Chuck and Ann Hillestad are a couple...

Chuck and Ann Hillestad are a couple of romantics whose Queen Anne Inn in Denver has been the recipient of endless awards. One describes it as a “Love Inn.” Another calls it “One of the 10 best romantic inns in America.”

Rooms are furnished with canopied and antique brass beds. One comes with a window seat overlooking the garden. Another faces a park.

The Hillestads’ 1879 inn rises in Clements Historical District (five blocks north of the capitol). A grand oak staircase leads to guest rooms on the upper floors. For newlyweds, the Hillestads will order up a violinist or a mandolinist to crank out mood music. Guests help themselves to fresh lemonade and wine.

Endless bids are received for the Tower Room, with its queen-sized bed, Laura Ashley comforter and a love seat with matching patterns. In keeping with the love theme, Chuck Hillestad has authored a list of “50 of the most romantic things to do in Denver,” including a tour of the city by horse-drawn carriage.

The Queen Anne Inn, 2147 Tremont Place, Denver, Colo. 80205, (800) 432-4667. Ten rooms with views of the Rockies or downtown Denver. Rates: $54/$124. The Hillestads provide maps for walking tours of Denver.

Denver’s Other Romantic Hideaway: Like the Hillestads’ Queen Anne Inn, Diane and Jim Peiker’s Castle Marne is another of Denver’s romantic hideaways. “On weekends we usually have a half-dozen newlyweds,” says Diane. “During the week we get loads of businessmen and women.”

Castle Marne was the residence of a 19th-Century silver baron. This past Tuesday marked the inn’s 102nd anniversary. The three-story landmark was designed by William Lang, who also did the famed Molly Brown house. Loads of antiques, fresh flowers, family heirlooms. Jim Peiker is an ex-traveling salesman; Diane a schoolteacher. Daughter Melissa is on hand to greet guests and keep the romance theme alive. A gourmet breakfast is featured, along with afternoon tea, scones, sandwiches. This old inn with its nine rooms (all with private baths) does business near Denver’s Botanic Gardens.

Castle Marne, 1572 Race St., Denver 80206, (800) 926-2763. Rates: $75/$145.

Old World Austria: R.L. of Covina wants the name of an “Old World hotel in Salzburg.” My bid goes to the venerable Goldener Hirsch. Only steps from Mozart’s birthplace, the Goldener Hirsch has been hosting guests for more than 400 years.

Though the lifts creak and the floors sag, a special warmth draws visitors back year after year. Elsewhere, the Osterreichischer Hof provides Old World atmosphere on the banks of the River Salzach. Marble columns. Polished mahogany. Spotless rooms. A pianist plays for guests at tea time in a snug room facing the river. The Osterreichischer is considered one of Europe’s finest hotels. Convenient to the music center, shops, restaurants.

Bavaria in the Cascades: Carol Missen of Santa Barbara asks for the name of the village “you wrote about several years ago in Washington State with the Bavarian theme.” It’s Leavenworth. And though the name certainly doesn’t conjure up images of Alpine peaks and oompah bands, the village nevertheless appears for all the world like a slice of Bavaria. Baskets of geraniums, A-frames on the hillsides, a Bavarian bakery, concerts on the mall. For a listing of hotels, inns and other information, write to the Leavenworth Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 327, Leavenworth, Wash. 98826, (509) 548-5807.

A glockenspiel sounds off regularly on the town’s main drag. Hot spiced wine is poured nightly at Reiner’s Gasthaus. Old World restaurants serve sauerbraten, bratwurst, goulash, pfeffersteak and Bavarian-style dumplings. Shops sell Hummel dolls, Kaiser porcelain, Dresden figurines, dirndls, German beer steins. With its Old World theme, the town is particularly crowded in summer. Reservations usually necessary.

