5 Hotels Around the World Making December Travel Special for Families

Across the country and around the world, hotels roll out the red-and-green carpet to families traveling throughout the holiday season. With gingerbread houses, cookie workshops, Santa visits, festive décor, live performances, holiday teas and seasonal menus, these five hotels seek to make themselves holiday destinations.

The 41^st floor of Swissôtel Chicago transforms into a 2,000-square-foot winter wonderland, with more than 15 elaborately themed trees celebrating global traditions and inspired by holiday markets around the world. Santa packages include an overnight stay in the Santa Suite or Duplex Suite, complete with festive touches such as unlimited hot cocoa and a holiday breakfast. Guests may also enjoy a cozy Elf-Decorated Holiday Stay, available in rooms and suites, with a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, holiday welcome amenity and festive décor.

Two sister hotels in Milwaukee create lasting Christmas memories for visiting families. Highlights at The Pfister Hotel include a family-friendly Breakfast with Santa on Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 21, and the Sugar & Spice Gingerbread Workshop, a hands-on experience for creating holiday gingerbread houses.

The nearby Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel, known for its fusion of hospitality and the arts, invites families to Sunday brunches with Santa, which include crafts and gifts for children. Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners feature all the festive favorites. For adult family members, New Year’s Eve brings live music, party favors, and a Champagne toast at midnight.

In Canada’s British Columbia, the elegant Fairmont Hotel Vancouver transforms into a festive holiday tapestry as the first stop along the city’s Fleurs de Villes NOEL’s floral trail. This year’s installation, inspired by “A Partridge in a Pear Tree,” was created by local floral designers as part of the annual event celebrating Vancouver’s floristry community.

The hotel’s famous Afternoon Tea becomes even more elaborate as the Winter Wonderland Afternoon Tea, a leisurely indulgence featuring finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones and holiday pastries. A Tea with Santa invites families to sing along with Santa and his elves, and kids can visit the Build-A-Bear workshop to create their own cuddly keepsake to take home. In the hotel’s lower lobby, Kringle’s is a whimsical pop-up bar evoking the nostalgic charm of classic Christmas films.

In addition to its usual fine dining and spa overlooking Italy’s most famous lake, Hilton Lake Como embraces the season with experiences designed for guests of all ages. In the hotel’s Winter Wonderland, the Cookies Masterclass invites families to share the experience of preparing and decorating festive cookies, guided by the hotel’s pastry chefs. Older children can try their skill at curling under the sparking lights of the Hilton’s sustainable Wonder Ice rink, with hot chocolate afterward in Taffeta Bar.