This is the perfect time for a getaway for lovers to enjoy the fall colors in the Poconos, home of many of the basic concepts used in hotels for lovers. You can track the fall colors there using the official Pocono Mountains Fall Foilage Forecast.

We need to establish some basic criteria for a hotel for lovers. We are not talking about places that charge by the hour. Nor are we talking about family friendly hotels. A lot of hotels are rated as being for adults only, but upon closer inspection, many of them allow children as young as ten, and even many more consider teenagers to be adults. Here we will only be talking about hotels for actual legal age adults, and couples only, of course.

We are only looking at places with rooms that adventurous couples plan to have sex in, not collapse in exhaustion in after a busy day of sight-seeing. Whether you are looking for mirrored ceilings, or themed rooms, they can be very fun getaways, romance playgrounds for couples who don’t take things too seriously.

My wife and I went to an adult hotel when we were still dating (many years ago). They had adult movies, and mirrors on the ceiling. It was fun, but also a little sleazy and not really the experience we would have preferred. The market has changed since then, and while those types of low rent places still exist, there are now plenty of much nicer hotels catering to couples.

A lot of the elements that we associate with hotels for couples come from a singular source: The Poconos. They can also be traced to a single individual, a man named Morris Benjamin Wilkins, who passed away just last year. He has been dubbed the “Thomas Edison of Loveland” and it has been said about him that he “has done more for romance than a box of chocolates.” He is credited with making the Poconos Mountains the honeymoon capital of the world.

In the 1960s, he came up with the concept of the heart-shaped bathtub (dubbed “sweetheart tubs”). Other innovations of his include mirrored ceilings and circular beds. He pioneered the in-room swimming pool in the 1970s. In the 1980s, he created the champagne glass bathtub.

While Morris Wilkins may be gone, the concept hotels he pioneered still exist in the Poconos. Sure, they seem a little retro today, but that does not mean that the classic concepts no longer work. I have not bathed in a champagne glass, but I have joined my wife in a heart shaped tub and it was surprisingly comfortable and relaxing. And that mirror on the ceiling thing? We’ve had that in a few rooms, and especially when mirrored walls are added, you get all sorts of great views of your partner and it was much more fun than we had anticipated.

Hugh Hefner was quite fond of the round bed, and after having tried one, I understand why. A rectangular bed has a specific orientation and you tend to use it in the regular way or across it. A round bed breaks you free, encouraging you to try all sorts of angles and positions. It really does turn the bed into a lover’s playground. You won’t really get it until you try it.

The best known of the Pocono resorts is the Morris founded Cove Haven Resort in Lakeville, Pennsylvania. It is on the shores of Lake Wallenpaupack, Pennsylvania’s largest man-made lake. They have 225 suites, two restaurants, three bars, and a nightclub. Yes, it is gorgeous in the fall, but they are also open in the winter with ice skating and snowmobiling.

All three resorts owned by Cove Haven feature all-suites with incredible features. The rooms include the Champagne Tower, a huge four level suite with that famous 7 foot tall champagne whirlpool tub, a log burning fireplace, massage table with heat lamp, a glass enclosed heart shaped private pool, and a dry sauna. You can also get your own private pool in some of the other suites. There are lots of rooms with heart shaped tubs, round beds, and glass enclosed showers, and lots of mirrors. There is quite a wide variety of rooms and the various features they have in them.

Paradise Stream Resort in Mount Pocono is the most conveniently located of the three couples-only resorts owned by Cove Haven. A hand painted sign out front welcomes you with “You are now entering the land of love”. It has fewer on-site amenities, but you still get all-suite rooms, wood-burning fireplaces, and heart shaped whirlpool tubs. The smallest of the three, with 144 suites, it still offers two restaurants, two bars, and a nightclub, a racquet club, swim club, billiards, arcade games, and a spa, assuming you actually leave your room.

The Pocono Palace Resort is in Marshalls Creek, and has 189 suites, with two restaurants, a bar, and nightclub. It is on the shores of Echo Lake.

Here is a useful tip- They have a lot of activities during the day, but you can miss out because of the time of your check-in. If you show up early, they can set you up for participating. You also have until 5 pm of the day of checkout to use the facilities.

There is a lot going on at these three resorts, so you will need to take a bit of time going over their web sites to see which one is best for you. Cove Have resorts have become admittedly a little dated, but they are now under new ownership which is working to update things.

The Lodge at Woodloch is an adult-only spa retreat. To preserve the peaceful and tranquil environment, they have a strict cell phone policy that discourages jabbering away in public areas. The rooms are quite beautiful, and the suites offer marble walk-in showers. This is a more relaxing environment than the Cove approach. They have an on-site restaurant, but no nightclub or bars, although alcohol is served in the Library, Horizon Deck, Fireside Patio.

If more low key is your thing, you might consider a Bed and Breakfast. The Gilded Cupid is in an historic home built in 1869 but freshly updated in 1906 with a new addition. It is located in Jim Thorpe, PA. It is a bit like going back in time, rather than time passing it by. There are only three rooms, and you have to call ahead to make reservations and check availability. Using a phone for reservations? How late 1800s. Quite appropriate. I saw nothing about tubs, but I think claw tub is more likely than heart shaped tub.