Well for sure there’s no argument about a shortage of things to do here in Orlando.  But, what if you could peel away – guilt free –  from the kids, pets, house projects, laundry, lawn mowing and other distractions that keep us adults from going out and having a little romantic grown up fun as a two-some?  Where would you go?  Pull up a barstool and let’s chat, because I’ve got some great ideas for you, some of which you’ve probably never even considered because they involve, well, going out into the tourist corridor. (ba-dump)

I know what you’re thinking. Mon Dieu!  Is the Hive lady drinking too much butter beer?  Well that would be no, because I would never, not ever, suggest to anyone who lives in Otown that they visit a theme park for a romantic date night, and in particular during summer months. (Well, technically, that would be a hot summer date, but again, not the path I’m leading you down today.)  That said, let me share just a few of the date night gems I know about ‘out there’ and you can be the butter-beer judge.

For starters, here’s an excellent offer for a  Friday night special that our friends at the Hyatt Regency Orlando are running just through the summer months in their oh-so-stylish and en vogue Fiorenzo Italian Steakhouse.

They’ve even given it a catchy name:  Classic Charm.  Modern Tastes.  Free Wine, and here’s the deal:  you get  a complimentary bottle of Robert Mondavi wine with the purchase of two entrees. Plus, they sweeten the financial incentive by including free valet parking with the deal, so now you can’t even try that ‘the parking is too expensive to go out there’ excuse.  And trust me, this Italian dinner is a whole lot less expensive than that trip to Italy you two have been talking about.  But remember, offer only good on Friday nights this summer, so go ahead and call 407-345-4570 for those reservations, and make sure to ask for a nice table to impress your date, okay?

And right across the street at the Rosen Plaza Hotel you’ll find another sweet offer.  This one includes an overnight stay in addition to gourmet dinner at Jack’s Place followed by complimentary entrance (including those first two drinks) at their trendy new lounge, Club 39.

Haven’t yet heard about Club 39?  You really need to get out more.  In my humble hospitality opinion it’s the closest thing Orlando has to a Las Vegas nightclub complete with VIP lounge, high energy dance floor,  seating inside or step out the door and go poolside, a temptingly spicy menu, combination of live shows and DJ’s .  Yeah, this is the real deal.  And with this weekend dinner and dance getaway package you can dance yourself silly as late as you want because all you have to do is press the elevator button to get to bed when the party’s over.  But wait, there’s more!  Breakfast the next morning is also included, and don’t forget that ALL Rosen hotels offer free wi-fi ALL the time because we know your fingers are never on vacation from that addiction, right?

Finally, if the above options sound a little too calm and ‘hotelish’ for you, maybe it’s time you learned about Velvet Sessions over at the Hard Rock Hotel at Universal Orlando.

These are featured on the last Thursday of every month (Jan through Oct), and if you’ve never been it’s time to take the plunge.  Big.  Bold.  In-your-face rock and roll, but in a very chic and urbane way because that’s what Hard Rock Hotels are all about.  No diner with this package but check/check/check on the comp finger foods, specialty drinks, and valet parking.  Then there’s that music. The upcoming session on July 30 will feature A Flock of Seagulls (which could have special meaning if you’ve also spent the day at the beach. . .), another fab four that came out of Liverpool (not to be confused with THE fab four).

So there you have it.  Just a few quick suggestions that might be tempting enough to lull a local out of the comfort of your usual Brio or Outback or Ruth’s Chris.  And if you can’t add a little adventure to your date nights in the summer, when will you?