10 great places to stage a romantic scene

— -- There's nothing better than a good romantic movie for Valentine's Day — unless, of course, you can make it to the place where the romantic movie was filmed. Paris Permenter, co-publisher of lovetripper.com, shares her list of favorite filming locales with Ron Schoolmeester for USA TODAY.

Grand Hotel Mackinac Island, Mich. Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour may have been billed as the leads in the 1980 cult classic Somewhere in Time, but Mackinac Island's Grand Hotel also played a starring role, Permenter says. A particularly good time to visit is the second weekend in October for a Somewhere in Time celebration that includes stops at places made famous in the film. "Any time couples visit, though, they can take in the movie locations, from the 660-foot-long porch where the film's hero spent his first night in 1912, to the spot where Richard Collier and Elise McKenna first met (marked with a plaque among the trees)." 800-334-7263; grandhotel.com

From Here to Eternity BeachOahu, Hawaii Perhaps no movie kiss is more memorable than the one shared by Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr in the 1953 movie From Here to Eternity. "Their romp in the sand took place on what was called Halona Cove but has since become known as the From Here to Eternity Beach," says Permenter. "Just as it was in 1953, the small beach is set on an intimate cove surrounded by craggy cliffs that discourage many tourists from making the fairly steep climb down to the sand." 800-464-2924; gohawaii.com

Round Hill Hotel & Villas Montego Bay, Jamaica A favorite with red-carpet travelers (Ralph Lauren owns one of the villas, and names like Paul McCartney and Harrison Ford pop up in the guest book), this elegant resort was the setting for 1998's film How Stella Got Her Groove Back. "Ask for Villa 11 to create your own Angela Bassett-Taye Diggs moment," Permenter says. 800-972-2159; roundhilljamaica.com

The Tides Inn Port Townsend, Wash. "Request a stay in the suite where romance ignited between U.S. Navy aviation officer candidate Zack Mayo and local girl Paula Pokrifki, and you'll receive the key to Room 10 at The Tides Inn," Permenter says. Its windows still frame the same view of Port Townsend Bay that actors Richard Gere and Debra Winger saw during the filming of the 1982 movie An Officer and a Gentleman. 800-822-8696; tides-inn.com

Trump Wollman Skating RinkNew York City "Cold weather and romance go hand-in-hand," Permenter says. With a backdrop of the Manhattan skyline, one of the most romantic experiences in New York City is ice skating at Wollman Skating Rink in Central Park, just as Ali McGraw and Ryan O'Neal did in 1970's Love Story. "For about the price of lunch, the two of you can rent skates and take to the ice, hold hands, and feel like the whole city is at your feet." 212-439-6900; wollmanskatingrink.com

Mountain Lake Hotel Pembroke, Va. Dirty Dancing aficionados are still having the time of their lives at the Mountain Lake Resort. "This seasonal Appalachian property (doubling for the Catskills in the 1987 movie) played the role of Kellerman's Resort in the coming-of-age story," Permenter says. Come for one of the Dirty Dancing weekends, featuring a tour of film locations, a trivia contest and, of course, dirty dancing. "Couples can ask for Room 232, where Patrick Swayze stayed during the film's production." 800-346-3334; mtnlakehotel.com

InterContinental Carlton Cannes Cannes, France In the 1955 Alfred Hitchcock film To Catch a Thief, this hotel, overlooking the Bay of Cannes, served as an elegant backdrop for Cary Grant as he set out to snag a jewel thief and for Grace Kelly as she attempted to catch a husband. "For the seductive view of the fireworks-lit bay that Kelly and Grant shared, ask for a corner suite (Room 623 for real sticklers)," Permenter says. 888-424-6835; ichotelsgroup.com

Fontainebleau Miami BeachMiami Beach "The 1992 movie The Bodyguard (starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston) showed the world the romantic side of the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, which had also been featured in other less lovey-dovey movies like Goldfinger and Scarface," Permenter says. "You might find yourself humming I Will Always Love You if you pop in the Grand Ballroom where Whitney sang the hit in the movie. Other cinematic sights: the Governor's Suite, which served as the setting for an on-screen party, and the LIV nightclub (once the Tropigala nightclub) which pulsated to a Whitney Houston concert in the film." 305-538-2000; fontainebleau.com

Chatsworth HouseDerbyshire, Great Britain "Moviegoers looked through the eyes of Jane Austen when Chatsworth House appeared on screen in the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice," Permenter says. Visit the Painted Hall, where Lizzie's tour of Pemberley begins in the movie, and the Sculpture Gallery, where Keira Knightley as the heroine comes face-to-face with a carved bust of her future suitor, Mr. Darcy. Chatsworth House is open to the public from mid-March through December, but the grounds, also featured in the film, can be toured year-round. chatsworth.org

The View Point InnCorbett, Ore. "During its first incarnation in the 1920s, silent-screen legend Charlie Chaplin and President Franklin Roosevelt were visitors at this inn overlooking the Columbia River Gorge," Permenter says. "After years of lying dormant, the Tudor Arts and Crafts-inspired property has been resurrected, and today fans who were spellbound by the 2008 movie Twilight can dine in the area where the students of Forks High School held their prom, and spend the night in the Roosevelt Suite, where the last moments of the movie took place." 503-695-5811; theviewpointinn.com