10 Christmas Hotels Around America That Transform Into Festive Vacation Destinations

Nothing beats a ready-made Christmas. It's the holiday, all wrapped and ready to go. Instead of hours of menu planning and prepping, decadent meals greet you every day. Those lights you used to dread putting up are also done for you — grander and bigger than you could make them at home. And those memories that make the holidays special? They are right at your doorstep. All you have to do is show up. 

This isn't some far-fetched fantasy. If you're planning a vacation over the holidays, choosing the right hotel can deliver all the cheer you desire, with none of the stress. All across the U.S., hotels go all out for Christmas, transforming into festive wonderlands filled with lights, magic, and cheer. Luxurious menus not available at any other time of the year pop up with seasonal flavors and delicious aromas. And many have unique, Christmassy events that you can enjoy without ever having to leave.

We scoured through travel forums, the top travel blogs, Tripadvisor, and Reddit to find the most festive, most alluring Christmassy hotels that visitors rave about for the holiday. These hotels all have dreamy decorations and delicious feasts that will make the holiday special. We ensured they also have lots of festive fun that visitors can enjoy while on vacation.

From its extensive grounds to its accommodations, the iconic Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville, Tennessee, drips with spectacle any time of year. Come Christmas, the spectacular grounds get decked out in extravagant decorations that even holiday skeptics, like this visitor on Tripadvisor, can't resist: "I wanted to dislike the artificiality of the property ... But I found it mostly pleasant. There's a conservatory with plants everywhere, meandering paths, and waterfalls ... While I am not a fan of Christmas decorations and music before Thanksgiving, it was undeniably beautiful."

Visitors have more than a fairy tale setting to look forward to if they book for Christmas. The resort's man-made river, already spectacular, transforms into a Christmas destination in December. Festive riverboats take guests sailing past the illuminated trees and festive decor in the Delta Garden atrium. After the cruise, guests have more to look forward to. Outside, horse-drawn carriages sit patiently, waiting to stroll around the magical grounds. The resort's grounds are special any time of year, but guests who book a carriage ride will find a fairy tale scene, thanks to the 5 million twinkling lights covering every inch of Gaylord's grounds and a nativity scene accompanied by a narration of the Christmas story.

What elevates Gaylord into a vacation destination on its own are the special attractions that pop up over the holidays. Family-friendly ICE! is a winter wonderland filled with ice sculptures depicting Christmassy scenes from 'Charlie Brown,' ice slides, and a nativity scene made from ice. Pomp, Snow & CIRQUEumstance happens daily during December, and is a fun celebration complete with circus acts, magic, and fantastic costumes. And a nightly Lighting Ceremony brings more Christmas cheer. There's also a gingerbread decorating corner for the kids, ice tubing, and opportunities to meet Santa.

When I lived in New York City, an annual trip to see the Christmas decorations in the legendary Plaza Hotel was always part of my family's holiday plans. The hotel sets such a merry scene that even jaded local New Yorkers make it a point to see it every year. Based on experience, guests are greeted by at least a dozen Christmas trees dripping with lights. Some years, the hotel adds other festive elements like faux gifts or oversized balls to complement the trees. If this cheery decor isn't enough to bring on the Christmas spirit, the accommodations may.

For Christmas, the Plaza Hotel offers joyful suites for those who want to splurge. Each decorated suite comes with a floral arrangement that will brighten every day of their stay and a Christmas tree where guests who plan on giving gifts can set up a spread. It will be difficult to keep guests from leaving to explore outside, no matter how nice these accommodations are. The Plaza Hotel sits in the middle of the luxury shopping on iconic Fifth Avenue and right next to Central Park. Still, there are lots of activities for guests who want to spend some of their vacation inside.

Adults will love the champagne and caviar experience, shopping in the hotel's gift store, and a special afternoon tea featuring seasonal touches like holiday ham, pumpkin-spiced latte pie, and cranberry ginger scones. Fans of the Home Alone movie franchise will adore the special experience called "Home Alone: Fun in New York City," involving a limousine, pizza, and tours of every iconic New York City spot visited by Kevin, the movie's main character. There's also storytimes with Santa and a special Eloise-themed tea for kids who love the books. Special Christmas dinners are also offered.

Like the Plaza Hotel, locals flock to Hotel del Coronado annually to see the festive decorations and events around the seaside hotel. Every year has a different theme, so both locals and those who book a stay get immersed in unique, storytelling scenes each time. In 2025, the theme is the hotel's imagination of what Christmas in the Land of Oz would look like. The decor includes trees decorated with Oz-inspired ornaments and a special "Tinsel Trail" featuring a yellow brick road projected on a path that goes past scenes from the "Wizard of Oz" book series.

Guests will love immersing in the fantasy of Oz, but Hotel del Coronado offers much more. Those who want to spend their vacation enjoying the hotel will find the beach transformed into a holiday wonderland. Guests can book wintry igloos made cozy with cushy seats and heating. The igloos are ideally situated next to bonfires, perfect for making s'mores or snuggling around while the waves come in. Holiday movies are set up on a big screen on the beach, seaside ice-skating, and private fires for roasting s'mores in Santa hats are also offered. Kids can get their gifts delivered by elves, meet Santa, or decorate their very own gingerbread house.

