After the year and a half we’ve all had, we’re ready to go big this year when it comes to celebrating the holidays. Thankfully, hotels around LA are feeling the same and are putting their best twinkling lights, ornaments and over-the-top holiday decor on display for our maximum viewing pleasure. Check out all the best spots to see hotel holiday displays that will get you into holiday spirit from your head to your toes—maybe even check in for a night or two to really maximize that holiday joy.
This article is sponsored by Terranea Resort, the perfect way to create a memorable holiday experience on the Southern California coast. Whether you’re looking for relaxation at The Spa, fun-filled activities or meaningful family moments, Traditions at Terranea Resort has something for you. Learn more.
Terranea
In addition to being decked out for the holidays from the front all the way to the ocean, Terranea Resort is hosting its annual seaside event, Traditions, featuring festive offerings beginning with Thanksgiving and continuing through New Year’s Day. Experiences include signature holiday events, family activities and adventures like Postcards to the North Pole, Winter Solstice Coastal Hikes, Kids Club Family Gratitude Boxes, and Mandala Painting, Stargazing and S’mores—perfect for enjoying around one of the resort’s 228 fireplaces.
In December, you'll find elves reading stories to kids by the lobby fireplaceor being searched for—daily clues at the Experience Center will help kids search high and low for Terra, the resident Elf on the Shelf.
And on New Year’s Eve, Terranea invites guests to ring in the New Year with two grand events. At the Winter Wonderland Family Dinner, guests are transported into a magical winter wonderland countdown for a family celebration, three-course meal, Champagne toast and live entertainment. The New Year’s Eve Neon Extravaganza offers a dazzling adult-only celebration, including an open bar with optional VIP bottle service, a variety of food stations, live entertainment and DJ. Terranea’s award-winning culinary team also creates specialty menus and experiences in each of the resort’s restaurants including mar’sel, bashi, Nelson’s, and catalina kitchen.
100 Terranea Way
Rancho Palos Verdes
Online: terranea.com
Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel
A trip to the Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel will help even the grouchiest Grinches get into the holiday spirit. Not only will the hotel update its awnings from a yellow and white color to green and red, this year, the lobby decorations will be over-the-top! The hotel's in-house floral team, Square Root Designs, was inspired by a classic Christmas theme for this year’s festive installation, which features live Christmas trees, glittering lights with red and gold garlands, holiday florals, oversized Christmas ornaments and welcoming Nutcracker statues. An added bonus? The Beverly Hills High School Choir will perform carolers on Nov. 18th and Dec. 18th in the evening to get guests into the festive spirit.
9500 Wilshire Blvd.
Beverly Hills
Online: fourseasons.com
The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa
The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa welcomes the holiday season with its six-week-long Annual Festival of Lights celebration, featuring one of the nation's most adored light displays that will wow both children and parents alike. Though the lights are the main attraction here, the experience is enhanced by “Dickens carolers, appearances by Santa, the world’s largest man-made mistletoe, horse-drawn carriage rides, freshly fallen snow, elaborately decorated Christmas trees; and delectable holiday confections at the famous Casey’s Cupcakes.”
Outside the hotel, the North Pole walkway will take you down the main pedestrian thoroughfare, lined with Santa’s elves filling his sleigh full of toys, a life-size gingerbread house, window displays, and more. Visitors have numerous opportunities to spend time with Santa, including breakfasts accompanied by a performance from the Inland Pacific Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker, and champagne brunches on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas.
Throughout rest of the resort’s holiday season, you can take horse-drawn carriage rides, check out the live reindeer milling around the grounds, or snap a couples selfie under the world’s largest man-made mistletoe. The Mission Inn feels so much like Christmas, we wouldn’t be surprised if this were Santa’s secret hideaway!
3649 Mission Inn Ave.
Riverside
Online: missioninn.com
La Quinta Resort & Club
During the holidays, this world-renowned Palm Springs resort transforms into a quaint Christmas village, very much like the famous town of Bedford Falls (from the movie It's a Wonderful Life that was written on these very grounds by Frank Capa). Everything is adorned with twinkling lights and festive scenery. No matter where you find yourself in the resort, it feels, smells and looks so much like Christmas, you'll almost forget you're in the desert. From the spectacular tree to the aroma of roasting chestnuts in the lobby, the holiday spirit here is palpable.
49499 Eisenhower Dr.
La Quinta
Online: www.laquintaresort.com
L'Ermitage Beverly Hills
L’Ermitage will transform their lobby into a winter wonderland—courtesy of Love Actually's Emmy award-winning set designer Matthew Steinbrenner. And if that's not enough for Love Actually fans, you can book an exclusive Love Actually Live package from now through the end of Dec. with the hotel that includes two tickets to the show, travel to and from the theater, a signed playbill and eggnog truffles.
9291 Burton Way
Beverly Hills
Online: lermitagebeverlyhills.com
—Andie Huber
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