PHILADELPHIA

Romance factor: You can stroll the cobblestone streets of Old City and pretend like you came here to see the Liberty Bell. But let's be honest, it's always more fun to make like a pair of locals. So go for a morning run along the Schuylkill River, grab an espresso at the Ninth Street Market, then check out the Matisse exhibit at the art museum—nobody needs to know that you hear the theme to Rocky as you run up the steps, hand in hand.

Love nest: Select some prime real estate by booking a room at the Rittenhouse 1715, a 23-room boutique hotel set in a carriage house overlooking the poshest square in Philadelphia. The combination of Victorian style (overstuffed floral couches, Chippendale-style furniture) and modern comforts (high-thread-count sheets so soft they'll make you blush) will charm you both.

Fuel for the fire: Grab a bottle (or two) of Champagne and head to dinner at Matyson, a sassy little New American restaurant just off Rittenhouse Square. It's one of more than 200 BYOB establishments around town, where rising chefs can cut their teeth without paying for an expensive state liquor license. At Matyson, dishes like rich roasted sweetbreads with toasted almond froth and soul-satisfying duck cassoulet will keep you warm the whole walk back to the hotel.

Rittenhouse 1715
Tel: 877 791 6500 (toll-free)
Tel: 215 546 6500
Doubles from $249

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