9 Hotels That Will Put You in the Holiday Spirit
It's the most wonderful time of the year... for hotel Christmas decorations. That's why we've rounded up our favorite hotels from around the world that transform their lobbies and beyond into holiday delights and winter wonderlands. From Hong Kong to London, these hotels celebrate in the best of ways. We highly recommend popping in — if not to get a glimpse of Santa — to eat and drink your way through the holiday-inspired menus.
1. The Roosevelt Hotel
Every year, The Roosevelt in New Orleans transforms its block-long lobby into a winter wonderland that attracts visitors from all over the country. The lobby of this Waldorf Astoria hotel is decorated with 46 Christmas trees, 22 birch trees, more than 60,000 twinkling lights and 30 feet of garland; the display whisks visitors away to a NOLA-themed holiday with its design. It also features a classic gingerbread house, but in typical New Orleans fashion, it's a shotgun house which stands at over 10 feet tall and 10 feet wide. The hotel also offers its yearly tradition of Teddy Bear Tea, where kids are greeted by Mr. and Mrs. Claus on the rooftop of the hotel. While checking out the amazing display at the Roosevelt, be sure to stop in the world-famous Sazerac Bar for a cocktail or two.

2. The Mission Inn
No hotel celebrates the holidays quite like The Mission Inn in Riverside, California. They have a massive gingerbread replica of the hotel, a 30-foot tree, an immersive "candy stroll" — and those are just this year's newest features. The hotel is covered in over 5 million lights, which are featured during the Festival of Lights, one of the country's largest public holiday light collections of its kind. Over 250,000 visitors come to the Southern California lodge every year to witness the holiday wonderment. The festival alone provides over 200 jobs for the community and draws in more than $42 million in revenue for the city's businesses. Who knew you could find such holiday cheer in a tiny California town?

3. The Peninsula Hong Kong
The Peninsula Hong Kong not only decorates its lobby with a beautiful tree, lights and ornaments, but the team turns the holiday celebration into a charitable cause for Make-A-Wish Hong Kong. Together with the Peninsula Hotels from around the world, the hotel chain founded Trees of Hope, which has raised over $1 million at the Hong Kong location alone. The hotel begins the holiday festivities with Santa Claus pushing the magic lever lighting up the lobby with festive cheer. Santa Claus is joined by the Peninsula Pages, who sing along as the Christmas festivities are unrolled.

4. The Ritz London
This palatial hotel glows even brighter during the holidays. With the addition of a 25-foot-tall Christmas tree in its lobby towering into the beautiful rotunda above, the entire hotel is transformed into a red-and-gold delight with reindeers, giant red velvet bows, twinkling lights and shimmering baubles in every nook and cranny. The outside is decorated as well, with magnificent wreaths hanging from the windows. And the hotel doesn't forget about its guests: Each of the 136 rooms has a poinsettia plant and every suite has its very own Christmas tree. The Ritz London truly goes all out, bringing holiday cheer for all its guests and visitors.

5. The Four Seasons Hotel George V
Nothing tops Christmas at the Four Seasons in Paris. The hotel attracts visitors and tourists from around the globe to come in and take a picture of the lobby turned floral wonderland. The flowers are so fanciful and ornate that they're more like art installations — that get changed regularly — than floral arrangements. Artistic Director of the Four Seasons Paris and florist to the stars, Jeff Leatham, transforms the lobby and surrounding areas year after year.
"When thinking about Christmas this year, I absolutely wanted to offer our guests an interactive experience, reinventing tradition and bringing real flowers for the first time to our renowned Christmas decoration," Leatham said in a statement. The mirrored Christmas sculptures around the hotel reflect the various arrangements, which give visitors a sense of eternity.

6. The Breakers
What's better than Christmas? Christmas at the beach. This iconic luxury hotel in Palm Beach spares nothing when it comes to decorating the hotel. The 100 massive palm trees that line the driveway are wrapped with lights and the inside is decorated with garland, lights, trees and everything in between. There are two 18-foot-tall Christmas trees in the majestic lobby. In total, The Breakers uses 150,000 lights, 3,500 ornaments and over 9,000 feet of ribbon. This coastal retreat is perfect for beach-dwellers who want to immerse themselves in holiday cheer.

7. The Liberty Hotel
This hotel in Boston wants to turn Christmas tradition upside down — literally. The high-end hotel hangs their Christmas trees upside down from the roof, fully decorated with ornaments and lights. The eight trees hang from the 90-foot rotunda roof of the hotel — which used to be a jailhouse — and dangle at various heights over the lobby. Walk around each floor of the hotel to see the trees from every angle possible and notice how the base, or the top in this case, is decorated too.

8. Hyatt Regency San Francisco
The Hyatt Regency in San Francisco takes advantage of every inch of a 17-story open atrium when the holidays roll around. At the center of it all stands a 30-foot-tall Christmas tree; the gigantic eclipse sculpture shines bright with red and green lights and giant ornaments hang all around the lobby. And while SF doesn't get much snow, that doesn't stop the Hyatt from dazzling in a winter wonderland; snow falls inside the lobby at least three times a day. The hotel also features an ice skating rink put on by Hawaiian Airlines. And, of course, Santa Claus makes an appearance as Christmas approaches.

9. Fairmont Le Château Frontenac
Le Château Frontenac wastes no time getting ready for the holidays: The hotel begins setting up the first of November to get ready for its holiday-inspired events, continuing until January. The hotel offers a variety of activities ranging from festive brunch and dinner options to workshops that teach the best table-setting, mixology and culinary strategies. They also have a horse-drawn carriage that visitors of the hotel can ride to soak up the winter wonderland of Quebec.

TPG featured card
Rewards
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.