Camping in Canada: A new camping guide for vacationers traveling to British Columbia is available by calling (800) 663-6000. Provides a region-by-region selection of campsites. Besides campgrounds, the 62-page guide provides information on motels, resorts, motor-home rentals, RV parks, ferries, border crossings, toll roads, fishing. Maps of Vancouver Island are included, along with those of other regions. For other guides, write to Tourism British Columbia, Parliament Building, Victoria, B.C. V8V 1X4, or contact the British Columbia Ministry of Tourism, 2600 Michelson Drive, Suite 1050, Irvine 92715, (714) 852-1054.

For Diabetics: Maury Rosenbaum, a diabetic, publishes a quarterly newsletter titled “The Diabetic Traveler.” Guest articles by an advisory panel composed of four physicians, a pharmacist, a diabetes educator and a nutritionist. In addition, readers share their experience with other diabetics through letters published in the newsletter. Each issue (six pages) is devoted to a specific destination. Back issues (available for $3) feature Vancouver, Las Vegas, Tokyo, Paris, San Francisco, Spain, London, Hawaii, Acapulco. The Acapulco issue tells where to obtain diabetic supplies, offers suggestions on food/water. Tells how to obtain a directory containing names/phone numbers of English-speaking doctors worldwide.

The Diabetic Traveler, P.O. Box 8223 RW, Stamford, Conn. 06905.

Winging It in Britain: In Los Angeles, Taylor Tours is offering a new “go as you please” voucher plan for accommodations in England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland. Features B&Bs;, farms, guest houses, small hotels. The vouchers ($35 per person per night) must be purchased before you leave the United States. A free 160-page directory is provided. Contains 1,350 listings with maps/directions. The working farms (popular with Americans) offer an opportunity to ease back into a time of relaxed living in Britain. Guests awaken to the crowing of roosters. Plenty of fresh milk, eggs, vegetables. Details from Taylor Tours & Cruises, 3171 Los Feliz Blvd., Los Angeles 90039, (800) 282-4998.

Old Hawaii: Veteran hotelier Stephen Boyle tells about a crusade to resuscitate Hawaii’s old image “with the banding together of four smaller properties as an alternative to the proliferation of Hawaii’s high-rise mega-resorts.” In the Resorts of Aloha lineup are the Napili Kai Beach Club on Maui, the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel on Oahu, Kona Village on the Big Island and the Hanalei Bay Resort on Kauai. The plan, says Boyle, is to “dispel the idea that Hawaii is primarily a glitzy destination showcasing chrome, marble and man-made five-story waterfalls.” As the chief Kahuna Pule at the New Otani, Boyle leads guests on morning hikes up neighboring Diamond Head and presents them with diplomas following the climb. Rates for a standard room at the New Otani start at $419 for seven nights. Others: $445 at Hanalei Bay, $718 at Napili Kai and $1,164 at Kona Village.

Details from your travel agent or Resorts of Aloha, 745 Fort St., Suite 2110, Honolulu 96813. Note: For a listing of other hotels, condominiums, B&Bs;, contact the Hawaii Visitors Bureau, 3440 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 502, Los Angeles 90010, or call (213) 385-5301.

Reader Recommendations

California--Fred Beck, Malibu: “Oak Park Resort Hotel, 775 Oak Park Blvd., Grover City 93433. Borders Pismo Beach and Arroyo Grande. Excellent small dining room, intimate bar. Rates: $67 double.”

Ireland--Leigh Davenport, Carmel Highlands: “A spotless B&B; operated by Ann and Michael Ward, Dooey, Glencolmcille, County Donegal. Rates: about $18 per adult, $9 for children.”

England--Bill and Jackie Kraemer, Los Angeles: “Newbridge House Hotel, Kelston Road, Bath. The highlight of our tour. Twenty minutes from Bath. Rates: about $170/$260.”

Australia--A. Taras, Tarzana: “Acacia Hotel, 223 The Esplanade, Cairns, Queensland 4870. Rates: about $60.”