Think of a singles holiday and you'll probably picture young kids getting off their faces and doing things they'll later cringe at, or lonely middle-aged divorcees looking desperately for a new mate.
But singles holidays are being reinvented for a sophisticated market, offering more thrills and glamour than ever before. And in the same way that internet dating has become normal, there is no longer a stigma attached to booking one.
Luxury breaks offering great food and smart hotels are being created by firms such as Fusion Escapes, a three-year-old specialist operator which founder, Rachel Harvey, says was launched "to fill the gaping hole in the travel market for single professionals used to the finer things in life". The "old-fashioned" singles market, she said, seemed focused on low-budget – she wanted to add trips to hip hotels in sexy destinations, that offered a "jet-set lifestyle".
Fusion's holidays have themes such as "gastro", "active","nights", and "R&R", visit destinations such as Hvar, Santorini and New York, and are not, Harvey says, "hooking-up trips".
I recently tried one of their "discovery" weekends, in Rome. A handsome driver collected us from the airport in his Mercedes-Benz, and the group congregated with a glass of champagne in the lobby of the Boscolo Exedra, our five-star hotel at the Piazza della Repubblica.
There were five of us in the group, three women and two men (one gay, one straight – the trips are open to all), and it was soon clear we were all there primarily to discover this beautiful city, secondly to enjoy the company of new people, and not necessarily for romance. Everyone's motivation for joining the trip echoed fellow guest Sarah's: "All my friends are in couples – I didn't want to go away with them by myself and didn't want to go on holiday alone either."
The trip focused on sightseeing, and we dined out at quality restaurants, including Hostaria Costanza, within the walls of the ancient Pompei theatre, and Il Piccolo Mondo, famous since the 1960s for its movie star clientele.
The highlight was a historical tour of the city … on Vespas. We were driven round by expert riders, up and down the seven hills, from the Villa Borghese gardens in the north to Vatican City in the west and Piazzale Giuseppe Garibaldi in Trastevere on the west bank of the Tiber. Some of the women seemed to enjoy having a hunky Italian driver to hold on to.
On our final day, the minibus driver Salvadore laid a red rose on each of our seats, and one girl declared, "Honestly, he's the man of my dreams!" I had anticipated a Roman Holiday-style adventure, but even though there was no real romance, the possibility had existed, and we'd made friends, and fallen head over heels for Rome.
• Fusion Escapes (0845 519 2655, fusionescapes.com) has a weekend in Rome from 28-30 September for £1,290pp, not including flights