Mealtimes also sparkle with cheer. A Christmas Day brunch featuring holiday favorites like roasted turkey, spiral-cut ham, sweet potato casserole, panna cotta, gingerbread cookies, and more makes the big day special. But there's a Christmas Eve dinner, a Victorian afternoon tea service for the holidays, and a special oceanfront dining experience where guests get to dine inside a whiskey barrel or fireside lounge while enjoying a prix fixe from the Michelin-starred Nobu restaurant.

It makes sense that a Christmas vacation in the historic home of the Vanderbilts would be steeped in tradition. From demonstrations illustrating life in the 19th century to a hundred-year-old collection of 92,000 artistic and architectural works, Biltmore Estate is where guests seeking old-world aesthetics and activities stay. The historical property comprising Biltmore House, The Inn at Biltmore House, Village Hotel, a selection of cottages, and Antler Hill Village gets a Christmas facelift for the holidays, making the estate one of North Carolina's best destinations to enjoy Christmas. Biltmore House is a National Historical Landmark site that's open for tours but cannot be booked by guests.

The Inn at Biltmore Estate, the cottages, and Village Hotel have accommodations that can be booked, and Antler Hill Village is a destination for shopping, restaurants, and activities. Guests get to experience the amazing Christmas decorations on the grounds as part of their stay (a tour of the historic house is extra). The over-the-top decor includes 111 Christmas trees, with 36 being inside Biltmore House itself. There are also 10,000 ornaments, 45,000 lights, and a humongous gingerbread house inside the historic house. Around the hotel's grounds, 87,000 lights and another 75,000 around Antler Hill Village make the Biltmore Estate enchanting.

Perhaps the most mesmerizing holiday experience offered by the property is Candlelight Evenings, where guests get to see Biltmore House decorated as it would have been for Christmas in 1895, when it celebrated its first Christmas. The Barn at Antler Hill Village also has activities that will immerse guests in 19th-century life. Live exhibitions by blacksmiths, broom-makers, and other period craftsmen, along with displays on the everyday lives of farmers and other residents, give the holidays a historic twist.

Guests staying at the historic Greenbrier, America's Resort in West Virginia, on any given day have so many activities at their fingertips that they never need to leave the hotel. Christmastime is no different. Daily Christmas movies in the on-site movie theater, horse-drawn sleigh rides, and weekends with Santa are already part of the regular schedule. Add to that, amazing décor and a special Christmas schedule starting December 23, and guests who stay in the resort can enjoy a Christmas planned to perfection without ever having to leave.

The magic starts with the breathtaking Christmas displays around the expansive property. It takes a whole month to decorate the resort, and the results show it. Every sight associated with Christmas can be seen in one room or another. Candy canes, sparkly lights, garlands adorning archways, and a festive chocolate house are just the beginning. The front lawn is a fairy tale with 150,000 lights, a tree that's taller than 10 human beings of average height, and a larger-than-life toy train. There's also caroling, Santa, and more.

Complementing the amazing decor are holiday traditions for both families and adults. For the kids, there are holiday scavenger hunts, meetings with Santa, holiday crafts, family bingo, a family Christmas tree decorating competition, and much more. More mature fun includes "Sip and Sleigh Mixology," "Have Your Cake and Wine Too," and a wine and cheese event. With its incomparable holiday experiences, it's easy to see why the Greenbrier was a favorite with visitors in our research. Here's how one Tripadvisor visitor summed up her stay: "Love every detail of the Greenbrier, from the grand entrance to the beautifully decorated Christmas decor. Enjoyed afternoon tea by the fireplace, listening to the gentlemen playing Christmas music."

If Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is '"Christmas City," Historic Hotel Bethlehem should be known as "Christmas Hotel." The moniker would be appropriate given the hotel's transformation every Christmas. With over 25 festively decorated Christmas trees, a gingerbread house replica of the hotel, 35 ornate wreaths, 35,000 dazzling lights, and life-size nutcrackers with their soldiers standing resolutely around the property, guests will find a cheery selfie spot anywhere.

After waking up in a Christmas wonderland, guests only have to step outside and they'll be on a street voted America's most charming main street in 2025 — and a destination for the coziest, most festive Christmas activities. The unique Spirits of Christmas Pub Walking Tour is more of a history lesson on Moravian Christmas traditions than a drunken adventure. At the corner of Main and Church, Bethlehem Carriage offers cozy rides on horse-drawn red sleighs, romantic horse-drawn carriages for two, or winter wagons. And there are tons of holiday shops like Dear Santa, Bethlehem Christmas Shoppe, and Le Macaron for delicious French pastries.

Guests will find more than pastries at their doorstep. Main Street has homey restaurants serving delicious meals. And Bethlehem is home to one of America's best Christmas markets serving Christmas foods from Germany for those looking for unique eats. Visitors can also choose to dine in one of the hotel's two restaurants.

