This week’s romantic rendezvous is in sultry Puerto Rico at the El Conquistador Resort.  Formerly a Wyndham property, the hotel has undergone admirable renovations that have moved it away from run-of-the-mill chain resort blah and into boutique ambiance.  It is still a large property, of course, with amenities befitting its size that include a casino and the superb Golden Door Spa.  There are also plans for a large water park to be added, making it exactly what we love: a luxury property that fits the kids right in.

For today, though, we’re looking at a weekend getaway sans children, and this LXR property offers an Island Romance package that includes:

• chilled Champagne and tropical fruits delivered upon arrival
• 2 50-minute Golden Door massages
• Roundtrip transportation between airport and hotel for 2 adults
• Full Caribbean buffet breakfast daily in Las Brisas Restaurant

This package may be booked for a minimum of 4 and maximum of 12 nights and is offered through December 31, 2008.  Package may be booked based on availability.  For more information and to check rates, click here.

In the June issue of Food & Wine magazine: a great front-of-book article by Celia Barbour, who went with her husband and 3 children (ranging from 2 to 7) to the South Seas Island Resort on Captiva Island. A member of Luxury Resorts & Hotels (LXR), the resort has a range of accommodations from regular guestrooms to 2- and 3-bedroom villas. The property offers a kids club for the 4 to 12 age group and a teen club for those 12 and up.

Harbourside Guestroom, copyright South Seas Island Resort

The article, however, talks not so much about the resort itself but about the Sanibel Sea School, which offers marine field trips and lessons for adults and children 6 to 13. Barbour and her children witnessed spectacles such as conchs moving across the shore and a mass of fiddler crabs waving their claws in the air as though they were at a rock concert.

The Sea School has a mission of educating people about the environmental issues plaguing the Florida ecosystem. Founded last June by marine biologist Bruce Neill and his wife, who were inspired by hilarious author Carl Hiaasen’s children’s book Hoot, Sea School is a must-visit if you’re visiting Captiva or Sanibel Island.

Land’s End Villas, copyright South Seas Island Resort

The South Seas Island Resort offers a Making Memories Family Vacation Savings package, which is essentially discounted rates when you stay for 5+ nights. The package is available from May 28 to October 13. Summer Getaway rates start at $149 a night. For reservations or more information, click here or call 866.565.5089