INTERNATIONAL REPORT—Hotels across the globe are spreading holiday cheer. It’s truly the most wonderful time of the year with properties decked out in holiday-themed decor, offering special programs and even embracing the snow with outdoor activities for all:
Pink Holiday Pop-up Comes to Moxy Times Square
Venture to the atrium on the 2nd floor of Moxy Times Square to experience Bright Lights, Big City at an all-pink reimagined futuristic setup wrapped in metallic ornaments. You’ll be able to sip on a bright, boozy Pink Velvet Hot Chocolate while creating your very own holiday postcard photo behind a giant neon frame. At the same time, the Magic Hour rooftop will be transformed into a magical ‘Pink Holiday Playground’ with ceilings covered in hot pink twinkle lights, oversized rotating mirror balls and human-size festive bears, all anchored by the central carousel. New boozy holiday food and drink offerings include a pink “dough-pie,” a Cherry Snow Globe and Disco Ball Sangria Punch. Festive programming will also include a caroling flash performance, a winter scents candle making workshop with Brooklyn Craft Company, Kendra Scott jewelry bar and pink holiday nail art and meditation with Sundays.
Clicquot Chalet Delivers at Mr. Purple in NYC
The Clicquot Chalet at Mr. Purple is back for the winter season. Mr. Purple, atop Hotel Indigo Lower East Side, is transformed into a funky après-ski lodge in the sky. Think vivid purple deer heads, digital fireplaces and plenty of blankets for bundling. Step outside onto the terrace and guests will find a larger-than-life snow globe dome decked-out in Veuve Clicquot themed ski lodge decor, complete with its very own champagne bar. Once inside, visitors can enjoy a warm retreat from the elements while indulging in a number of festive cocktails on the specialty pop-up menu, including seasonal hot sips and exclusive Veuve Clicquot champagne cocktails, plus plenty of chocolate and cheese fondue to warm your soul, all while taking in the rooftop’s views of NYC.
Celebrate Chanukah on Ice at Hotel Del Coronado
Celebrate Chanukah on Dec. 26 at Skating by the Sea, hosted by Hotel Del Coronado in Coronado, CA. Family and friends will enjoy a special skating session, menorah lighting and Chanukah treats hosted by the Chabad of Coronado. Guests can reserve a plush four- or six-person seating around a firepit with full food and beverage service during the event. Choose from your favorite holiday-themed libations or snacks.
Enjoy Nutcracker Afternoon Tea and a Show at JW Marriott Chicago
The Joffrey Ballet’s, The Nutcracker, a tradition reimagined for a new generation, returns to Chicago for the holiday season. Official partner JW Marriott Chicago welcomes guests and locals to join in on the festive happenings by experiencing high tea with the seasonal Nutcracker Afternoon High Tea menu. Executive Chef Michael Reich crafts a menu with items inspired by the production and enhancements, including champagne and cocktails. Following the afternoon high tea, experience the Joffrey Ballet’s acclaimed turn-of-the-century tale, The Nutcracker, which is set during the time of the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893.
Portola Hotel & Spa Celebrates the Holiday Season with Festivities
Portola Hotel & Spa invites families to celebrate the holiday magic of Monterey, CA, and take part in the second annual Winter Wonderland from Dec. 13-25. Portola’s Winter Wonderland will offer a variety of entertainment, activities, dining experiences and more. In the spirit of holiday giving, the hotel has partnered with The Salvation Army and will provide barrels for food donations in the lobby. In addition, complimentary champagne and themed treats inspired by the 12 Days of Christmas will be served in the lobby. Caroling from children’s choirs, a visit from Mr. and Mrs. Claus, cookie decorating and face painting are just a few of the back-to-back festivities the hotel has in store. Until Jan. 5, 2020, visitors can also lace up their skates at the Custom House Plaza adjacent to the Portola Hotel for Ice Skating by the Bay.
Historic Hotel Puts on a Light Show in California
From Thanksgiving until Christmas, the town of Riverside, CA, and The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa transforms into a colorful display for the five-week long Festival of Lights. The historic hotel situated on an entire city block will be draped in more than five million lightbulbs, a large manmade mistletoe, a life-sized Gingerbread House, freshly fallen snow, more than 400 animated figures and a fireworks display. Activities at the hotel during the festival include horse-drawn carriage rides and elf tuck ins.
