Where to go on Valentine’s Day

Some people say we are on earth because of two things: to glorify God and to make babies. Thanks to Valentine’s Day, we are given the opportunity to satisfy both the religious and secular interpretations of our existence.

February 14 is actually the death anniversary of a Christian priest named Valentine who was beheaded for marrying couples against the wishes of the Roman emperor in the 2nd century AD. Since then, it has become known as the lover’s holiday, when people of all persuasions can be excused for having only one thing on their minds.

But after having your hair fixed and your best clothes neatly pressed, before you stepped out of your room and drive to pick up your date, ask your self where are you taking your damsel on Valentine’s night.

Saipan may be too small an island compared with other famous cities of the world but it sure has a wide variety of activities and places to spend a romantic night with your special someone.

Hyatt Regency

Hyatt Regency Saipan offers couples and friends a once-in-a-lifetime fanciful evening in all four of the hotel’s special restaurants, plus a rocking and rolling night at Gilligan’s.

Hyatt’s world-class chefs is preparing a Romantically Red dinner at Giovanni’s for $50 per person that comes along with a complimentary glass of champagne.

How about treating yourself and your date with a steak and seafood set menu in a wonderful Valentines at Teppanyaki’s for just $75 per person? The package includes a complimentary glass of champagne.

Valentine Dinner Cupid Buffet at the Kili Cafe and Terrace promises to be a nice treat for the entire family at only $28 for adults and $14 for children 5-12 years old. A voluptuous dinner that goes with a complimentary Kir Royal.

Hyatt’s Miyako Restaurant is providing couples with a $48 per person Valentine Kaiseki Menu dinner. After the dinner, a multi-talented Filipino band of six musicians that has been sending Gilligan’s rocking and rolling promises to be a wonderful dancing treat for Valentine’s night-outers.

Hotel Nikko

A romantic night in a quite and serene environment that allow couples to have the rare opportunity to renew their pledges of love for each other is what makes Hotel Nikko the place to be on the night of Valentine’s Day.

Enjoy a special candle light dinner at Restaurant & Bar La Fiesta that includes complimentary glasses of champagne and a rose for the lady at $30 per person. The restaurant offers 20 percent discount to local customers.

This year’s Valentine will also be an evening of fine dining and romance at Hotel Nikko’s Serena Restaurant for only $55 per person plus a glass of champagne.

The hotel also prepared a romantic getaway that allows local couples to check in at a promotional rate of only $100 on February 14. The package includes a welcome drink, complimentary buffet breakfast or Sunday brunch and a late 2:00pm check out time.

One of the hotel’s romantic dinners or the exceptional room rate or both makes Hotel Nikko Saipan truly the place to spend Valentine’s Day.

Aqua Resort Club

Proud of its big share of the local market, Aqua Resort Club prides itself of the island hospitality demonstrated in its service that makes the facility different from the rest.

As it anticipates a large volume of people rushing to the facility, Aqua Resort Club is requiring reservation for its Romance in the Tropics celebration of this special occasion.

Its Valentine’s Day promotion, being a fine dining of genuine French cuisine, sets Aqua Resort Club’s Raraina apart from other restaurants. At only $140, Paradise Love couples get a flower for the lady, a bottle of Moet & Chandon champagne, a box of chocolates and a glass of cognac. Island Romance, at $110, comes with a
flower for the lady, a box of chocolates and two glasses of French champagne.

Menu for both packages include champagne cocktail, Terrine of Venison, “En Brioche” with Portwine aspic, Halibut and Salmon Medaillons on Saffron and Herb sauces, Angel hair pasta, lime sherbet with vodka, chateaubriand of certified angus beef, mushrooms and sauce fleurie, gratin dauphinois potatoes, selected vegetables, floating hearts on vanilla sauce and strawberries, and coffee, tea or espresso and mignardises.

Golden Island Restaurant

Barely a year and a half since its grand opening in September 1998, Golden Island Restaurant in front of Saipan Grand Hotel in Susupe has become one of the most popular dine-out places in the island.

With its original Chinese cuisine and delicacies, Golden Island Restaurant exerted not much effort to satisfy Saipan food lovers’ discriminating taste and craving for Oriental dishes.

The restaurant offers to-die for Oriental dishes at reasonable prices that range from $9 to $20 per dish served in large course that could already gratify four persons.

Golden Island Restaurant owner Norman Chan worked in several restaurants in Paris and Canada for two years before he eventually migrated to the Northern Marianas, where he now practice what he has learned from his previous employment. Mr. Chan founded the Jade Garden Restaurant along Beach Road. He also runs a noodle house at the
Crystal Palace in downtown Garapan.

The restaurant is popular for its custom-made menus. It specializes in seafood dishes prepared the original Cantonese and Sichuan style by Chef Pao Han Luo who has worked in major hotels and restaurants in mainland China.

Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino

Home to the biggest chandelier of its kind and the widest lobby in the Northern Mariana Islands, Tinian Dynasty Hotel and Casino is definitely one of the best places to be on Valentine’s Day.

Tinian Dynasty is a paradise for couples wishing to spend a night together in one of the hotel’s worldclass rooms at only $40 per night on weekends for CNMI and Guam residents.

The hotel also offers the cheapest Valentine’s Day packages at $99 that include a one-night stay, dinner at a restaurant of the customers’ choice with a glass of wine, a Jackpot Lounge show plus free roundtrip ferry tickets between Saipan and Tinian.

For the busy career-driven couples who don’t have the benefit of time, a $65-package that comes with an A la carte Chargrill dinner or buffet dinner at Broadway Restaurant plus a glass of wine, a Jackpot Lounge show, and free roundtrip ferry tickets.

The budget-conscious couples can also avail of an A la carte Chargrill or buffet dinner at Broadway Restaurant complimented with one free round of drink plus roundtrip tickets between Saipan and Tinian.