Where to Stay in the World's 10 Most Romantic Cities

Bright lights, brilliant sites, and never a dull moment—cities are the perfect place to go on your honeymoon. Whether dashing off for a long weekend mini-moon or splurging on an extended urban escapade, the boutique hotel experts at Mr & Mrs Smith have found 10 amazing pied-à-terres for honeymooners to stay in the most romantic cities in the world.

Where to Stay: Couple your Big Apple trip with a stay that's also worth Instagramming. Opened in late spring of 2015, the New York Edition is housed in the iconic Metropolitan Life Building and was revamped by former Studio 54 co-founder Ian Schrager. Many of the Scandi-chic rooms (from $595/night) have Madison Square Park views, Michelin-starred British chef Jason Atherton heads up the restaurant, and, if you need a lift, the hotel has luxury cars on call to cruise guests around Manhattan. 

What to Do: Live like a local and saunter across the street for a picnic in the park. The hotel will pack you off with blankets, kites, and a hamper full of goodies from the in-house restaurant or specialty bites from Eataly, Mario Batali's Italian larder just across the way. Add a bottle of bubbly and you've got yourself one romantic day date.

Where to Stay: If the way to your heart is through your stomach, then check in at ABaC Restaurant & Hotel (rooms from $300/night). All about indulgence, chef Jordi Cruz's fine fusion fare has earned two Michelin stars for the in-house eatery. Post-feeding frenzy, unwind in the subterranean spa with hammam and hammocks in the relaxation pool. 

What to Do: If you miss being trailed by your wedding photographer, the hotel can arrange a tour of the city with a professional shutterbug. A private driver will spin you around the city as your personal paparazzo captures the best moments (with the most flattering lighting, of course) of your honeymoon. 

Where to Stay: For a cozy home base, make reservations at Ett Hem Hotel (translation: at home) in the Lärkstaden enclave. This Arts and Crafts-style brick townhouse underwent a slick makeover by London-based designer Ilse Crawford—an interiors whiz with serious Swedish cred given her Ikea collaboration this year. Original decorative ceilings and timber-paneled walls are balanced with contemporary furnishings and tactile textures like velvet chairs and sheepskin rugs (rooms from $403/night).

What to Do: If you can pull yourself away from the leafy private garden or Swedish sauna, borrow bikes from the hotel and explore the city on two wheels. Pedal your way to lunch or for picnic provisions at Östermalmstorg, a grand food hall brimming with food stalls and restaurants.

Where to Stay: Live like a local at The Clubhouse. This exclusive members' club in trend-setting Palermo has just four rooms (from $111/night), but one of the most vibrant social scenes around. Expect pop-up dinners from big name chefs, film screenings, guest DJs, and the always-popular Sunday poolside barbecue. 

What to Do: For one-of-a-kind souvenirs don't miss the San Telmo Antiques Market held every Sunday. Duck inside shops crowded with curiosities, scan the outdoor stalls bursting with knick-knacks, and of course, stop and watch (or join) the tango dancers in the street.

Where to Stay: Make your home base at the Laslett, a much-anticipated newcomer in Notting Hill (rooms from $281/night). This Victorian townhouse has been refreshed with pops of modern art, locally scoured antiques, a coffee shop, and a hotel bar with a focus on zippy rum cocktails. 

What to Do: If you need a fix of home cooking—hot dogs, burgers, honey-fried chicken—stroll over to Electric Diner with a French-American menu from chef Brendan Sodikoff of Chicago's Au Cheval fame. It's right next door to the London's oldest movie house, the Electric Cinema, which screens classic and independent flicks.

Where to Stay: Splurge for a historic room (from $208/night) with water views at the House Hotel Bosphorus, an impressive 19th-century Ottoman-era mansion styled with Bauhaus-inspired furnishings. Soak up city and banks-of-the-Bosphorus views at both the cafe and lounge, which make the most of the ideal waterfront spot in the Ortaköy neighborhood. 

What to Do: Not only is the Bosphorus compelling because it connects Asia and Europe, but who can resist that splash of blue on a perfectly sunny day? The hotel can hook you with a local captain who will whisk you away on a private boat cruise for a tour.

Where to Stay: Find your Zen from the hectic (yet thrilling) cityscape at The Siam hotel, an elegant art deco escape set right on the Chao Phraya River. Since you're indulging, go for one of the pool villa rooms (from $358/night) with private plunge pools and views of the river from an open-air roof terrace.

What to Do: Food is an integral part of Thai culture, and you can gain a deeper understanding by sampling savory bites from street vendors, snagging reservations at in-demand eateries or by trying your hand at a few dishes. Join the hotel's chef as he takes guests on a market tour followed by a cooking class in the kitchen's well-respected cooking school.

Where to Stay: One of the Caribbean's oldest cities, the cobblestoned streets are lined with buildings dating back the 1500s, and the Casas del XVI hotel is a prime example of colonial architecture. Inside a tranquil palm-shaded courtyard with a pool sit two lovingly revamped casas with seven impeccably-styled suites (from $339/night).

What to Do: Nothing-is-too-much is a hallmark of this hotel, so take them up on their ace concierge service and have them arrange any number of the guided city walks and tours on offer. Wend through alleyways to see the first cathedral built in the New World, restaurant hop around the old city, or taste Ron Barceló rum at the source following a distillery tour.

Where to Stay: Home to over eight million people, the city can feel a bit hectic at moments, but that's easily remedied by escaping to Condesa DF hotel, a historic hideout in the Distrito Federal (rooms from $230/night). Relax at the spa with hammam or head up to the park-gazing rooftop bar for cocktails above the din.

What to Do: Take a tip from the locals and get to know tequila's smokier sibling: mezcal. There are several hip watering holes in this bohemian neighborhood for sipping this traditional spirit. Walking distance from the hotel, pop by the tiny Botica Mezcaleria for a cocktail before moving onto a menu of mezcal and other agave-based libations at La Nacional.

Where to Stay: The all-suites Raffles Singapore hotel, a grand colonial pile opened in 1887, makes for one storied stay smack dab in the city center (rooms from $502/night). Also, what better place to raise a glass to the two of you than in the spot where the cherry-sweet Singapore Sling was invented?

What to Do: With 14 restaurants and bars at the hotel dishing up menus from around the globe—Northern Indian curries, English classics, and contemporary French among them—you might be content to stay put. However, don't miss time spent wandering the hawker centers, semi-enclosed buildings housing stall after tempting stall of Asian cuisine, for some authentic local flavor.