By Amy Wolf, Sunset travel editor

Eleven day 'til Valentine's Day. Are you ready? I'm not. But there's hope for all of us, especially now that the February issue of Sunset is out, featuring 20 romantic escapes (for under $250!) all around the West.

We interviewed sociologist and sexologist Dr. Pepper Schwartz, of the University of Washington, on how to make the big night special. Check it out.

In the meantime, I just came across a screaming deal offered by  Larkspur Hotels: Book a reservation for any night in February, including Valentine's Day, before February 14, and if you use this promo code—TR9899LOVE—you'll get a whopping 40% off, plus a bottle of chilled champagne—the perfect thing for a toast to love in a time of recession. Though all the hotels listed on their site sound promising, here are a few I can personally vouch for.

The following hotels are eligible for the deal:

In the Bay Area:

Larkspur Landing Pleasanton
The Lodge at Tiburon (pictured at left)

In Los Angeles:
The Belamar Hotel

In and around Sacramento:
Larkspur Landing Folsom
Larkspur Landing Roseville
Larkspur Landing Sacramento

In San Francisco:
Hotel Abri
Larkspur Hotel Union Square
Larkspur Landing South San Francisco
Villa Florence (pictured at left)

In the Silicon Valley/Monterey area:
Casa Munras (Monterey)
Larkspur Landing Campbell
Larkspur Landing Milpitas
Larkspur Landing Sunnyvale
PruneYard Plaza Hotel
Toll House Hotel
The Sainte Claire

In Portland:

Larkspur Landing Hillsboro
RiverPlace Hotel

In Seattle:

Larkspur Landing Bellevue
Larkspur Landing Renton