Romance can be inspired as much by an inn's exterior as its interior. With sweeping views of the pines and aspens making up Colorado's Estes Valley, Black Dog Inn offers six room options between suites, luxury cabins and a cottage. Rooms are sprinkled with highlights of the great outdoors—exposed beams, walls of windows, wood-paneled ceilings and earth-toned colors—but offer the luxuries of spa tubs and fireplaces to make the rooms cozy. The hosts offer to make any imaginative luxury available to their guests, from in-room massages to rose-petal confetti.

For more information: Black Dog Inn

Built as a dream home and bed & breakfast, this Mediterranean-style oceanfront villa offers the opportunity to do nothing at all, with the reassurance of plenty of activities in San Pancho, or nearby Puerto Vallarta. Each unique room has a private balcony overlooking the pool and tropical gardens. Ocean views afford the chance to see migrating whales. Romantic netting over beds invites guests to sleep with the doors open to hear the lull of the palms and ocean breakers.  Local materials decorate each room in paintings, ceramics and tiles.

For more information: Casa Obelisco

In one of the world's most romantic cities is this 15th-century Venetian palace, reopened after renovations in spring of 2008. Located on the Grand Canal, the mansion's waterfront terrace and rooftop patio overlook the city's busiest waterway. Rich décor—marble staircases, chandeliers, frescoes and plush drapes—fill this family-owned mansion.

For more information: Hotel Palazzo Stern

On a hilltop overlooking a small village, this former fortress is a family-run guesthouse, restaurant and winery. Fifteen unique rooms fit inside this historic property, from a modest bed and bath to expansive suites with terrace views into neighboring Hungary. A modern rustic décor allows for today's luxuries in an imaginative antique castle.

For more information: Schloss Kapfenstein

The gated manor home in the Périgord-Noir region rests a short walk away from the medieval village of Carlucet, and near the market town of Sarlat. Four guest suites accentuate the architecture of the old stone house, fitting into the curves of the ceiling and around the exposed beams. A breakfast of local breads, jams, meats and cheeses is served in a walled garden next to the heated swimming pool. Two charming gites, or rental cottages, are available on the property for larger groups, each with a private pool.

For more information: Les Charms de Carlucet

Four luxurious suites and an intimate six-table dining room are found at the Just Inn Bed & Breakfast, part of the Justin Vineyard & Winery. Nestled in rolling hills outside the town of Pasa Robles, Just Inn's suites—Tuscany, Bordeaux, Provence and Sussex—are appointed with European antiques and each offer a unique taste of its namesake region. The Sussex and Provence open to a garden, while theTuscany has a vineyard-view balcony. The Bordeaux is a country house set away from the main buildings, surrounded by vineyards.

For more information: Just Inn

Behind private gates, this Pennsylvania estate near the theater town of New Hope offers buildings and grounds worth exploring. In the manor house, the conservatory offers a tropical, warm feel in all seasons. One terrace looks out on the pool while a vine-covered terrace is a shady retreat surrounded by greenery and buds. Most of the five rooms overlook the pool, gardens pond and wooded areas, some with private verandas. Fresh flowers, spa tubs, fireplaces and king-sized featherbeds welcome guests in every room.

For more information: The Inn at Bowman's Hill

With a history in the Civil War and a present in Virginia's rich horse country, Goodstone Inn is a quiet retreat about an hour from Washington, D.C. Hike along 265 acres of rolling fields, past rock walls, wooden fences, a creek and the red barn. The same fields will play a role in a luxury dinner, boasting farm-to-table cuisine. Seventeen rooms and suites are spread over the land in the Manor House, Carriage House, Dutch Cottage, Spring House and French Farm Cottage. Stone fireplaces, rustic exposed ceiling beams, wide wood plank floors and porches with rocking chairs are farm-style details throughout the historic estate.

For more information: The Goodstone Inn
 

With the rugged, earthy appeal of a log cabin and a wildlife refuge surrounding, Run of the River is a cozy winter retreat, and lush and green in warmer months. A jumping-off point for the adventurous, streams, forest and mountain peaks cover the landscape as biking, snowshoeing and wild animal sightings are out the front door. Inside is rustic luxury: river rock accents, warm fires, plush furniture, exposed logs and four-post beds. A gourmet breakfast gets guests ready for a day in nature or exploring the nearby Bavarian-style village.

For more information: Run of the River Inn and Refuge

A guesthouse for weary mountain travelers since the 1850’s, the Pitcher Inn focuses on Vermont’s scenery and charm. Each of the nine rooms in the main house is decorated uniquely to represent the land, the history and famous Vermonters. A colonial room resembles a Vermont farmhouse bedroom, with wide-plank floors, toile wall coverings and simple furnishings. Another replicates a mountain-top fire tower, with black stone accents from Lake Champlain, a wet bar and antique skis and boots. A restaurant serves homemade meals and afternoon tea with local and regional ingredients and seasonal dishes.

For more information: The Pitcher Inn