By Charly SHELTON 

Valentine’s Day is on a Wednesday this year. That’s poor timing. It’s tough to have a romantic getaway when you have to be back at work the next morning. So the bay fog of San Francisco is out and the desert sunsets of Sedona are a no-go; where can you go? Why not try somewhere just far enough away from home to feel like a getaway, but without the hours long commute back to the office? The Hotel Maya in Long Beach is that just right blend of near, yet far, fancy, yet laid-back, extravagant yet affordable. 

Hotel Maya invited my wife and me to stay for a couple of days and see all it has to offer, and we had a great time. Riding surrey bikes along the waterfront to the Queen Mary, shopping at the pier district right across the water, enjoying the pool and jacuzzi, munching on the s’mores kit while sitting around one of the hotel’s firepits, and dining on incredible meals at the hotel restaurant Fuego left little time to sit on our balcony and watch the sunset or lie around our room in the fluffy robes and watch a bad movie on TV. Two days of leisurely activity was a nice little getaway from real life for a while and, not only was it good for a couple to have fun together, it was just nice to recharge. Turn off the email, log out of Facebook and just appreciate what’s around you. And if you’re in the mood to let your hair down and chill, there’s no place better. You won’t be out of place in jeans and a clean shirt; no pretentious airs to put on, just relax. 

And while the rooms are nice with fluffy king beds, sofas and balconies in the deluxe rooms, the hotel grounds are almost more attractive. The whole hotel has a Mayan theme, so think jungle foliage, torches, carved stone artwork and a distinctive Latin flair. The man-made beach area, Playa at the Maya, is a little patch of sand just across the walkway from the water where guests can relax by the firepit or play beach games like giant Jenga or Connect Four. All of this is only a five-minute walk down the shore bayside from the legendary Queen Mary, which has a lot more to see and do than one would expect. We got one of the complimentary surrey bikes (side-by-side bike-mobile) and took a ride over to the boat, locked up our bike and went inside for cocktails and a museum’s worth of exhibits. Then biked home in time for sunset against the Long Beach skyline. 

Dinner at the hotel is fantastic. Its in-lobby restaurant Fuego is a Latin American smorgasbord of flavors, dominated by fresh seafood. Chimichurri steak, spicy lobster guacamole, crab cakes, Brazilian-style braised short rib, ember charred beet or watermelon/jicama/mango/papaya/cucumber salad, three kinds of ceviche, and Maine lobster risotto with shrimp, calamari, crab, chorizo and lemon saffron crema. I could go on and on. I tried one of just about everything I could think of that I liked and they were spectacular. But honestly, my favorite dish was not really even a dish at all. One of the appetizers comes with a mango-chipotle honey salsa. I asked for just a taste of the salsa and the waiter came back with a basket of chips and a trio of salsas – the mango-chipotle honey, a chile de arbol salsa and the fire-roasted tomato salsa. All three of the salsas were extraordinarily good. Salsa is available at any old Mexican restaurant but it’s rare to find one that really knocks your socks off. The fire-roasted tomato salsa did that for me. A perfect blend of not too chunky yet not too watery salsa with a deep, roasty, almost smoky flavor that is balanced out by the fresh tang of the tomato. The mango-chipotle honey deserves an honorable mention. With its huge chunks of mango and a light liquid base, it’s more like a pico de gallo salsa and goes well with the other salsas. The chile de arbol was also good but so spicy I couldn’t eat much of it without its overtaking my tastebuds. 

For those looking for a Valentine’s getaway without getting too far away, come down to Hotel Maya. It’s 40 minutes without traffic and, if you plan your commute right, you won’t be late to work on Feb. 15. And what’s better is the “Be Maya Valentine” special on now. During the month of February, rooms are only $229, and include a water view room upgrade, a bottle of Fuego wine in your room upon arrival and a romantic breakfast in bed the next morning. Seriously, you can’t beat that for a Valentine’s retreat. If you just want to hit the restaurant, Fuego will have a prix fixe four-course dinner including lobster and steak surf ‘n’ turf, jumbo scallops, roast duck, poached halibut and more. Reservations are required, either by phone or their Facebook page, Fuego Long Beach. The dinner is $98 per person and includes complimentary champagne and live music in the restaurant. 

I had a great time at Hotel Maya and if you’re looking for a Valentine’s treat or just a quick stress reliever any time, head down to Long Beach. For more info about the “Be Maya Valentine” special, visit bit.ly/BeMayaValentine.