PHOTO: The Belizean Nirvana Hotel was designed with romance in mind.

Caribbean and Mexican destinations are filled with hundreds of beautiful beaches, brilliant blue waters, lush surroundings and consistently warm weather. Such stunning natural qualities create the ultimate romantic atmosphere, making these regions a reliable source of business for travel agents whose clients are planning a destination wedding, honeymoon, anniversary or simply a quick getaway for two.

The Caribbean and Mexico also offer a diverse array of hotels, resorts and villas that not only provide destination wedding services, but also cater to romance. Vacation Agent’s Top Romance Resorts guide highlights Caribbean and Mexican resorts that offer the perfect combination of amenities, facilities and services designed for romance-minded couples, from those seeking to tie the knot to others who are simply seeking an intimate sojourn for two.

THE CARIBBEAN

Belizean Nirvana Hotel

The Belizean Nirvana hotel is one of those intimate and upscale properties seemingly made with romantic couples in mind. It is located in the formerly sleepy Belizean fishing village of Placencia, a small town situated on a long and narrow peninsula in southeastern Belize. Here visitors will find one main street, wooden sidewalks and colorful road signs featuring quaint sayings, as well as a handful of very good restaurants, plus several bars and lounges.

The hotel offers upscale accommodations with generous terraces equipped with hammocks and direct access to the quiet white-sand beach. A rooftop deck features excellent views of the Placencia peninsula and offers sunset cocktail gatherings.

Guest accommodations feature five tastefully furnished one-bedroom suites, each equipped with full kitchen, a living room with entertainment centers including satellite television, and Wi-Fi access. The wide verandas feature hand-carved furniture.

Couples Tower Isle

Perched on Jamaica’s lush Ocho Rios coastline, the all-inclusive boutique resort features sweeping water views, a private white-sand beach and its own clothing-optional island.

Guests can enjoy snorkeling among the reefs or windsurfing, partake in a game of tennis, a round of golf or simply spend tranquil afternoons in lounge chairs by the sea.

The property features chic contemporary décor accented by vivid murals and ceramics by renowned artists, intricate pearlescent tilework and graphic black-and-white photography. Fresh splashes of aqua blue fabric and lime green furniture offset the striking white architecture, while each inviting room boasts private ocean-breeze balconies.

Jade Mountain

Located on a hill overlooking Saint Lucia’s twin Piton peaks, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Jade Mountain is the higher-up-the-hill sister property of the Anse Chastanet resort.

Like its companion, Jade Mountain also offers breathtaking mountaintop-to-beach views of the Caribbean Sea and the resort’s two soft-sand beaches.

Jade Mountain is further distinguished by its bold architectural design, with a network of bridges connected to stone columns leading to suites and the resort’s restaurant.

The resort’s Sun Infinity Sanctuaries feature open fourth walls and each is equipped with a bedroom, living room, sun platform, linen-enclosed four-poster bed, and a 900-square-foot, private infinity pool spanning nearly the length of the room. The 2,000 square-foot suites offer 270-degree views of the lush Piton valley.

Ladera

An outstanding entry in St. Lucia’s seemingly endless collection of romantic mountainside resorts, Ladera rests on a 1,100-foot-high forested ridge overlooking the Piton Mountains, a World Heritage Site.

Once part of the Rabot Estate cocoa plantation, Ladera accommodates 60 privileged guests in suites, each featuring an open wall exposing the lush hillside. Suites also feature hand-carved, polished wood furnishings and private plunge pools.

Ladera’s 1,200-square-foot Hilltop Dream suites accommodate two and feature heated plunge pools, four-poster king beds and open sitting areas. The suites offer breathtaking views of the Piton Mountains, the Caribbean Sea and the tropical valley below.

Paradisus Palma Real

PHOTO: Paradisus Palma Real is among the finest all-inclusives in Punta Cana.

In a region dominated by upscale and large-scale all-inclusive resorts bordering some of the Caribbean’s finest beaches, the Paradisus Palma Real, in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, is easily among the finest.

The resort features meticulous landscaping and classic architectural elements from arched entryways to a large outdoor courtyard with generous gardens, graceful fountains, sculptures and Doric columns. The resort’s beach is lined with tall coconut palm trees.

Offering a boutique hotel-within-a-hotel experience, the resort’s 200 Royal Service suites offer exclusive amenities, facilities and services, including personal butler service and VIP check-in and checkout at a Royal Service lounge.

The lounge also offers daily continental breakfast, Internet access and evening cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. Royal Service guests have exclusive access to the resort’s YHI Spa and wellness area.

