• A luxurious weekend getaway usually includes a great spa.spa image by BVDC from Fotolia.com
  
  After a long week at the office, many Americans enjoy weekend trips for a quick escape from reality. It seems as though thoughts of relaxing massages, waiters with fruity umbrella drinks serving you poolside and sleeping until noon are what get you through the workweek prior to your luxurious weekend getaway. So leave your kids with Grandma and Grandpa, grab your spouse -- purely optional -- and hit the road for 48 hours of luxury.
  
  

Pelican Hill Newport Beach

• Pelican Hill is situated high atop a vista overlooking the Pacific Ocean on Southern California's coveted Newport Coast. Each of the guestrooms and bungalows feature ocean views, fireplaces and private terraces on which you can watch the sunset over the Pacific. The Spa at Pelican Hill features more than 20 treatment rooms in which you get to indulge yourself in relaxing and luxurious spa treatments ranging from massages to facials and body treatments. The staff at Pelican Hill wants to ensure your weekend getaway is as relaxing as possible and is ready to assist you in making dining reservations at one of the Pelican's five restaurants and appointment times for your spa day. The Pelican is located minutes from Crystal Cove and Fashion Island, two high-end, oceanfront shopping plazas featuring stores and restaurants such as Neiman Marcus, Pink Wasabi, the Cheesecake Factory and Javier's. Newport Harbor, the country's largest boating harbor is less than 10 minutes from the hotel, and guests can arrange to charter a yacht, rent Duffy boats or take sunset cruises through the harbor, stopping at the many harbor-side restaurants and having up-close views of the multimillion dollar homes Orange County is famous for.
  
  Pelican Hill
  
  22701 Pelican Hill Road South
  
  Newport Coast, CA 92657
  
  800-315-8214
  
  pelicanhill.com
  
  

Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island

• Along the northernmost beaches of Florida's Atlantic Coast, the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island is a luxurious, private beachfront resort providing guests the utmost in luxury getaways. Amelia Island is a very laid-back island north of Jacksonville. Guests of the Ritz enjoy the fact that the hotel is set apart from the hustle and bustle of city life. The island is home to cobblestone streets, museums, shops and restaurants. The Ritz offers oceanfront dining in all five of its restaurants and bars. Guests can head outdoors to the courtyard of the Ritz and lounge in overstuffed couches in front of rock fire pits overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, where you can roast marshmallows or order a glass of wine from the staff of the lobby bar. The spa is oceanfront, with relaxation areas along the ocean where you can breathe in the salty sea air or lie in a hammock away from the rest of the hotel guests in between spa treatments.
  
  Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island
  
  4750 Amelia Island Pkwy
  
  Amelia Island, FL 32034
  
  904-277-1100
  
  ritzcarlton.com
  
  

Hotel Plaza Athenee New York

• New York City might not seem like a relaxing, luxurious weekend trip destination at first, but few cities are as luxurious as NYC. Fifth Avenue, 5-Star Restaurants and hotels as luxurious at the Hotel Plaza Athenee, located on Manhattan's Upper East Side make NYC a luxurious weekend getaway. All of the Plaza Athenee's guestrooms feature marble bathrooms and Italian linens. Suites feature hardwood floors and glass-enclosed terraces with views of Manhattan. Bar Seine is a Moroccan-themed lounge with luxurious couches, deep chairs and expensive artwork where guests go to enjoy cocktails. Arabelle is the only on-site restaurant at the Plaza Athenee, which features a romantic dining experience three meals a day. The Spa at the Plaza Athenee will make you forget you are in the middle of the busiest city in the country as you relax with a cup of tea in the luxurious treatment rooms in between massages and facials. The Plaza Athenee sits between Madison and Park Avenues, only blocks from 5th Avenue, Bloomingdales and Central Park.
  
  Hotel Plaza Athenee New York
  
  37 E. 64th St. at Madison Ave.
  
  New York, NY 10065
  
  212-734-9100
  
  plaza-athenee.com