These Beach Resorts Go All Out for the Winter Holidays
With dazzling displays, indulgent banquets, and festive parties, these seaside hotels will have you feeling merry and bright
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We welcome winter in the West in all its forms, from snowy weekends holed up at a cozy lodge retreat to ski holidays spent under bluebird skies. But after the first few freezes, we start to dream of something warmer. Leave the snow and party planning behind in favor of a beach vacation that you’ll never forget. Pretty soon, you’ll be doing more than dreaming of a sandy Christmas at the beach with these barefoot luxury resorts where Kris Kringle arrives by outrigger canoe, elves show up for turndown service, and feasting is a nightly occurrence.
Terranea Resort, Rancho Palos Verdes, CA
Courtesy of Terranea Resort
Starting with Thanksgiving and continuing through the winter holidays, Terranea, near L.A., celebrates in an extravagant fashion with mega buffets, wine pairing dinners, and cider stations at the hotel’s nine restaurants. Resident elves take care of turndown service, bringing sweet treats and stocking stuffers, and Mr. and Mrs. Claus make guest appearances for breakfast. If you need a quick boost, the Sense of the Season vanilla spice brown sugar scrub at the spa will ease away any Grinchy moods. This month-long celebration is practically a tradition for many Angeleno families who escape to this 102-acre icon along the Pacific.
Montage Laguna Beach, Laguna Beach, CA
Courtesy of Montage Laguna Beach
A tall tree wrapped in gold lights marks the spot for holiday cheer at the Montage Laguna Beach. But, this time of year, the real draw at this white-glove-service resort is the food. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, a 12-station buffet serves up slow-roasted meats, root vegetable salads, and warming soups—all of which will ensure the entire clan sleeps right through Santa’s arrival. Reserve an afternoon for holiday high tea or sip cider while decorating gingerbread houses with the help of the pastry pros. On New Year’s Eve, parents can toast 2020 at the lobby party, while kiddos take to the ballroom for a bash complete with karaoke, dinner, and a movie.
Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit, Puerto Vallarta, MX
Courtesy of Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit
For a home-style holiday—though on a much grander, posher scale—cruise down to the all-suite, all-inclusive, all-luxe Grand Velas in Puerto Vallarta. Guests can pre-select from an online shop for gifts that get delivered to the room (along with a decorated tree) before arrival, and each of those purchases comes with a donated toy for a pediatric cancer nonprofit. Santa arrives via helicopter when the entire resort transforms into a tropical winter wonderland with human-size gingerbread houses, candy stations, sandcastles, and nativity story plays. Not bad for those who would rather spend Christmas at the beach instead of waking up to a foot of snow.
Park Hyatt Aviara Resort Golf Club & Spa, Carlsbad, CA
Courtesy of Park Hyatt Aviara Resort Golf Club & Spa
Park Hyatt Aviara, in the dream townof Carlsbad, brings the North Pole to its lobby with giant, themed chocolate sculptures. The hotel’s pastry team (which includes Food Network champ Al DiBartolo) whip together 75 pounds of sugar, 50 pounds of molding chocolate, and 50 pounds of cereal for the show-stopping pieces. The sweet display stays in the lobby all season, but the real treats await outside the hotel, where 200 acres holds an Arnold Palmer golf course, two pools, and access to the Batiquitos Lagoon wildlife sanctuary, home to more than 100 types of birds. Back inside the Spanish Colonial hotel, you can get in the spirit by crafting your own gingerbread house or pine wreath.