Guests in our research praised this hotel for its family-friendly offerings. As we delved deeper, we realized that families with young kids could spend a few days at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa without ever having to leave the resort grounds. The fun starts upon check-in, where, according to this guest on Tripadvisor, a holiday-themed scavenger hunt is immediately offered: "We stayed here as a family of 6 after Christmas for a few days of relaxation and family time...We were completely blown away by all that the resort had to offer. Selena at the front desk was amazing and helped us at check in and explained the cool "elf scavenger hunt" to my daughters."

Once checked in, kids will find a calendar full of holiday treasures waiting to be unwrapped. Younger kids can make a cheery pal at Build-A-Bear Workshop, meet Santa and Mrs. Claus, and decorate gingerbread houses. Older kids will enjoy tubing on Snow Flow Mountains and "Snowball Build and Blast," an arcade-style hit-the-target game with snowballs. All will enjoy the amazing ice sculptures at the resort's ICE! exhibit, which is named one of the best places to see ice sculptures in the U.S.

The hotel is festively decorated, but guests looking to bring the holiday magic into their accommodations can book the Hill Country Winter Wonderland Suites package for suites decorated with Christmas trees, stockings, and garlands. The package also comes with holiday treats like candy canes, Christmas cookies, and milk. JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa has pop-up bars serving seasonal cocktails and eight restaurants, each serving a different cuisine, so mealtimes will be interesting.

Forget a couple of days' stay. The Grand Geneva Resort in Wisconsin has a 42-day-long Christmas celebration that could keep a guest entertained with endearing Christmas and winter activities for a whole month. Many of the scheduled activities happen in the resort's main lodge and include dozens of activities like Nutcracker paintings, breakfasts with Santa, and a gingerbread house walk. Some of these activities are included in a stay, while others require tickets.

In addition to the special Christmas calendar, Grand Geneva hosts other experiences that will make a stay memorable. There's the Trolley Tour of Lights, a dazzling tour around the hotel's property with music, twinkling lights, and elves. Brunch with Santa is a delicious affair with the jolly guy himself. And the special pop-up bar, Tinsel and Tonic, serves lively libations in a homey space decorated in the old-time Christmas spirit. In winter, Grand Geneva is known for its skiing, so it's not surprising that winter sports get a festive twist. For three days before Christmas, guests can ski with Santa, but there are also lots of opportunities for regular skiing, sledding, and more.

All in all, Grand Geneva is the hotel for an action-filled Christmas vacation where nothing has been left to chance. One guest on Tripadvisor summarized their holiday stay at the hotel like this: "Their atmosphere & decorations were top notch & they have tons of amenities for active families (fitness center with 35 ft rock climbing wall & indoor tennis, winter hiking & cross country trails everywhere, sled hills, a ski slope with lessons & even a lights trolley tour – we actually didn't even get to all the Christmas-for-kids activities at the main hotel)."

Saying the Peninsula Hotel in Chicago packaged the perfect Christmas wonderland, then dropped it in the center of Chicago, isn't an overstatement. Guests are greeted by a pop-up candy shop crafted from reds, greens, and candy canes, and a magnificent 20-foot-tall Christmas tree that glitters as bright as the wreaths on the wall. After check-in, the decor continues into the hallways, with festive garlands lining the walls and archways, so guests can maintain the Christmas cheer even while walking to their rooms.

Speaking of accommodations, special packages offer rooms with gorgeous Christmas trees. But guests will find the Christmas traditions around the hotel so enticing that they may not want to spend much time sleeping. A traditional ugly Christmas sweater party brings the popular holiday party straight to guests. A snowflake-lit ice skating rink, ranked one of Chicago's best outdoor ice skating rinks, is perfect for families and romantic partners alike. And there are special Christmas menus on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, along with a daily holiday tea under the festive tree in the lobby.

We don't know why, but New York City has some of the grandest decorated hotels for Christmas. The Peninsula New York is the second hotel in the city on this list, and it deserves its spot. Like The Peninsula Chicago, NYC's hotel greets guests with a festive candy shop in the lobby. But where Chicago's is playful, The Peninsula Sweet Shoppe in New York City is mostly timeless with its black decor, accentuated with playful candy canes. The decor around the lobby is also timeless, with Christmas trees and garlands dotted with traditional green and red ornaments — and live holiday music daily.

A stay at The Peninsula New York City provides a cheery home base from which to explore New York City. The hotel itself focuses on bringing guests out into the city with the "Festive Brilliance Walking Tour," which is a guided walk to see NYC's famous holiday lights, and the 'NYBG Holiday Train Afternoon Tea,' which includes tickets to see the popular train show at the New York Botanical Garden. It's also easy for visitors to arrange their own fun-filled itinerary in the city, ranked the best winter destination in the U.S.

We consulted hotel review sites like Hotels.com and Tripadvisor, along with travel forums and top travel blogs, to come up with a list of the most festive hotels around America. Since we were looking for hotels that could be vacation destinations in themselves, we also scoured the hotels' websites to narrow down our list to hotels that had a good selection of holiday activities and seasonal dining. Some of the hotels on the list (the New York City hotels) benefited from our personal experience living in the city.