Montage Laguna Beach Serves Up Holiday Tastes
Enjoy the holidays above the Pacific with a stay at Montage Laguna Beach. The coastal California, beachfront resort is planning a host of seasonal programs and events throughout the holiday season. Starting in November, the resort hosts a Holiday Afternoon Tea with indulgences for all tastes, including optional Pierre Morlet Champagne in the lobby from Nov. 29-Dec. 31. The resort’s pastry team will lead family Gingerbread decorating classes on Dec. 14 and 21, with sweet treats for all ages, champagne for adults, and a gingerbread house, Montage apron and chef’s hat for participants to take home.
London Hotel Partners with Lego
This holiday season, The Savoy in London has partnered with Lego to outfit the lobby and public spaces with larger than life festive toy creations. The Twelve Rebuilds of Christmas reimagines areas of the hotel, paired with a rewrite of the classic Christmas carol, aiming to inspire people to champion the importance of creativity and the endless possibilities of imaginative play this festive season, according to the hotel. Guests can also partake in Lego Build to Give and build their own decorations. For every decoration built and shared on social media with #BuildToGive, Lego will donate a set to a child in need.
Holiday Shopping in Style at America’s Biggest Mall
Radisson Blu Mall of America makes holiday shopping stress free—and stylish—with its Shop in Your Slippers Package, which includes two pairs of blue slippers to help guests relax while taking on more than 500 stores at Mall of America. The shopping center is connected to the hotel via skyway so guests can avoid the cold weather and lounge in their slippers all day. After a full day of shopping, guests can unwind with complimentary cocktails at the hotel’s farm-to-table restaurant, FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar. The package also includes a Mall of America Coupon Book of exclusive deals and complimentary package pick up, which allows guests to have their shopping bags picked up from anywhere inside Mall of America and delivered straight to their guestroom.
Ireland Conrad Dublin Brings Frozen 2 to Life
In partnership with Walt Disney Studios, Ireland Conrad Dublin has transformed the interiors of the hotel’s lobby and common areas paying homage to Disney’s Frozen 2 designed by local artist Edwin Jebb. The design is inspired by the Frozen sequel with a selection of magical autumnal trees that blend a vibrant mix of pinks, reds, oranges and yellows. The main lobby tree incorporates a spiral hanging metal frame with soft white Christmas lights accompanied by trees decorated with bright fall foliage and gift boxes to incorporate the holiday season. Both the main and upper lobby will feature smaller trees that complement the overall installation and bring the favorite film to life, according to the hotel.
A Champagne Christmas in Denver
The Brown Palace Hotel & Spa in Denver has decorations, a towering Christmas tree and longstanding festive traditions and events are guaranteed to make spirits bright. The “Grand Dame” of Denver dazzles with sparkling lights, opulent chandeliers and, of course, visits from Santa Claus himself. For decades, The Brown Palace’s highly anticipated Champagne Cascade does not disappoint. Beckoning the start of the holiday season, the spectacular multi-leveled atrium transforms into a picture-perfect backdrop for the ensuing festivities. The annual event features swordsman using sabers to sever the bottlenecks of champagne bottles and then pouring into the uppermost glass of an incredible two-story high, 6,000+ glass pyramid.
Pop-Up Holiday Shopping for Perfect Presents in Boston
The Godfrey Hotel Boston has launched a pop-up series this holiday season, bringing local businesses to the city’s Downtown Crossing neighborhood. The boutique lifestyle hotel offers holiday-shopping guests and locals access to some of Boston’s best products, which kicked off Nov. 23, in the hotel’s lobby.
Give the Gift of Luxe Chicago Experiences
Holidays in the city—there’s nothing quite like it. This year, The Blackstone Hotel on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile is offering holiday-themed experiences:
- Deck the Paws with a luxury dog package, which includes a stay in the hotel’s historic Smoke Filled Suite; access to the hotel’s private locker in the Iwan Ries & Co. lounge; Dog Lover’s Gift Box with a stylish new holiday ensemble resembling a smoking jacket for dogs; and more.
- For a hands-on type of gift experience, join the culinary team at Michelin-starred restaurant Sepia, for a hands-on culinary education plus a five-course dinner in Sepia’s private dining room in addition to a guided tour around Chicago to find the best photography spots with a professional photographer and city expert Teresa Peek, as an extension of her Tour Through a Lens (“Exactly Like Nothing Else” package).
- Spend a night in a Deluxe Lake View room and explore a collection comprising 1,600 contemporary art pieces. With the help of the curator from local Elephant Room Gallery, choose a work of art to take home as treasured memento from your stay, plus take a guided tour of an artist’s studio and pick a second piece of artwork to take home from their own private collection.
