North of Boston/Merrimack Valley welcome romantic vacationers

Garden paths lead guests at the Briar Barn Inn to its relaxing spa and exceptional restaurant, two of the features that make this North Shore inn a must for romantic getaways. The inn’s 30 rooms all have gas fireplaces, cozy seating areas, large soaking tubs and plush robes. Add “The Briar” package for chocolate chip cookies and wine to be sent up to your room (and to take the robes home when you check out). Book a massage in the spa, take a dip in the pool or stroll the streets of historic Rowley, MA, with its colonial homes and stone arch river bridge. Other nearby North Shore activities include snowshoeing and skiing in the winter, kayaking the Essex River or watching the sun set on a sandy beach in summer.

Luxury hotels in the Greater Merrimack Valley are ready to help you plan that much-needed romantic escape. Stay in a castle on the hill at the Chateau Merrimack, and you’ll feel like royalty. Ask about rooms with a fireplace or private balcony overlooking the river. Get a couples massage at the JuJu Spa, and soak in the indoor pool and hot tub after relaxing in the sauna. At the Inn at Hastings Park in Lexington, reserve your own cozy igloo for dinner or champagne brunch, or arrange for a private bonfire experience. At Concord’s Colonial Inn, where colonial charm meets modern comfort, relax in the Thoreau Suite with colonial decor, antiques and a bathroom with a jetted tub. Toast your time together in the inviting Village Forge Tavern.

Romance in the heart of Salem: It’s yours at the Salem Waterfront Hotel & Suites. Book a plush room or suite along with the hotel’s Romance Package and enjoy early accommodations, two breakfast vouchers in the award-winning restaurant and local made chocolates and vase of roses when you arrive. (A Valentines Day Package includes champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries.) The hotel, on historic and romantic Pickering Wharf, has a heated indoor pool and state-of-the-art fitness center. Stroll down to a lighthouse, or among the wharf’s elegant shops, or head into town to visit Nathaniel Hawthorne's House of the Seven Gables, the Salem Witch Museum or the Peabody Essex Museum. Sample the area’s craft breweries, cider houses and fine restaurants.

Before you head to the Harbor Light Inn, the lovely historic bed-and-breakfast inn nestled in the town’s Harbor District, for your romantic getaway, make sure you have ordered some enhancements for your room: a bottle of wine, chocolates, flowers, a picnic for two – or a couple’s massage. Your room will have other delightful options, including a traditional (in season) fireplace or a gas fireplace and perhaps a two-person jetted spa-style tub. In season, take your full breakfast out poolside or enjoy it from your private balcony or sundeck. Stroll into town for shopping, gallery hopping or dining. In the evening, toast each other with glasses of wine in the Harbor Light’s intimate tavern. Ask about special romance packages featuring flowers, sparkling wine, champagne and cheese and fruit platters.

A sense of history, and romance, will make your couples getaway at the luxurious Inn at Hastings Park one to remember. With its Revolutionary Romance Package, the Lexington Inn offers an overnight stay, a chilled bottle of Veuve Cloquet Rose, chocolate-covered strawberries, a $100 food and beverage credit and a complimentary upgrade upon check-in. Ask about a room or suite with a fireplace. (Some barn suites also come with deep soaking tubs.) Dine in the exclusive, ethereal Culinary Garden or in the stylish bistro. Featured experiences at the Inn include private bonfires, culinary and mixology classes, historical and birdwatching tours. Take one of the Inn's bicycles out for a ride along the scenic rail trail. Complimentary continental breakfast is served each morning.