LAKEVILLE, Pa. - There's something to be said for a hotel room with a heart-shaped swimming pool, a sauna and a swirling, 7-foot champagne-glass whirlpool tub: Don't pack a lot of clothing.

Although I was traveling solo, I was strangely drawn to the outlandish kitsch of a resort with heart- and stemware-shaped tubs. So, I dropped into the Caesars Pocono Resorts' Cove Haven along Lake Wallenpaupack to explore the territory on my own.

There was no missing the two-story champagne glass as I entered my suite - it was next to a fireplace in the living room. Behind a glass wall to the left was the heart-shaped swimming pool, 4 feet deep. Next to that was the sauna.

But before I jumped in, I headed for the buffet dinner in the cavernous dining room, where I got my first taste of what it's like to be alone in Couples Land. Though there are tables for two, I was seated with three couples at a table for eight. No one would be joining me, I told my tablemates somewhat defensively. I was just here to check out the tubs.

At my table were a middle-aged honeymooning couple from Baltimore; a young couple from Columbus, Ohio, who had been married for four years; and an unmarried couple from New York, whose female half explained that her mother would "kill her" if she got married right now. She was 19; he was 25.

I thought you needed a sense of humor to be here. Maybe not. These couples viewed the resort as the ultimate in romance.

"The heart-shaped tub is very romantic," said honeymooner Jacqueline Johnson. "I could see how anyone getting one for Valentine's Day would be in Cupid's Land."

Her extremely muscular and macho new husband, Tee, was more amused and intrigued by the idea of the champagne-glass tub, but he and his new wife did not have one in their suite.

"I could slide down the glass like a fireman," he said.

Not to burst anyone's bubble, but there's no water in the "stem," because it's not a stem at all. It does not hold up the tub. It's a piece of plastic attached to the mirrored wall to complete the look of the champagne glass.

But that didn't stop me from heading straight for my champagne glass when I got back to my three-level suite.

You may be wondering how you get into a 7-foot-tall champagne glass. Over the rim, of course. No ladder needed. There's a staircase that leads up to the bathroom on the second floor. You step into the tub from there.

What's it like to luxuriate in a 7-foot-tall bathtub? For starters, those with a fear of heights should think twice. When I moved to the side of the "glass" that protrudes into the living room, I had the sensation that my weight would knock it over, and I and all the water would go spilling onto the red carpet. You don't have to sit over there, but even on the "safe" side you feel up in the air.

And a note to the modest: You can see through the tub. It is made of the clear, hardened plastic used for helicopter canopies. On the other hand, there won't typically be a crowd in the room.

You won't find champagne tubs anywhere else, according to the resort's Web site. Morris B. Wilkins, who dreamed them up in 1971, patented the idea after learning the hard way by not patenting his other brainstorm - the heart-shaped tub. Those tubs now can be found in hotels across the country, from Niagara Falls, N.Y., to Dubuque, Iowa, to Eureka Springs, Ark.

After my bath, I fell asleep on my round bed under the "celestial ceiling," which I had flicked on with a switch. The pinpoints of light were pleasant - certainly better than a mirrored ceiling - and worked great as a night light.

At breakfast, I met three more couples. One of them, Cindy and Kevin Watkins from Massachusetts, have earned the status of "Forever Lovers" because they've visited the resort at least three times. Cindy offered sage advice for new visitors, words that will stay with me for a long time: "Be careful when taking pictures in the room. There's a picture of me in the bubble bath with Kevin fully exposed because there are mirrors everywhere."

All the couples told I Love Lucy-like tales of runaway bubbles spilling over the sides of their tubs the previous night. Clearly, a little bubble bath goes a long way when several powerful jets are feeding the tub.

"We were laughing so hard with those bubbles," said the 56-year-old male half of a couple from New Jersey. Cindy nodded in agreement. "It sure made memories."

There are other things to do at Cove Haven. After breakfast, I watched as couples with helmets sped around on snowmobiles. There's an indoor ice-skating square (no rink, just an ice floor in a room with walls), miniature golf, archery, billiards, a workout room and more. The Tanglwood and Camelback ski slopes and a couple of riding stables are nearby. At night, the likes of Bob Newhart, Robert Klein, Bobby Vinton and the Temptations pass through, crooning or yukking it up with guests.

There's also a lounge act by staff members, who pass out awards for archery contests or the winners of the Triple X Newlywed Game, and announce the next day's couples competitions.

Being there alone, I didn't qualify for the couples contests. But there was no reason I couldn't borrow the archery equipment and shoot a few arrows. Just like Cupid.

Valentine's Day All Year Round

Cove Haven is one of three Caesars Poconos Resorts. The other two, Paradise Stream in Mount Pocono and Pocono Palace near Marshalls Creek, also cater to couples, although singles are welcome.

The all-inclusive package includes the suite (35 of Cove Haven's 275 suites have the champagne tower); all-you-can-eat breakfast (or breakfast in bed) and dinner; nightly live entertainment; and couples competitions and activities.

Nightly rates start at $250 per couple.

More information. Go to www.CPResorts.com or call 1-800-972-7168.