From gatherings around the fireplace to elves preparing treats by the beach to a roaring good time on two wheels, there’s a holiday happening somewhere on this list that will make your clients happy.
Beaches Resorts Joins Forces With the Holiday Elves
If you didn’t think elves loved sun, sand and beach, you’re in for a surprise: this year, you’ll find The Elf on the Shelf has slapped on the sunscreen and has made it to the Caribbean and Beaches Resorts just in time for the holidays. Kiddos will love to be thrilled to know the Scout Elves have been busy at all three Beaches resorts in Jamaica and Turks & Caicos, where they’ll have a chance to hang out and enjoy holiday story time sessions, festive karaoke and more during the weekly Sweet Island Soiree ft. The Elf on the Shelf. And because Beaches butlers are always in on what’s trendiest, they’re ready to bestow treats such as Moonlight Milk & Cookies, Marshmallow Bubble Baths, Festive Trail Mix and more to families staying in butler-level accommodations.
Families participating in The Elf on the Shelf festivities can help support Sandals Foundation’s work by volunteering to craft handmade holiday cards to be distributed to the local kids. Your clients across the country are also invited to enter the Beaches Resorts and The Elf on the Shelf Vacation Sweepstakes for a chance to win a 6-night vacation at either Beaches Negril in Jamaica or Beaches Turks & Caicos.
For more information, visit beaches.com/the-elf-on-the-shelf.
Lake Escape for the Holidays
The Point Resort on Saranac Lake, New York, is the Adirondack mountain holiday getaway your stressed-out clients have been searching for. With only 11 rooms in four rustic log cabins, this luxury resort is fully decked out for the season, with over a mile of string lights and 70 decorated trees, including a floor-to-ceiling giant in the Great Hall. Send them to The Point for horse-drawn sleigh rides across the frozen lake, ice skating, curling, ice fishing, cross-country skiing and all manner of icy fun.
For more information, visit thepointresort.com.
An Irish Holiday
The holiday season has been a special one at The Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin for almost 200 years, and this one is no exception. Visitors can expect 20 wreaths, 426 feet of garland and 32 Christmas trees with thousands of lights. This year’s decor is all about jewel tones, with the 14-ft Christmas tree in the Great Room and the handmade gingerbread village as the key players. This is a perfect pied-a-terre for Christmas shopping on Grafton Street, so recommend clients take an extra bag with them. History buffs will love this landmark building on the north side of St. Stephen’s Green, with its old-school opulence, white-glove service and exquisite rooms.
For more information, visit theshelbourne.com.
An East Coast Christmas
The Logan Hotel in Philadelphia upholds traditions at their best, and every year, they still embrace decorating their 1,400 sq. ft. James Logan Suite with festive lights, seasonal bedding, a fully decorated tree and even a Letters to Santa box so guests can wake up to a full-on Christmas morning no matter how far they are from their own hearth. Now dubbed the Holiday Lodge Suite, it includes seasonal food and libations courtesy of the hotel’s Urban Farmer Restaurant. And there’s so much to choose from: specialty hot chocolate or eggnog in a cart rolled to your room (with or without the extra shot of warmth, wink wink), a chance to decorate your own holiday sugar cookies or a full-course meal served in your dining room at a table set for six. This is a fantastic family getaway, especially if you’re in town to experience Philly’s famed light shows or the Christmas Village. The holiday package is available for booking now through Jan. 1, 2024. (Of note: The hotel’s new holiday menu for the Lodge Suite is over the top, with cookies galore, all kinds of flavored popcorn, over-the-top desserts, charcuterie boards and more.)
For more information, visit theloganhotel.com.
Holiday Shopping in London? Here’s Your Homebase
Holiday shopping in London is a tradition for many—the markets at Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square and Winter Wonderland are legend. This year your clients can stay right in the midst of it all at Brown’s Hotel, where they can enjoy a 2-night stay that comes with a box of truffles and a shopping experience at Britain’s first chocolatier, Charbonnel et Walker. Of course, Festive Afternoon Tea in the Drawing Room is not to be missed, as it celebrates the season with sweet treats, Christmas carols and a glass of champagne, sparkling tea or Charbonnel et Walker Original Drinking Chocolate. Christmas Day brings with it a 5-course lunch served at Charlie’s and a 3-course dinner with British dishes created with locally sourced ingredients. Dessert is Charlie’s special Chocolate Trolley with its array of Chargonnel et Walker truffles. Want more chocolate? Book them on The Cocoa Calm Spa Package at The Spa at Brown’s.
For more information, visit brownshotel.com.
Hop on a Harley With Santa at the Museum
Christmas has come to Milwaukee’s Harley-Davidson Museum, and it’s happening for all in the family. The lights display is up and running, ready for Breakfast with Santa on Dec. 10 and 17, where both parents and kids can saddle up next to the Big Guy on a Harley, and MOTOR Bar & Restaurant will be serving up all kinds of holiday specials (think Rum Rum Rudolph cocktails. The restaurant will also be hosting their New Year’s Eve bash, when it will be transformed into a Hawaiian-style pop-up with grass skirts, Hawaiian party shirts and summerwear as the favored attire. DJ music, champagne toast, appetizer buffet, house wine and more is included in the ticket, with additional goodies available for purchase.
Please note: The Museum is closed for Christmas Day, and aside from MOTOR Bar & Restaurant (which will remain open seven days a week) and private events hosted by 1903 Events, the H-D Museum, the campus will be closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in January and February of 2024.
For more information, visit Harley-davidson.com.
Raffles Round the World
“Glamour” and Raffles are practically synonymous, and this season, clients can sample the best of it, from holiday high tea at Raffles London at the OWO to an unforgettable moment with Santa at Raffles Seychelles to an extravagant circus performance on New Year’s Eve at Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor. We’re only highlighting these three, but bear in mind that clients wanting to celebrate at Raffles elsewhere will find each property offering its own elegant twist to the season.
Opened in September of this year, Raffles London at the OWO is celebrating its first holiday season with decor and eats helmed by Michelin-starred Chef Mauro Colagreco. Through Jan. 6, 2024, Festive Afternoon High Tea will be served in the Drawing Room, where your clients can enjoy a selection of sandwiches, pastries, a wide selection of teas or something bubbly. For Christmas dinner, Chef is preparing a three-course feast and has another magnificent menu for New Year’s Eve. Make sure clients know the Spy Bar is the place to raise their martini glass for the toast (if they can find it).
If an island vibe is more the thing, suggest Raffles Seychelles, where Christmas temps will be in the 80s. Here, the kiddos will love the Sugar Palm Kid’s Club and their special holiday programming with themed cooking classes, art sessions and movie nights. Christmas Eve means live music on the beach and a buffet, followed by Christmas morning with Santa Claus and his bag of gifts. Festive=inspired fare and live entertainment will round out the day. Expect the same for New Year’s Eve, in true Raffles style.
For a festive program unlike any other, book them at Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, where they bring the flair of the circus to life. Guests and children are encouraged to dress up as their favorite circus act on Dec. 16, and there will be a screening of the classic “Home Alone” at the outdoor cinema and other activities like gingerbread-making classes for the littles. Christmas Eve means a 4-course dinner, while Christmas Day will bring a 7-course meal. The highlight will be New Year’s Eve, when the hotel will host The Grand Circus New Year’s Even Gala Dinner. Circus acts, a dinner buffet and fireworks are on tap that night. And, throughout the entire season, guests can indulge in the Champagne Afternoon Tea, with the requisite finger sandwiches, macarons and pastries.
For more information, visit raffles.com.
