Instead of "home for the holidays," many are opting to take all the work out of hosting and gathering loved ones at a festive hotel, lodge, or resort instead. Properties that go above and beyond with their holiday decor, special packages and events, and overall atmosphere make the hotel holiday travel trend a memorable and more relaxing one.
Where to go: Deer Valley's Stein Eriksen Lodge in Utah not only adds new meaning to "deck the halls," but is known for their European ski lodge feel and over-the-top gingerbread house display at Christmas. Mix in a few runs on the ski-in-ski-out slopes, and you'll be feeling all sorts of holiday cheer. For Halloween enthusiasts, a stay at the Time Nyack in New York's Hudson Valley adds just the right amount of creepy fun with their Halloween package. Perfectly placed, visitors can venture to the nearby haunted house, Horseman's Hollow, based on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, attend the Halloween parade downtown, and party it up at the hotel's evening soiree. Don't feel like cooking Thanksgiving dinner? Enjoy a lush feast at the Allison Inn & Spa in Oregon's Willamette Valley. Farm-to-table cuisine will most certainly be washed down with wine.