The best London hotels for a Valentine's Day date

Start with a cocktail in the famous Blue Bar, originally designed by David Collins but now boasting a refurb by his protégé Robert Angell which has managed to retain the intimacy of the original while adding light, space and a modern feel to the iconic Lutyens Blue panelling and lighting. From there, head to the rooftop for the sweetest little garden space which, until the end of February, has been turned into an outdoor pop-up cinema for just eight people seated in wooden cabins for two. Snuggling under warm blankets, eating mini shepherd’s pies and winter canapés washed down with sipping champagne while watching 'Some Like It Hot' has surely got to be one of the loveliest ways to spend the evening. Don’t want fellow cinemagoers cramping your style? From Feb 13-18 each screening will be a private viewing for two.

Make a night of it with a stay in romantic countryside that’s very handy for the office the next day. This 15-room hotel in picturesque Richmond has one of the most romantic locations of any in the capital. It borders the Thames with a terrace and garden leading down to the river that are beautifully lit up at night. There’s romance in the hotel’s history too: it was once the home of early twentieth-century love poets Katherine Bradley and Edith Cooper. Each of the bedrooms is named after one of their works. And you can commemorate your stay with a purchase from the nearby Petersham Nurseries, famed for its glasshouse restaurant, nursery and teahouse alike, all of them a pretty 15-minute stroll from the hotel.

Asia de Cuba has been a destination restaurant since it opened, and remains so thanks to an imaginative menu that keeps it fresh and innovative. For Valentine’s, it’s offering its Cuban signature tasting menu with a Valentine’s Day cocktail for £75 per person. So that’s five courses of zingy Cuban dishes with Asian spicing in dishes like black bean and plantain and empanadas and cassava cakes with guava barbecue pork. Trust us, it’ll be better than anything you’ve ever eaten in Cuba, but leave room for the dessert, a selection of Asia de Cuba’s most popular ones including Mexican doughnuts served with a choice of caramel or Thai chilli chocolate.

Emulate that steamy Marilyn Monroe and Tony Curtis scene from 'Some Like It Hot' by pretending you’re taking your date to your luxury yacht… albeit a 124m one moored at London’s Royal Victoria Dock rather than a swanky Miami marina. The surprisingly spacious, bright rooms have a classic, grown-up decor, many of them with big French windows, but the icing on the cake for a Valentine’s Day date has to be the Lands End restaurant’s afternoon tea, with sea-themed cupcakes by Hummingbird Bakery. Plus there’s an Elemis spa, should you decide to make a day of it.

Okay, Shepherd’s Bush might not be the most obvious place to take your date, but if you’re after an ethereal snowy ambience and temperatures that will force you into eachother’s arms for warmth, K West could be just the place for you, because its extensive spa features not only a whirlpool bath, steam room and sauna, but a snow room too. It’s an easy 20-minute stroll to Holland Park, but with its catwalk rock’n’roll décor, feels like a different London altogether.

The Haymarket’s winterside Brumus offering isn’t Valentine’s themed, but is special enough to make a great date space for Valentine’s naysayers who still want to do something a bit different – especially if your love of tequila matches your love of your partner. Until the end of February, the gorgeous Kit Kemp-designed, subterranean poolside bar is serving a selection of margaritas from an innovative new cocktail menu devised by George Youssef – think blood orange and thyme or smoked cherry margaritas. Sharing plates of Mexican dishes complete the very real appeal, but sadly the pool is strictly out of bounds.

If you’re living with your loved one, Valentine’s is great for rekindling sparks at a romantic hotel, but what do you do with your other beloved, the family pooch? At Shoreditch’s Ace Hotel, you can take man’s best friend to your room, the bar and the cafe – and if he or she is small enough even into the lovely Hoi Polloi restaurant. When it comes to bedtime, dog beds and accessories can be provided. Out east at the Aloft London Excel, the pet-friendly scheme ARF (Animals Are Fun) provides beds and treats, and your dog is allowed into the cafe and restaurant areas there too.

We’re not entirely sure how romantic sharing a duo of blood-red cocktails called Romeo and Juliet with your partner is, but we like the dark humour in there so let’s go with it. The May Fair’s specially curated cocktail ‘pairing’ features Mozart Black Chocolate liqueur, strawberry purée, Grey Goose Vodka and Moët & Chandon champagne, served with a chocolate cigar on the side of the Romeo and a homemade piña-colada foam with the Juliet. The hotel’s spa is also offering a couples massage experience which includes two hours of pre-treatment spa access followed by an aromatherapy massage treatment, performed next to your loved one, involving a chocolate orange blend. Too sickly sounding? The Treat for Two Moroccan Steam cleansing experience includes mineralising muds and salts in the Cleopatra Bathing Experience, followed by a luxurious massage in a couples’ treatment room and ending with prosecco and strawberries.

If your loved one loved 'Planet Earth II' (and that’s everyone in Britain, right?) they might well love a night at London Zoo’s Gir Lion Lodge, composed of nine brightly painted wooden chalets next to the Land of the Lions enclosure. Decor is animal-themed, and the rooms are simple with en suites. Perks include out of hours zoo tours and experiences – which are included in the price, along with breakfast and dinner. Need a drink before checking in? We’d suggest checking out the four-star Georgian townhouse hotel Montague On the Gardens nearby; its leopard bar and cigar lounge are done out almost entirely in wall-to-wall leopard-skin decor. We’re assured it’s not real.

If you’re one of Britain’s growing number of vegans, you might be tearing your hair out trying to find somewhere special for the big night. Enter the lifesaving La Suite West, a handsome townhouse hotel with a calm atmosphere and an emphasis on healthy living. Its healthy restaurant Raw offers a range of healthy dining options, and a special Valentine’s menu for less than £30, which includes such tempting treats as roasted squash gnocchi, aubergine rollatini and chocolate cake.