How to Manifest an Anniversary Trip Without Saying a Word
by Sebastian Luxe Travel
I believe in the power of suggestion. Not the obvious kind. The kind where you sigh dramatically and say “I could really use a break,” while casually scrolling a Janu Tokyo spa video in bed. The kind where you bring up “that friend who went to Costa Rica and stayed somewhere called… Nekajui? It looked okay I guess.” The goal isn’t to ask. It’s to inspire.
Because if you ask, and your significant other says no, that’s disappointing. But if you suggest, and they think it was their idea, well then you’re basically married to a genius.
Here’s the (completely hypothetical) short list I’ve been gently seeding into conversation:
Nekajui, Costa Rica
Technically in a rainforest, emotionally in a Nancy Meyers film. Nekajui is lush, stylish, and reassuringly far from your daily responsibilities. You wake up to birdsong and strong coffee. He’s already figured out the perfect poolside spot without needing to ask. There are monkeys, there are infinity-edge bathtubs, and there are approximately zero decisions to make. You just show up, drink something herbal, and feel like the best version of yourselves. He looks tan, relaxed, and unbothered. You feel adored. Or at the very least, very well looked after.
Photo courtesy of Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve via Fora Travel
Janu, Tokyo
The thinking woman’s hotel crush. It’s chic, thoughtful, and designed with the kind of quiet confidence that reminds you why you married a Dutch man in the first place.
At Janu, everything is calm, precise, and beautifully restrained. Just like him. You’ll eat, spa, sleep, and flirt like people who still like sharing a hotel robe. He won’t plan the itinerary, but he’ll carry your suitcase up the stairs without being asked, pick the perfect sushi bar on instinct, and somehow still look fresh after a 14-hour flight.
You’ll do the research. He’ll walk beside you like he knew where you were going all along.
And somehow, it works.
And honestly, that’s enough.
Spa pool at Janu Tokyo, courtesy of Janu Hotels
Cap Rocat, Mallorca,
For when you want your anniversary to feel like a Bond film, but with better decisions. Set inside a 19th-century fortress overlooking the sea, Cap Rocat is moody, cinematic, and completely private. You sip cava on a stone terrace. He looks even more attractive in linen. The staff speaks softly, the sea is always in view, and everything feels like it was designed to help you remember why this is the person you picked. There’s a saltwater pool, a secret beach, and dinner by candlelight in a stone courtyard. Nothing to do, nowhere to be. Just quiet, sunshine, and the occasional compliment from someone who knows how to pronounce your last name.
Photo courtesy of Cap Rocat via Fora Travel
Amanzoe, Greece
For when you want to feel like yourselves again, only quieter, more rested, and facing the Aegean. It’s part palace, part spa, part relationship reset where no one has to talk and everything still feels understood. Entirely designed for women who want to eat tzatziki by a private pool while their husband marvels at how low-maintenance you are, despite the four serums and linen capsule wardrobe you packed with military precision. You emerge hydrated, peaceful, and suspiciously glowing. He’s tan, relaxed, and somehow getting credit for choosing the perfect place, even if he didn’t. It’s fine. You’re here now.
Photo courtesy of Amanzoe via Fora Travel
Passalacqua, Lake Como
If Amanzoe is the Greek goddess of your dreams, Passalacqua is the elegant Italian heiress who doesn’t do Instagram. It’s a 24-suite 18th-century villa turned boutique palace, with chandeliers, rose gardens, and a view that could forgive several years of forgotten holidays. You arrive by boat. You sleep in a frescoed suite. You eat peaches for breakfast like a person with no problems. Passalacqua is where you go to live out your Call Me By Your Name fantasy minus the biking and heartbreak. The whole experience is romantic, restorative, and deliciously smug in the best way.
Photo courtesy of Passalacqua via Fora Travel