Hotels from Alaska to the Caribbean are turning guest rooms into festive retreats, with rooms and suites decked out in holiday flair. From gingerbread houses to Elf on the Shelf-themed stays, kids and kids at heart can make this the most fun holiday ever.
Traveling with kids during the holidays is a chance to do something special together and make lasting memories. These suites are decorated and stocked with treats before the family arrives, so you can spend your time with the kids instead of setting up.
Choose your holiday getaway by theme: Alaska and Wisconsin for a cold-weather holiday, or the South Carolina coast and the Caribbean for a warm one. The properties are available at various price points, but availability is limited, so book early.
A year-round Santa Suite in North Pole, Alaska
The Santa Claus Suite at Hotel North Pole is available year-round. Parents give Santa each child’s name, nickname, hobbies and favorite treats ahead of time, and the suite includes a personal visit from Santa and a reading of The Night Before Christmas. Stockings filled with goodies are personalized for the children, and the stay includes milk and cookies.
The hotel sits on Santa Claus Lane, a couple of blocks from the Santa Claus House in a city about 12 miles outside Fairbanks. Candy-cane-striped streetlights line the street, and guests can send postcards with an authentic North Pole postmark.
Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa turns a suite into Santa’s retreat
Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa in Sonoma County, California, has converted its General Vallejo Suite into Santa’s holiday retreat. Twinkling lights and festive decor fill the room, and the suite has two grand fireplaces and sleeps up to four. Santa’s cookies and milk are waiting on arrival, and the stay includes daily breakfast for four registered guests and overnight parking for one vehicle.
Sand Bay Resort & Suites decorates a Door County suite
Sand Bay Resort & Suites in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, offers Christmas room packages built around a fully decorated holiday suite. The suite has a tree, lights, garlands above the mantels and holiday throw blankets and pillows. The package adds a Christmas cookie dough or gingerbread kit, hot chocolate, popcorn and Door County Coffee’s holiday blend.
Cleveland’s Mr. Kringle leaves a note for every guest
Hilton Cleveland Downtown offers its Mr. Kringle Suite each holiday season. The suite features two sparkling Christmas trees, tabletop adornments, room decorations, seasonal books and holiday-themed furniture, complete with festive bedding and pillows. Each guest receives a personalized note from Mr. Kringle, along with a special delivery of milk and cookies.
Club Wyndham Midtown 45 brings back a ’90s Christmas
Club Wyndham Midtown 45 in New York sets its Holiday Rewind Suite in Christmas 1999. The living room has wood paneling, retro-patterned wallpaper, a twinkling tree, a boxy television and a collection of VHS favorites for movie nights. In the hallway, an acrylic landline connects guests to a hotline with messages from Santa and other surprise callers. A separate bedroom is styled as a late-’90s teen room, with glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling, a lava lamp and a CD player. The one-bedroom suite sleeps up to four.
The kitchen is stocked with lunchbox snacks like Dunkaroos, Gushers and Sunny D, plus stations for making hot cocoa, crispy rice treats and popcorn. Jodie Sweetin is the campaign spokesperson, and each stay includes a disposable camera, a virtual pet keychain and a holiday sticker sheet.
Greenville’s suite is a gingerbread house
In downtown Greenville, South Carolina, a two-bedroom suite at the Residence Inn has been transformed into a real-life gingerbread house. The suite includes a 9-foot Christmas tree, an in-suite hot cocoa station, a make-your-own gingerbread house kit, four tickets to Ice on Main and more surprises. The stay ties in with the fifth annual Greenville Gingerbread Exhibit, where dozens of edible creations from professional chefs and home cooks go on display for the public to view and vote on.
Kingston Resorts’ Snowfall Retreat puts winter on the beach
The Snowfall Retreat at Kingston Resorts in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is a two-bedroom oceanfront condo transformed into a winter wonderland. It is meant for guests seeking a picture-perfect white Christmas at the beach.
Beach House Hilton Head brings Tiki Santa to the beach
Beach House Hilton Head Island has turned a family junior suite into the Tiki Santa Suite, which blends the laid-back vibes of Hilton Head’s Tiki Hut with festive, island-inspired holiday decor. The suite includes hot cocoa on arrival, festive wear for holiday photos around the resort and signature drinks at Tiki Santa served in a keepsake souvenir cup.
Beaches puts the Elf on the Shelf in the Caribbean
The Elf on the Shelf Caribbean Vacation Suite at Beaches Turks & Caicos has a twinkling Christmas tree, a themed bunk room for kids, Elf on the Shelf Santaverse collectibles, a hot cocoa bar and a private patio inspired by candy canes. Beaches Negril in Jamaica, on Seven Mile Beach, offers the suite with Scout Elf-inspired decor, holiday games, storybooks and dedicated Jingle Shell Butler service. Butler guests can also get V.I.E. (Very Important Scout Elf) treatment, which includes miniature milk-and-cookie turndowns and marshmallow bubble baths.
Let someone else handle the decorations
Christmas doesn’t have to happen at home. This year, book something special. Whether you’re in the far north or the sunny south, let someone else handle the decorations. Contact each hotel for specific dates and pricing.
Jennifer Allen is a retired chef turned traveler, cookbook author and nationally syndicated journalist; she’s also a co-founder of Food Drink Life, where she shares expert travel tips, cruise insights and luxury destination guides. A recognized cruise expert with a deep passion for high-end experiences and off-the-beaten-path destinations, Jennifer explores the world with curiosity, depth and a storyteller’s perspective. Her articles are regularly featured on the Associated Press Wire, The Washington Post, The Seattle Times, MSN and more.