While it’s always good to be home for the holidays, it’s also fun to enjoy a winter vacation at hotels that provide seasonal activities and accommodations, from in-room Christmas trees and personalized stockings to elf “tuck-ins” and fireside cocktails. That’s why we compiled a list of festive properties offering the ultimate holiday celebration with special dinners, events and enticing seasonal promotions. Keep reading to discover remarkable properties across the country full of holiday spirit and enchanting atmospheres.
[See: 10 Underrated Places With Fantastic Holiday Celebrations.]
Hilton Anaheim
Anaheim, California
With Disneyland Resort a short walk away, the Hilton Anahem is an ideal spot to lay your head when celebrating the holidays at the Happiest Place on Earth. The large hotel, which includes an on-site food court, an outdoor pool and a kids’ water play area, offers a Winter Warmerland package for those escaping to California’s mild weather throughout the holidays. The package includes accommodations, a breakfast buffet for two adults and two children and two health club passes. Throughout December, the Hilton outpost offers a range of holiday-themed events, from poolside holiday movies and cookie decorating to breakfast with surfing Santa and special holiday fireworks. The hotel itself is decorated with festive pine trees and a gingerbread display.
Kimpton Hotel Allegro
Chicago
The Windy City gets into the holiday spirit with ice skating rinks, its famous Christkindl market and holiday shopping along Michigan Avenue. A stay at the Kimpton Hotel Allegro, located in Chicago’s theater district, puts you within walking distance to all the action. The property’s Winter Wonderland package grants you two tickets to the Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier, which includes winter-themed rides, a skating rink and holiday decor, plus a $20 Uber credit to get you there and back. What’s more, your kids will get a bag of treats from the North Pole, and they’ll deliver hot chocolate right to your room. Make time for an evening out at the hotel’s elegant Italian restaurant, 312 Chicago, where specialties include butternut squash tortellini, grilled beef tenderloin and Mediterranean seabass.
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort
Farmington, Pennsylvania
At the grand Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Pennsylvania, guests can customize their holiday getaway with the Build Your Holiday Experience package. Take your pick from fun options like an elf tuck-in, where a staff elf comes to your room and reads kids the story “How to Catch an Elf,” leaving the book behind as a gift and sharing some reindeer dust for children to sprinkle on Christmas Eve. Another great addition this year is the Breakfast with Santa, held on Nov 25. During your visit, take an evening stroll to check out the resort’s vast holiday light displays. Aside from holiday festivities, you can also enjoy wine tastings and fitness classes.
Big Cedar Lodge
Branson, Missouri
Tucked into the Ozark Mountains in Missouri, the Big Cedar Lodge offers a Happy Holidays two-night stay package. Join the fun Sleigh Bell Scurry, a family scavenger hunt through the property. Then, get everyone all gussied up for the perfect Christmas photo. Guests receive one photo session from Big Cedar Photography Studio and a keepsake photograph to bring home their holiday memories. A breakfast at the Devil’s Pool Restaurant is also included, and you’ll be treated to a personalized gift.
Paradise Point Resort & Spa
San Diego
See how Californians celebrate Christmas with a stay at the Paradise Point Resort & Spa in San Diego’s Mission Bay area. Choose a Bayside Bungalow with the Pines in Paradise package and decorate your own in-room Christmas tree that comes with ornaments to hang, along with holiday snacks and hot cocoa. If snuggling up by the fire sounds appealing, book a Bayside Fireplace Suite as part of the Santa Baby package that includes a Hot Toddy kit, mistletoe decor and cozy robes. The resort is located on its own island in Mission Bay and features lagoons, beaches and tropical gardens.
[See: 50 Little-Known Ways to Land a Cheaper Flight or Hotel.]
The Peninsula New York
New York City
It’s hard not to be in the holiday spirit in New York City, where store windows are filled with yuletide scenes, the Rockefeller Christmas tree beckons and holiday shoppers gather. The Peninsula New York lets you jump into the heart of New York City’s holiday splendor with several winter packages. The Holly Jolly New York Holiday option gets you a window display walking tour, private ice skating, VIP admission to the Top of the Rock for 360-degree city views, a trip to Saks Fifth Avenue before store opening and even a jaunt over to Brooklyn to see holiday lights in Dyker Heights. Alternatively, families may want to opt for the Nights Before Christmas package that offers an in-room gingerbread playhouse, an Elf on the Shelf candy cane scavenger hunt, cookie decorating, a Christmas movie library and more.
Hilton West Palm Beach
West Palm Beach, Florida
Enjoy a suite decked from top to bottom in Christmas decor, including personalized stockings, wreaths, lights, garland, mistletoe, an Elf on the Shelf and a Christmas tree as part of the Holidays at the Hilton package at Hilton West Palm Beach. Guests will also be treated to a gift pack with dreidels, make-your-own-stocking supplies and Christmas movie and CD. What’s more, the hotel will deliver reindeer-shaped ice cream cones along with peppermint and gingerbread cocktails to your room upon request.
Hotel Zoe San Francisco
San Francisco
If you love ice skating, then check into the Hotel Zoe, a luxury boutique hotel in San Francisco that combines the city’s famous cable cars and winter ice skating with its Skate & Stay package. Included are passes to the Union Square Holiday Ice Rink with a magnificent Christmas tree as a backdrop, tickets to ride a cable car, mittens to stay warm, valet parking and an extended checkout time. What’s more, Hotel Zoe is located at Fisherman’s Wharf, where you can see sea lions, enjoy local shopping and nosh on sustainable seafood and loaves of sourdough at Pier 39’s Fog Harbor Fish House as you take in views of San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge.
JW Marriott Chicago
Chicago
If attending a performance of “The Nutcracker” is your idea of holiday fun, the JW Marriott Chicago in the Loop district has a tempting option. The A Night at the Nutcracker package, in partnership with the Joffrey Ballet, welcomes guests with a special ballerina gift that includes a signed pointe shoe, a Nutcracker gift bag and a tote. Then, enjoy breakfast for two and VIP tickets to see a reimagining of “The Nutcracker” set in 1893 during the Chicago World’s Fair. The theater is within walking distance of the luxury hotel, which offers an indoor pool, a full-service spa and a fitness center.
[See: Get a Jump on Holiday Travel Planning: 9 Booking Tips and Tricks.]
Great Wolf Lodges
Winter has arrived at Great Wolf Lodge properties around the country as the resort brings to life its annual Snowland celebration through Jan. 1, 2018. Each property recreates a winter wonderland with indoor snowfall, a dine-in gingerbread house and visits from Santa. To extend the holiday spirit further, book a Snowland Suite decorated with shimmering lights, a decorated tree and a holiday garland. Families can get cozy with their own copy of Great Wolf Lodge’s storybook “Unique as a Snowflake,” and await a cookie and milk delivery from Violet and Wiley wolves to their room each night.
More from U.S. News
8 Winter Events Worth Planning a Trip Around
The Best Winter Getaway in Every State
America’s 50 Prettiest Winter Towns
10 Amazing Holiday Hotel Packages originally appeared on usnews.com
