Agoda.com has announced lists of its most popular destinations as chosen by couples from various regions, as well as amazing hotel deals in Paris and Rome, two of the perennial favorite romantic cities.

(TRAVPR.COM) SINGAPORE - January 23rd, 2013 - Agoda.com, Asia's leading hotel booking site and part of Nasdaq-listed Priceline Group (Nasdaq:PCLN), has announced lists of its most popular destinations as chosen by couples from various regions, as well as amazing hotel deals in Paris and Rome, two of the perennial favorite romantic cities.

But as Agoda.com looked into preferred travel habits, there were some interesting differences between Asian and European couples and where they preferred to go. While Asian couples on vacation in Europe preferred to head to Venice and Amsterdam, European couples chose Barcelona and Budapest. Similar differences were seen in Asia; while Asian couples set their sights on Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo, Japan didn't even place for Europeans, who preferred Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Singapore.

Of course, all of this comes just in time for Valentine's Day. Everyone knows the story of Saint Valentine - at least, most people know some sanitized romantic version of the story, be it a criminal pining for a lost love, a priest who performed banned Christian weddings, or a prisoner who healed the blind daughter of a local magistrate.

Most historians believe that he was a third century Roman, but tales about him have become jumbled and hyperbolic over the centuries. His connection to courtship and love was likely popularized in stories by Geoffrey Chaucer in the late 1300's, and by the mid-1800's February 14th had turned into a full-fledged cultural event in most western countries.

Today, the act of finding the most romantic gift or dinner location is an annual rite of passage for almost everyone who has - or wants - a sweetheart. Indeed, the celebration is no longer constrained by traditional gifts or ideas, and with increasingly sophisticated technology enabling greater travel options and ways to stay in touch, couples who want to add a bit of pizazz to their Valentine's Day plans can now easily head off on a quick getaway to an interesting new destination.

But where's the best place to go? With that question in mind, take a look at the favorite couples' destinations as chosen by Agoda.com customers below.

And don't forget - if a more traditional romantic city is in order, Agoda.com is offering the following deals on hotels in France and Italy:

Special Valentine's Deals in Paris and Rome: Customers who book a hotel in Paris or Rome with Agoda.com will receive a 20 euro discount off of their stay. Offer limited to 5,000 customers and must be accessed here: http://www.agoda.com/valentines

Top five romantic destinations as chosen by Asian couples going to Europe

1)      Venice, Italy
2)      Barcelona, Spain
3)      Amsterdam, the Netherlands
4)      London, England
5)      Paris, France  

Top five romantic destinations as chosen by Asian couples in Asia

1)      Boracay/Caticlan, the Philippines
2)      Chiang Mai, Thailand
3)      Kyoto, Japan
4)      Osaka, Japan
5)      Tokyo, Japan

Top five romantic destinations as chosen by European couples going to Asia

1)      Bangkok, Thailand
2)      Chiang Mai, Thailand
3)      Singapore
4)      Hong Kong
5)      Bali, Indonesia

Top five romantic destinations as chosen by European couples in Europe

1)      Paris, France
2)      Barcelona, Spain
3)      Budapest, Hungary
4)      London, England
5)      Rome, Italy

To connect with Agoda.com for special deals on hotels worldwide, please visit our website at www.agoda.com. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/agoda or add us to one of your Google+ circles at http://plus.google.com/+agoda

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