyable in the morning when you’re getting your day started. Espresso is always a good thing!
Sparkling water
For all you bubble lovers out there, many hotels will offer sparkling water in the room instead of still. Call the front desk and kindly ask if they can accommodate you.
Things to Bring to the Hotel Room
Laptop and HDMI Cable
Sometimes hotels are limited in their viewing choices.
We’ve plugged our laptops into a hotel Tv on multiple occasions. This gave us access to our cable provider and all the other streaming services we subscribe to. There’s no need to limit yourself to the hotel movie selection.
In 2022 we stayed at a hotel in Flagstaff, Az. It was the premier of the new season of Stranger Things, and we’d been looking forward to it for weeks! There was nothing else we wanted to watch, and the hotel didn’t have Netflix, so having the laptop and HDMI cable was clutch.
Pro Tip: Don’t forget your HDMI cable, as I did!
Sex Toys and Restraints
No better place to get kinky than a hotel room. You have the ultimate privacy and don’t need to worry about making too much noise (although I wouldn’t recommend screaming). If you’re looking to spice things up, there’s no better way than a blindfold and some handcuffs.
Sexy Lingerie
Something about being in a hotel room makes lingerie even sexier.
It’s hard to pull off lingerie in the same messy bedroom you’re always in. A special outfit requires a special venue.
Massage Oil
You may not want to get your nice sheets at home all messy. That’s the great thing about hotels. You’re not responsible for the mess.
There is no better place to try edible massage oil than on a hotel bed.
Bluetooth Speaker
This is essential. Bring your travel speaker to enjoy your favorite songs in the room.
Bottle/Wine opener
So you have a bottle of wine and some beer, but how will you open them?
Many hotels have bottle openers available at the front desk, but it’s better to come prepared. It sucks when you’re finally ready to kick back and enjoy a drink, just to realize you can’t open the bottle and need to go back downstairs.
Adult Beverages
I can’t remember the last time I stayed in a hotel without hitting the liquor store first. Why wait for drinks at the hotel when you can bring your own?
If you don’t feel like leaving the room for ice, bring wine or a bottle of champagne instead of mixed drinks that require ice.
Flowers and Rose Petals
This is a classic way to make your hotel room romantic.
Pro Tip: Want to make it an extra special night? Order flowers to the room ahead of time. Call the hotel and ask them to put the flowers in the room before you arrive. This will score you major points!
Activities while you’re in the room
Adult Games
If you have a busy home, roommates, or kids, it can be challenging to find time to really cut loose and try new things in the bedroom.
Some adult games out there are perfect for spicing things up, especially if you’re a married couple that’s been in the same old sex routine for a decade. Exploring new things in the bedroom can be awkward, so using an adult game is one of the best ways to facilitate fresh ideas in the sheets.
Things you might find in an adult game are:
- Blindfolding your partner
- Foreplay ideas
- Teasing
- Intimate questions you wouldn’t usually ask
Scavenger Hunt
Take things to the next level by planning a scavenger hunt through the hotel. Then, after you send your partner on the hunt, you can begin setting the mood in the room. Don’t be afraid to get creative or make it a kinky scavenger hunt.
Watch a Rom-Com in Your Robes
Not every hotel stay needs to be an extravagant undertaking. All you need is a little quality time together.
Sometimes relaxation means putting on a robe and watching your favorite rom-com in bed.
Depending on what stage of life you’re in, finding some quality alone time might be challenging. You may need some peace and quiet, or you want to enjoy the luxurious bed and pillows. Either way, it’s always a good idea to kick back and watch a movie.
Sensual massages
For those who don’t already know, giving your partner a nude massage is one of the best forms of foreplay imaginable. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to take the intimacy up a few notches.
Boozy Brunch in Bed
What could be better?
I remember staying at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas for my 25th birthday. My girlfriend then surprised me by ordering an entire breakfast platter with bloody marys and mimosas. It was the perfect way to kill the previous night’s hangover and start the day.
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