Top 5 “Decked Out” Holiday Hotels

By SamsonitePackingJetSettingGlobeTrotter ⋅ December 21, 2009 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Orbitz’s has surveyed and named their top “Decked Out Hotels for the Holidays”!
They gave the information below in a recent press release.

#1 LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Bellagio
Already known as one of the most elegant and glamorous hotels on the Las Vegas Strip, the Bellagio raised the bar this year when it decked its lobby halls with some eye-popping holiday scenes. Replete with reds, golds and greens, a tremendous sparkling tree is flanked by oversized ornaments and stacked giant presents; giant rocking horses and flying reindeer play alongside cheerful snowmen. The water in the famous Bellagio fountains dance to holiday tunes, offering a delightful and free source of entertainment for all hotel guests.

Bellagio - Las Vegas Strip

#2 ORLANDO, Florida – Gaylord Palms
How often do you get to spend your day at the pool under the blazing sun and your evenings walking through a winter wonderland? At Orlando’s Gaylord Palms, guests are experiencing ICE! This walk-through holiday attraction was hand-carved from nearly 2 million pounds of ice and kept at a chilly nine degrees to ensure the ice remains solid. Adorned with cushy parkas, guests can wander about this magical mystery land alongside ice monuments and frosty scenes, swoosh down slick ice slides, hunt gnomes in a hidden holiday game and marvel at the majestic Christmas tree. With 4.5 acres of decorations, ICE village offers guests the best of both worlds: winter in paradise is truly a possibility.

#3 NEW YORK, New York – The Peninsula New York
One of the most elegant hotels in the world, The Peninsula New York sits right on Fifth Avenue near Central Park. It shines throughout the holidays as the grand entrance comes to life with twinkling lights and beautiful garland throughout. A 25-foot-tall ornately decorated tree graces the hotel’s Palm Court, letting guests immediately enjoy the holiday spirit. Staff offers a playful gingerbread-decorating class for kids and invites guests to purchase and hang ornaments on the tree, with proceeds benefitting the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Mere blocks from the windows at Barneys New York and Bergdorf Goodman, as well as Rockefeller Center, Peninsula guests can take in all the holiday festivities the city has to offer.

#4 CHICAGO, Illinois – The Drake
Re-creating a traditional holiday scene, the elegant and majestic Drake Hotel, sitting at the top of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, welcomes guests into the warm lobby with a grand tree decked out with the most iconic Christmas imagery: Santa, a nutcracker, tiny soldiers and a train circling Santa’s village. Banisters and staircases are adorned with garland, while the Palm Court glows with tiny white lights during high tea, which features a harpist and carolers through Dec. 25. Warming things up even more, the Drake invited children from Mercy Home, a long-term residential home for troubled youth, to light the tree during the annual Festival of Lights on Michigan Avenue.

The Drake - Chicago

#5 LOS ANGELES, California – Millennium Biltmore
Harkening back to a bygone era, the stately elegance and Old World-charm of the Millennium Biltmore creates an atmosphere of sophistication and class in Downtown Los Angeles. Its lavish Victorian holiday décor is a refreshing departure from modern holiday design and a move toward traditional, classic Christmas cheer. The Los Angeles landmark features lively afternoon tea and live carolers, in addition to a grand New Year’s Eve gala. Guests can further get into the holiday spirit by donning a pair of skates and hitting the city’s ice rink, located right across from the Biltmore, which sponsors the icy fun.

Other hotels in the Top 10 are:
6. Oahu, Hawaii – Sheraton Princess Kaiulani
7. San Francisco, California – The Fairmont
8. Miami, Florida – Fontainebleau
9. Washington D.C. – Gaylord National
10. Lana’i City, Hawaii – Four Seasons Resort Lana’i