America’s Most (and Least) Enchanting Destinations for a Valentine’s Day Getaway – and Michigan Ranks 32nd

Photo by Pixabay

Article courtesy of The Resorts Collection

• Rhode Island is officially the capital of romance. Texas, Washington, New York, and Ohio round out the top five states.
• The study examined the number of comments on hotels, restaurants, landmarks, and nature and parks on Tripadvisor to determine the most romantic states for a romantic Valentine’s Day getaway.
• Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Arizona, and Kentucky are the least romantic states in America.
  

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, couples across the U.S. are searching for the perfect place to reconnect, escape routine, or even pop the question.

New research reveals which states truly set the scene for romance – and it’s not always the usual suspects. The study, conducted by luxury travel advisors The Resorts Collection, looked at how often the word “romantic” had been used in Tripadvisor comments on hotels, restaurants, landmarks, and nature and parks in each U.S. state.

The states with the highest romantic comment count per 100,000 comments have been named the best destinations for a Valentine’s Day escape.

Michigan findings

In 32nd place is Michigan, recording 998 romantic mentions per 100,000 comments. Hotels generated 166 romantic mentions, while restaurants contributed with 418 mentions. Landmarks and nature and park attractions accounted for 185 and 229 mentions, respectively.

Michigan ranks below Ohio (5th) and Wisconsin (23rd), but above Indiana (37th).

The 10 best U.S. states for a romantic getaway:

Rhode Island is the number one best state for romance. An analysis of Tripadvisor reviews found that 2,100 out of 100,000 comments included the word “romantic.” Of these, 173 out of 100,000 comments referred to hotels, while 403 related to nature and park attractions – 50.4% and 93.7% above the national average, respectively.

Texas ranks second, with 1,787 out of 100,000 Tripadvisor comments including the word “romantic.” The state’s restaurants are especially popular among couples, generating 1,261 romantic mentions per 100,000 comments – 81.1% above the national average. Landmarks also stand out, with 196 romantic mentions per 100,000 comments for attractions such as the San Antonio River Walk and the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden.

According to the study, Washington is the third-best state for romantic getaways, with 1,753 out of 100,000 comments mentioning the word “romantic,” 1,133 of which for restaurants. Located in the Pacific Northwest, the state is home to countless natural wonders that make for perfect proposal backdrops, including the Hoh Rain Forest. So, it’s no surprise to see 368 out of 100,000 Tripadvisor comments for nature and park attractions included the word “romantic,” 76.9% above the national average.

New York is the fourth-best state for a romantic vacation. According to the study, 1,734 out of every 100,000 Tripadvisor comments across restaurants, hotels, landmarks, and nature and park attractions included the word “romantic.” Out of these, 110 out of every 100,000 comments were for hotels, and 1,344 out of every 100,000 comments were for restaurants, 4.3% and 93.1% higher than the national benchmark, respectively.

In fifth place, with 1,716 out of every 100,000 Tripadvisor comments featuring the word “romantic,” is Ohio. There were 227 romantic mentions per 100,000 comments for the state’s landmarks, such as the Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, which is 44.5% higher than the national average. Also 168.5% above the national benchmark are the state’s nature and park attractions, which had 290 romantic mentions per 100,000 comments.

Vermont ranks as the sixth-best state for couples looking to rekindle their romance. According to the study, 1,681 out of every 100,000 Tripadvisor comments for the state’s attractions featured the word “romantic,” including 946 out of every 100,000 comments for restaurants. The state’s hotels also generated 317 romantic mentions per 100,000 comments, 175.6% higher than the national benchmark.

In eighth place is Oklahoma, where 1,588 out of 100,000 Tripadvisor comments included the word “romantic.” The state’s restaurants stand out in particular, accounting for 1,167 romantic mentions per 100,000 comments, while landmarks and nature and park attractions contributed 151 and 167 mentions per 100,000 comments, respectively.

Hawaii takes ninth place, with 1,572 romantic mentions per 100,000 comments overall. Restaurants are the biggest driver of romance in the state, generating 1,279 romantic mentions per 100,000 comments, the highest restaurant score outside the top five. Hotels and nature and park attractions contributed 91 and 141 romantic mentions per 100,000 comments.

Rounding out the top ten is Oregon, with 1,528 romantic mentions per 100,000 Tripadvisor comments. The state performs strongly for landmarks and outdoor experiences, with 204 romantic mentions per 100,000 comments for landmarks and 264 for nature and park attractions.

