Family vacation ideas for the holidays
By Jody Halsted
A great family vacation idea for the holidays is indulging in The Breakers Palm Beach resort-wide winter dreamscape. (Courtesy The Breakers Palm Beach)
Towering evergreens decked in ribbons and lights. Holiday classics playing in the background as you decorate sugar cookies. Letters to Santa sealed with candy cane kisses. There is really nothing more special than celebrating holidays with kids. It’s so easy to believe in the magic of the season as you watch their eyes sparkle in the glow of twinkling lights or you hear their sweet voices sing along to a favorite holiday song.
Add extra enchantment and make new memories this Christmas with these wonderful family vacation ideas filled with the spirit of the holidays.
(MORE: 5 Fabulous Resorts To Host Your Family Thanksgiving)
Gift your kids with one of these family vacation ideas this Christmas
Take advantage of Q&A Residential Hotel’s family vacation package for the holidays. (Courtesy Q&A Residential Hotel)
Enjoy your own Christmas traditions while making memories with the Holiday Bliss family vacation package at the kid-friendly Q&A Residential Hotel in Lower Manhattan. In-room Christmas tree delivery, complete with lights and ornaments, will have the two bedroom apartment feeling like home. After stocking your full size kitchen with traditional favorites from FreshDirect, your family can enjoy an afternoon of ice skating at Brookfield Place. If you still have gifts to buy, don’t fret! Your Worry-Free stay includes a personal shopper experience at Saks Fifth Avenue, ensuring the perfect gift for everyone on your list!
Holidays with kids at The Breakers Palm Beach in Florida sparkle with the glow of 160,000 lights. Your family will love wandering resort-wide winter dreamscape, searching out decorated Christmas trees and life-sized Nutcrackers. Mix kid-friendly amusements like gingerbread house making and fireside fun with fancy events like the Holiday Tea at HMF ($55 per person) before wrapping up your stay with the excitement of games and activities at the Winter Carnival. Christmas Day offers a feast for the senses (and bellies) with an elaborate Christmas Brunch at The Circle or a festive Christmas Dinner in the Ponce De Leon Ballroom (both $150 per person, kids under 11 $60; call 888-273-2537).
Immerse your holidays with kids in all things shiny and bright at the Hotel del Coronado just minutes from downtown San Diego. Plan a family vacation to remember with the ‘Skating by the Sea’ package which includes your room, ice skating just feet from the sandy beach, and a food & beverage credit. Children of all ages will enjoy festive holiday activities including nightly bike tours through Coronado Island, storytime with Mrs. Clause and scavenger hunts at Kidtopia Camp. End your evenings with Jingle S’mores on the beach, or bring the magic of Christmas to your room with an Elf Tuck-In.
Let the kids enjoy festive activities like the Elf Tuck-In at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country. (Courtesy JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country)
Bask in the sights and sounds of the season at family-friendly JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa and enjoy a $50 resort credit (use code 93B or call 210-276-2500 to book). Breakfast with Santa, evening elf story time, and a Polar Bear Plunge are only the beginning of the holiday fun. Kids will love decorating Alamo Gingerbread Houses and working with the candy cane sommelier to create tasty treats. Wander through nightly light shows choreographed to holiday music light in the evening before gathering at the firepit for S’mores with a minty holiday twist.
(MORE: Offer_Book a participating Marriott Resort and Receive Up to $100 Daily Resort Credit! *Code 93B (Valid for bookings through December 31, 2016, SEE LANDING PAGE FOR TERMS & CONDITIONS))
Save up to 20% this holiday season by planning your family vacation with kids at Gaylord Hotels. Though each of the four properties has its own theme, all feature larger-than-life Christmas decorations and the spectacular ICE! spectacle—over 2 million pounds of colorful ice sculptures to wander through and marvel at. Only a few steps away, your family can enjoy ice skating and snow tubing. Each resort offers character meals, a holiday Build a Bear Workshop, and Elf on the Shelf® Scavenger Hunt as well as their own festive activities.
Though each Club Med property celebrates the season in its own style, families can expect kid-friendly festive dining, visits from Santa, sparkling decorations, themed beach parties and unique holiday entertainments. Unwrap their Christmas deal for a memorable family vacation with kids this holiday season. From December 17 –25, rates at the resorts start at $2,128 per adult per week so families can get away from the holiday season craziness and disconnect from all the noise leading up to Christmas. Or they can kick off the New Year by relaxing and enjoying some quality time with the kids from January 1 – 8 starting at $2,123 per adult!
Jody Halsted of JodyHalsted.com contributed this to MiniTime.
