12 Hotels and Resorts Worth Visiting for Holiday Festivities

Hotels take the holidays to another level: giant Christmas trees or menorahs in the lobby, extravagant gingerbread displays, lights lining the ceiling, maybe even a Santa visit. Even for frequent travelers, visiting a festive hotel or resort during the holidays is a sight to behold.

And often there is something for everyone. Some displays may be free to visit, even if you’re not staying at the hotel. Other activities may have a price tag attached.

This famous Dana Point, California, resort with stunning Pacific Ocean views has a full season of planned activities for guests. Weekends in December include a Nutcracker-themed afternoon tea and champagne and caviar dinner in the wine cave. There’s also breakfast for Santa, holiday takeout menus and a huge New Year’s Eve celebration. You can check what events are happening and if you need reservations using their festival calendar.

This family resort in Miramar Beach, Florida, fresh off a $35 million renovation, is offering nonstop holiday programming beginning December 18, 2025. The calendar of events includes cookie decorating, Santa photo sessions, Christmas movie marathons, special sand sculpture photo ops on the beach and visiting carolers. Adults can book a festive cocktail-making class, followed by a sunset bonfire with swimmores.

Even if the ocean is too cold for a dip, the resort has a popular spa, swimming pool and the area’s only AAA Four Diamond Steakhouse. Large families will find the selection of suites and rooms to be particularly convenient.

Some travelers visiting family in other cities prefer to stay in hotels instead of staying in spare bedrooms. But this means that children can sometimes miss out on the spirit of a hotel holiday. The Crowne Plaza Atlanta at Ravinia is a solution to the parameter.

Its presidential suite transforms into a Santa suite, complete with decorations, a live train track, ceramic nutcrackers, a do-it-yourself hot cocoa station, ornate decorating kits, holiday movies with popcorn and candy, and special treats for adults, like boozy ice cream and hot apple pie with hot toddies. This package is available until December 26, 2025, and like other eligible rates, it earns IHG One Rewards points.

The Vacation Hideaway package from this Manhattan hotel is designed to recreate the magic of an après-ski chalet. Winter-themed amenities include plush slippers, luxurious winter blankets and pillows, classic board games, and the option to add a Petite Chalet pop-up tent for the kids to sleep in. For turndown service, they’ll get their pajama set and milk and cookies.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s is another vacation package that includes an upgraded room, morning coffee and a croissant, a face mask, a porcelain tray from the hotel, and a map of famous movie locations in New York City. Both packages are eligible to earn IHG Points during the stay.

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Hotel Wynn is located in Grapevine, Texas, which has been named the Christmas capital of Texas. The hotel is perhaps best known for its winter wonderland bubbles, igloo-like tents that offer outdoor dining with seasonal menus, served by the fire.

Other activities in town include holiday drone shows, the Christmas Parade of Lights, Santa’s North Pole Express on the Grapevine Vintage Railway and an ice skating rink under the Grapevine’s 60-foot Christmas tree.

Puerto Rico is a great vacation destination because it brings that tropical island paradise vibe without the need to pack a passport. And the celebration continues well into the New Year, often in mid-January. The grand finale of the season is the Fiestas de la Calle San Sebastian, a festival in San Juan from 15 to 18, 2026, that integrates the island’s Spanish, African and Caribbean traditions.

This popular Marriott Bonowi Resort in Wailea, Hawaii offers all kinds of vacation fun during the festive season. This includes gingerbread house workshops led by Santa’s elves, night swims at the Waterslide Park, and holiday arts and crafts classes. You can decorate cookies and ornaments, or even swim with Santa in the Nilo Adventure Pool. A tropical Christmas means ditching the hot chocolate in favor of a frozen version, while earning or redeeming Marriott Bonvoy points along the way.

If you just want to lie on the beach for Christmas, this tactic will do the trick. It was the first resort built in Wailea, before local restrictions prevented other hotels from being so close to the beach, so it offers a true waterfront resort experience that guests won’t find at many other properties in Wailea. A themed Laos on holiday adds to the fun.

It’s a Texan-themed getaway at the Marriott Marcus Houston, where more than 100,000 lights transform the rooftop lounge deck and pool into a winter wonderland. The lazy river pool is shaped like the state of Texas and features nightly poolside movies and musical concerts under the stars.

There are also virtual reality sleigh rides with Santa and private dining options in cozy igloos or wooden cabins.

Several St. Regis properties will celebrate the season in their own way. For example, The St. Regis Atlanta collaborated with fashion brand MME.MINK to style the Christmas tree. The property is also offering Afternoon Tea with Santa, a special Santa Tuck-In for families staying in the suite, and (new for this year) a fireplace experience with Father Christmas.

At the St. Regis Chicago, every evening through December 21, 2025, the famous St. Regis ritual of sabering a bottle of champagne — cutting the top of the bottle with a saber — will add extra holiday flair. The tradition is called the 12-day Sabbath. There are also hotel packages specifically aimed at families that include four-course breakfasts, welcome amenities and monogrammed clothing for children. The hotel is also hosting a winter coat drive for the nonprofit Crayons for Crayons, where guests and locals can drop off gently used or new coats to donate to those in need.

The Park Hyatt Ayala Resort, Golf Club and Spa in Carlsbad, California hosts a Christmas event that guests and locals alike purchase tickets to attend. A Stocking Filled with Christmas is an immersive experience, where an elf will take visitors through five different “lands” to meet characters, holiday characters, collect items in stocking, and participate in live performances and character meet-and-greets.

The resort offers a special package that includes overnight accommodation and tickets (plus the chance to earn a world of Heat Points).

This kid-friendly all-inclusive resort in Nayarit, Mexico really knows how to throw a holiday party. During December, there are seasonal decorations and menu items, and some special visitors at Christmas. Families can meet the Grinch at the Kids Club to explain any misbehavior. And on Christmas Day, Santa arrives by parachute to celebrate. Live music, special holiday dinners and New Year’s Eve fireworks round out the fun.

If that’s not enough, other activities for kids and adults include an onsite zip line, electric bikes, hanging bridges and even a free fall jump (sounds scary!).

Dreams Estrella del Mar Mazatlan Golf & Spa Resort in Mazatlan, Mexico is the newest all-inclusive resort in the collection. On Christmas Day, Santa visits the resort with gifts for guests. There are also Christmas- and New Year’s-themed dinners, holiday decorations, and fireworks displays, all in the family-friendly Estrella del Mar gated community. Travelers can choose to earn or redeem a world of Heat Points at this new resort for their vacation visit.

When not enjoying holiday festivities or oceanfront views, guests can explore the waterpark with a lazy river, turtle sanctuary, full spa, three swimming pools, kids’ or teen clubs, and a wide range of sports activities (like yoga, spinning, and pickleball).

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