Overcooked turkeys. Raucous relatives. Malls.
This year, skip town instead. From holiday dinners to palling with penguins, these getaways give you a reason to celebrate.
Gstaad Palace
Gstaad, Switzerland
When it comes to chalets, the Swiss don’t mess around. Nestled in the Bernese Alps, Gstaad Palace has five restaurants, a bar and a nightclub, a spa, indoor and outdoor pools, a gym with a Pilates studio, squash and tennis courts, and a seven-room hammam. And those are year-round amenities. During the winter, work up an appetite skiing, building igloos, and ice skating before sitting down to a holiday feast. In true palace style, a musical quartet sets the tone.
Hotel del Coronado
Coronado, California
A wedding destination gem, Hotel del Coronado really sparkles during the holidays. Built in 1888, the resort taps its Victorian roots for inspiration: Lavish decorations, afternoon teas, banquets, and a theater production of An American Christmas all jibe with the period theme. Take a nighttime bike tour of Coronado Island, ice skate at the seaside rink, and join the kids when Santa Claus visits. After dark, be sure to scope the hotel from afar: It’s draped in more than 100,000 twinkle lights.
Abercrombie & Kent
Antarctica and South Georgia
Forget the North Pole and head south — way south. Abercrombie & Kent’s twenty-day cruise tours South Georgia and the Antarctic peninsula, hitting Buenos Aires, Ushuaia, and the Falkland Islands along the way. Twice-daily excursions put you up close and personal with natural wonders and wildlife (we’re talking seals and penguins, people).
The Whiteface Lodge
Lake Placid, New York
If you missed the Polar Express, whisk the kids to The Whiteface Lodge, a 47,000-square-foot homage to the great Adirondack camps of yore. Ice skating, cookie decorating, cartoon making, and nightly theme parties turn the woodsy escape into a winter wonderland for wee ones. Treat yourself to yoga and hydro classes, curling lessons (they have nothing to do with hair), spa treatments, and wine tastings in between family shindigs.
Amanpulo
Pamalican Island, Philippines
All you want for Christmas is your own island. Amanpulo, a private paradise surrounded by the Sulu Sea, grants your wish. Paddle out to the floating bamboo bar for a nip or get your snorkel on, then retreat to one of 40 bungalows, each with a beach buggy. High rollers can opt for a villa: Available for rent or purchase, each has a private pool, outdoor lounge, cook, and housekeeper.
For more holiday escapes, click through our gallery.
Photos: Courtesy of Gstaad Palace; Courtesy of Abercrombie & Kent; Courtesy of Aman Resorts
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