Rendezvous

The time-treasured Caribbean vacation model of yesteryear continues at St. Lucia’s Rendezvous, an all-inclusive boutique hotel designed for couples and located on a private, protected bay on St. Lucia’s Malabar Beach.

Guests enter Rendezvous via an unassuming gate that leads to a tree-covered driveway and stately white arch beyond which lies the property. A massive 150-year-old Saman tree lies at the resort’s center. Several of the huge branches support crystal chandeliers, an unexpected touch that typifies the resort’s charming and intimate character.

The finely landscaped grounds also feature a lazy river that winds gently across the property, into wading pools, small nooks and private hideaways. None of the accommodations include televisions. Couples are instead encouraged to enjoy beachside candlelit dinners.

Sandals La Source Grenada

The first Sandals property to come to Grenada, Sandals La Source offers the company’s most luxurious accommodations to date in what many believe is the most romantic and feature-rich property in the Sandals portfolio.

The resort comprises 231 rooms set within three distinct villages. Pink Gin Village features 70 oceanfront rooms, including rooms with direct beach access. Guests here enjoy access to the resort’s zero-entry infinity pool.

The resort’s 48-room Italian Village is positioned on a cliff overlooking the resort and beach, with two exclusive river pools at the ground level. The first three floors offer one-bedroom, split-level suites with spacious bathrooms and Japanese-style soaking tubs. The South Seas Village features Sandals’ deluxe Rondoval suites, plus “millionaire” and plunge pool suites.

Sands at Grace Bay

This unassuming but upscale small Turks & Caicos resort offers couples a casually elegant atmosphere highlighted by its location directly on Grace Bay Beach, easily among the world’s most beautiful white-sand beaches.

The property offers 114 suites located in six three-story buildings set around a central courtyard featuring free-form swimming pools connected by bubbling canals. The pools are adorned by a cascading waterfall, a Jacuzzi and small grottoes.

The spacious and sedate resort features upscale accommodations with full gourmet kitchens, terraces and balconies and deluxe suites with marble baths. Public areas feature charming gardens and water features throughout the generously landscaped property. The resort also offers a variety of services and amenities that allow guests to be as active – or inactive – as they choose.

The Reefs

Set on a limestone cliff overlooking a secluded pink-sand beach on the remarkably beautiful island of Bermuda, The Reefs is among the world’s most inspiring warm-weather properties.

The resort is a natural draw for destination weddings, honeymooners and romantic couples. The intimate, family-owned luxury property features 62 guestrooms and 19 club condo suites, a full-service spa, La Serena, and three gourmet dining venues.

All of the property’s rooms and suites offer private patios with ocean views. Other amenities available to guests include beach kayaks, an infinity-edge swimming pool, a hot tub, a health and fitness center and two all-weather tennis courts with complimentary equipment. The Reefs also offers resort-wide complimentary Wi-Fi access.

MEXICO

Grand Oasis Tulum

PHOTO: Sian Ka’an accommodations at the Grand Oasis feature views of the Caribbean Sea.

Oasis Hotels & Resorts’ Grand Oasis Tulum, just an hour south of Cancun, provides a romantic oasis for couples looking to get away from it all.

Its Sian Ka’an accommodations, for instance, are located in the resort’s newly renovated Grand section and feature floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Caribbean Sea; they offer hot tubs, mini-bars, iPod chargers and a host of spa-quality amenities.

The resort’s two spas feature couples massages as well as temazcals, Mayan saunas. The rooftop Café del Mar is equipped a chill-out bar and multiple pools overlooking the ocean. The resort’s white-sand beach offers access to one of the most vibrant coral reefs on the planet. All told, the property houses 10 restaurants, several of which are ideally suited for couples in search of romance.

Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta

The All Inclusive Collection’s Hard Rock Hotel Vallarta, set on an enviable stretch of beach in Nuevo Vallarta, offers couples romantic respites that blend equal amounts of adventure, relaxation and rejuvenation. Couples looking to tie the knot can take advantage of nine wedding collections designed by celebrity wedding planner Colin Cowie. A Colin Cowie Harmony honeymoon package includes a couple’s massage at the Rock Spa, romantic dinner for two, breakfast in bed, chocolate covered strawberries, and a rose-petal-filled hydro tub, among other amenities. The 348-room resort also features an array of restaurants, bars, outdoor swimming pools and nightly theme parties at the outdoor amphitheater.

Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta

Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta is tucked away in the tropical oasis of Mismaloya Beach in the city’s Golden Zone. The centerpiece of the newly opened 336-room resort is a reception building that welcomes guests with commanding ocean views and infinity pools. The resort’s accommodations, which include swim-up suites with plunge pools, feature spa-style bathrooms and private, furnished balconies, as well as magnificent ocean views. In addition to an array of à la carte and buffet restaurants, the resort is equipped with an adults-only pool and lounge area, a variety of specialty restaurants and rooftop spa. The resort also boasts its own cloistered beach cove, which spans 1,250 feet.