The 10 worst U.S. states for a romantic getaway:

In contrast, Montana is the least romantic state, with 587 romantic mentions per 100,000 comments. In the state, the fewest romantic comments were for landmarks, at 73 per 100,000 comments, and for nature and park attractions, at 75 per 100,000 comments – 53.5% and 63.9% below the national average, respectively.

Wyoming ranks second from the bottom. The state’s hotels, restaurants, landmarks, and nature and park attractions generated 595 romantic mentions per 100,000 Tripadvisor comments. Of these, 21 per 100,000 comments were for landmarks – 86.6% below the national average – while 93 per 100,000 comments related to hotels, 19.1% below the national benchmark.

In third-last place is South Dakota, which recorded 613 romantic mentions per 100,000 Tripadvisor comments overall. Romantic references were particularly scarce for landmarks, at just 23 per 100,000 comments, while hotels generated 79 romantic mentions. Nature and park attractions performed slightly better at 85 mentions per 100,000 comments, but still fell well below the national average.

Ranking fourth from the bottom is Arizona, with 679 out of every 100,000 Tripadvisor comments for the state’s attractions featured the word “romantic.” The state saw 422 romantic mentions for restaurants, but much lower engagement elsewhere, including 66 for hotels and 90 for nature and park attractions. While landmarks performed relatively better at 101 mentions, overall scores suggest Arizona’s appeal skews more toward sightseeing than romance-focused travel.

Kentucky rounds out the bottom five, recording 766 romantic mentions per 100,000 comments. Landmarks accounted for 184 romantic mentions, but hotels and restaurants lagged behind with 68 and 405 mentions, respectively. Nature and park attractions also underperformed at 110 romantic mentions per 100,000 comments, limiting the state’s Valentine’s Day appeal.

Just outside the bottom five is Kansas, which placed sixth from last with 779 romantic mentions per 100,000 comments. While nature and park attractions generated 209 romantic mentions, hotels recorded just 88, and restaurants 359, both well below national averages. Landmarks contributed 123 romantic mentions, leaving Kansas firmly in the lower tier.

In joint seventh place from the bottom are Missouri and California, both recording 798 romantic mentions per 100,000 comments. Missouri posted relatively even scores across categories, including 432 for restaurants, 142 for landmarks, and 142 for nature and park attractions, but no single category stood out strongly enough to boost its overall ranking.

California’s placement is more unexpected, given its global reputation. Despite generating 402 romantic mentions for restaurants and 134 for hotels, the state recorded just 92 romantic mentions for landmarks and 170 for nature and park attractions, suggesting that heavy visitor volumes may dilute romantic sentiment in traveller reviews.

In eighth-from-last position is Alabama, with 801 out of 100,000 comments mentioning the word “romantic.” Nature and park attractions performed relatively well at 211 romantic mentions, and landmarks generated 198, but hotels (62) and restaurants (331) scored notably lower, keeping Alabama among the least romantic states overall.

Alaska ranks ninth from the bottom, recording 833 romantic mentions per 100,000 comments. Hotels were a relative bright spot with 357 romantic mentions, but both landmarks and nature and park attractions recorded just 40 mentions each, the lowest combined outdoor scores among the bottom ten.

Rounding out the bottom ten is North Dakota, with 855 romantic mentions per 100,000 comments. Restaurants accounted for 647 romantic mentions, but landmarks recorded only 37, while nature and park attractions generated 104, limiting the state’s overall appeal as a Valentine’s Day destination.

“Valentine’s Day tends to make people think differently about travel,” says Florian Pauly, co-founder of The Resorts Collection. “Instead of chasing big itineraries or packed schedules, couples are usually looking for places that feel special – somewhere they can slow down, enjoy good food, and actually spend quality time together.

“What stands out about this study is that it’s based on how travelers actually talk about their experiences, not how places try to sell themselves. When people call a place ‘romantic’ in their own reviews, it’s usually because something about the experience really stuck with them.

“Whether that’s a cozy coastal break in Rhode Island or a nature-led escape in the Pacific Northwest, these are the kinds of places people remember fondly and want to go back to.”

Sources

• Tripadvisor

Methodology

1. This campaign examined the number of times the word “romantic” was mentioned in Tripadvisor comments for hotels, restaurants, landmarks, and nature and parks in each U.S. state.
2. The data was then ranked per 100,000 comments to allow for fair comparisons between differing sized states, and the states with the highest romantic comment count per 100,000 were named the most romantic.

See full data below: