In one sense, there is the buzz of two people being away from home, breaking the monotony of everyday life to discover a new location or returning to a favourite old haunt. Suddenly, anything seems possible. Perhaps, even more of a turn-on is the hotel itself. And in today?s hotel market, sexiness sells.

Every hotel has its own sales strategy; there are some, such as the new Adam & Eve on the Turkish coast, that boldly flaunt their couple-friendly credentials, while others, like the Plaza Athenee in Paris, simply let their product do the talking. Think of it as the difference between a cover girl, whose sole purpose is to ooze sexuality from every pore, and a Hollywood actress who has earned stardom through talent first, looks second.

Whether you are after the hotel equivalent of a bottle-blonde bombshell or a sophisticated seductress, a few golden rules remain: fine weather can only help your cause, a hint of decadence will go a long way and, whatever you do, don?t even think about splitting the bill. Here are GQ?s suggestions for six hotels to help you go large or go home:

Hotel Aleph, Rome, Italy

Where else but in Rome could you come up with a hotel concept inspired by Dante?s paradise, purgatory and hell? Designer Adam Tihany injected a provocative twist of both good and evil into the Aleph?s six floors and internal courtyard. His end creation is a sultry red, white and black temple to temptation that suggests guests pay at least temporary visits to the dark side.

The blood red ground floor restaurant and wine bar constitute the 'Sin' zone of the hotel while a top-floor, open-air terrace is deliberately named '7th Heaven'. Sensibly, the bedrooms are restrained, with celestially-inspired whites, greys and blues dominating, as if Tihany explicitly avoided the stereotyped, 'sexy' red and black boudoirs.

He lets loose again in the hotel's spa area, however, where sensory hedonism a la ancient Rome is the name of the game. Look out for the 'Romantic Escape' spa package, a two-hour treatment for couples that leaves them relaxed, energised and ready for absolution. www.trevihotels.com.

The Clubhouse, Chamonix, France

Coming from the same stable as the Milk & Honey bars in London and New York, The Clubhouse is a savvy 21st Century take on the traditional European ski chalet. Here, re-interpreted as a modern boutique hotel and members bar with bed, breakfast and dinner included in the price of every room, this deliberately low-key mountain mansion disguises some of the most progressive accommodation in the Alps, including a top-floor suite with a difference.

Named after the makers of the luxurious in-room sex toys on offer in the mini-bar, the Myla Suite has double-aspect windows providing views onto the Mont Blanc massif by day and pristine alpine skies by night. A custom-made 2.7m-wide bed with a slinky animal skin bed throw, crisp white cotton sheets and a warm, natural colour palette suggests couples may like to skip the customary bar crawl in favour of their own apres-ski activities back at base camp each evening.

Add the complete seclusion that comes from its position in what was once an attic, and, dare we say it, cracking a rib on day one might not be such a bad thing after all. www.clubhouse-chamonix.com

Adam & Eve Hotel, Antalya, Turkey

Reflecting the tastes of an emerging class of nouveaux-riche Turks, the Adam & Eve does not do things by halves. The hotel?s 104-metre outdoor pool is one of the longest in the world and its equally long bar sits within an atrium space decorated with five million mosaic mirror tiles. Anyone would think that they had something to prove. In fact, after launching themselves as 'the world?s sexiest hotel', they probably do.

The bedrooms act as light boxes with white-on-white decor and mirror-lined lateral walls. When combined with LED lights in the ceiling, guests can control the colour and mood of their room at the flick of a switch. A sound-sensitive 'disco' setting blacks things out till a noise is made on the floor or bed that prompts a flash of strobe lighting, perfect for those late night dancing sessions, or similar.

On the hotel?s grounds, you?ll find every kind of supine support from beach cabanas to semi-submerged pool loungers and, er, wipe-clean daybeds.

The queen-size mattress placed unceremoniously on the floor of the rooms may therefore be something of an anti-climax as far as hotel beds go, but perhaps it is just the owners? way of encouraging a little more experimentation from their guests? www.adamevehotels.com

The Standard, Miami, USA

American hotelier Andre Balazs has model good looks, counts Uma Thurman among his past girlfriends and has single-handedly redefined the boutique hotel category thanks to his Standard hotels.

These hotels are anything but standard. They are designed explicitly for Generation-X however, so think twice before booking your parents into an adjacent room.

The Standard Miami is the ultimate expression of the Balazs approach. Room categories such as ?Missionary?, ?Wet X-Large? and ?Full Spread? give a hint of what to expect, but it is in the spa area where things really heat up. 'Hurts so Good' and 'A Quickie' spa treatments are obvious attention-seekers but the tongue-in-chic persona goes further by encouraging use of the spa facilities by both sexes and proclaims a 'clothing optional' dress policy. The result of all this is a playful attitude that gels with the year-round sunshine, semi-naked bodies by the pool and the liveliest nightlife in America. www.standardhotels.com

Hotel Plaza Athenee, Paris, France

Paris: arguably the world?s most romantic city. So where better for Sex and the City?s Carrie Bradshaw and her Mr Big finally to get it on than here, the city of lights? And where better for them to base their liaison than the uber-luxurious Plaza Athenee.

The hotel is approaching its centenary year, yet manages to marry ancien regime sophistication and new world chic. The result is a bulging reservations book and some of the highest room rates in town. So book early and bring a credit card or three, it will be worth every Euro.

Located on Avenue Montaigne, 'Le Plaza' has bedroom views of the Eiffel Tower, a courtyard to charm even the most hard-nosed of fashionistas and a 3-Michelin star restaurant under the auspices of one of the world?s greatest chefs, Alain Ducasse.

Legendary barman Thierry Hernandez hosts a late-night bar where hotel guests can work through his cocktail menu, knowing that they have made it into one of the few perennially cool nightspots in the city. www.plaza-athenee-paris.com

Matt Morley is a consultant at The Hospitality Partners, Cape Town.