Iberostar Grand Hotel Paraíso

With its domed ceilings, manicured grounds, gourmet cuisine and expansive salt water pool, Iberostar Hotels & Resorts’ beachfront Iberostar Grand Hotel Paraíso knows how to serve up the right ingredients for couples in search of romance.

The Riviera Maya resort also offers a robust array of wedding venues for couples looking to say “I do.” Couples can marry beachfront; in a pool gazebo accented by an architectural dome and arches; the Oceanfront Foyer; and Gazebo at the Shops, accommodating up to 300 guests with a Mexican village ambiance. To pamper wedding couples, the resort offers private honeymoon villas and personalized butler service.

El Dorado Maroma

Karisma Hotels & Resort’s intimate El Dorado Maroma – located on Maroma Beach, one of the most highly regarded beaches in the world – is about to significantly up the ante on romance. Later this year, the 101-room resort will debut 58 over-the-water infinity pool suites, each with a glass-bottom floor.

The property’s existing portfolio of accommodations includes private infinity pool suites, swim-up suites and honeymoon suites. Standard suite amenities include mini-bars refreshed daily, coffee/tea makers, televisions, DVD/CD players and oversize terraces. The resort’s eclectic array of à la carte restaurants and bars overlook Maroma Beach. The property also features two beachfront wedding locations as well as a beachfront wedding chapel.

Live Aqua Cancun

An array of sensory experiences, distinctive service and excellent cuisine are but three of a host of elements that draw couples to Live Aqua Cancun. Couples can indulge in candle-lit bubble baths in suites strewn with rose petals or opt for transformative massages at the resort’s cutting-edge spa. Then again, they may simply choose to relax on the resort’s flawless beach or by one of seven pools – complete with pool concierges – with soothing ambient music playing in the background.

The lifestyle boutique hotel’s seven restaurants are designed to heighten the senses, from the off-the-beaten path Hidden Garden, featuring Asian fusion cuisine, to the al fresco Inlaa’Kech Lobster & Grill.

Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort

In addition to offering couples a formidable array of romantic accommodations and activities to choose from, Palace Resorts’ Moon Palace Golf & Spa Resort in Cancun also features an equally compelling number of options for onsite weddings. As with all Palace Resorts, guests booking larger weddings at Moon Palace receive additional benefits. Couples who book 75 room nights receive such perks as cocktail hours and two-hour dinners, seven complimentary room nights and room upgrade for the bride and groom. Moon Palace also offers an array of restaurant options for semi-private receptions for up to 30 guests. The resort offers both interfaith and Indian wedding ceremonies.

Riu Palace Peninsula

Riu Hotels & Resorts’ Riu Palace Peninsula in Cancun features an adults-only deluxe villas section whose accommodations arguably set the tone for romance. The area even boasts its own private pool and personalized services, as well as its own restaurant.

Guests may also opt for candlelit dinners on the on the beach and romantic breakfasts in bed. Just a few romantic amenities include bottles of sparkling wine and fruit with chocolate. Adults-only villa accommodations feature king-size beds as well as whirlpool baths on balconies or terraces. The property also features spectacular architecture, sophisticated décor and an array of fine-dining options. All of its 562 rooms are suites or junior suites.

Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun

Located on one of the most famous beaches in all of Mexico, the all-suite Secrets Maroma Beach Riviera Cancun features ocean views from 75 percent of its accommodations, as well as ground-floor suites with direct swim-out access. Each suite includes a Secrets Box for private room service as well as four-poster canopy king-size beds or two double beds, in-suite Jacuzzis for two, mini-bars, and private, furnished patios or terraces. The resort’s spa even features an outdoor honeymoon spa suite complete with Jacuzzi and rustic shower. à la carte dining options range from Italian to French to seafood in a seaside setting.

Zoëtry Villa Rolandi

Zoëtry Villa Rolandi, a new luxury boutique property, features just 35 oceanfront rooms on the romantic island of Isla Mujeres, which guests may access via private catamaran from Cancun. Suites feature Jacuzzis on the balconies, fine linens and Bvlgari bath amenities. The Casa Rolandi restaurant is considered to be one of the best dining experiences in Mexico not only for its Swiss-Northern Italian fare, but also for its uninterrupted ocean views. The brand’s Endless Privileges concept affords guests an array of features and amenities, including, among other things, sunset yacht sailings, unlimited cocktails, top-shelf beverages, concierge services and complimentary 24-hour laundry service.