For Staying in Town…
La Cantera Resort & Spa
From elegant black-tie events like the “Enchantment in the Hill Country” New Year’s Eve party (which includes champagne and golden goblets) to loving ways to give back to our community this holiday, La Cantera Resort & Spa is curating elevated experiences for families large and small. Be sure to book a table at Signature Restaurant to try new chef John Anderson’s holiday menus, or consider the Christmas Day Feast at Sweetfire Kitchen. 16641 La Cantera Pkwy., San Antonio
JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa
You can thrill all ages at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa Pop-Up Arctic Lodge experience (open through Dec. 31). My daughter and I hit the hot chocolate bar, danced through the resort’s jaw-dropping nightly light show, sang with animatronic penguins, played family bingo and splurged at the Build-A-Bear workshop. After s’mores, peppermint bark and dinner at the kids’ buffet, my well-traveled 10-year-old proclaimed the hotel the “best in the world.” (After all, she noted, The Plaza in New York City did not have a heated lazy river or live reindeer.) 23808 Resort Pkwy., San Antonio
Photo courtesy Four Seasons, Austin.
For a Nearby Holiday Adventure…
Four Seasons Hotel, Austin
In the mood for some earmuffs and ice skating? Head to Austin to celebrate the season at the luxury lakefront Four Seasons Hotel, Austin. Through Jan. 8, the glamorous hotel’s immersive new event, “Ice Rodeo,” will bring an arctic wonderland downtown. We marveled at the art installations, 30-foot-tall Christmas tree and ice-skating rink above the hotel’s pool. The lobby, where we posed for selfies with the enormous polar bear, also delights. As we checked in, my daughter gasped and pointed at a life-size gingerbread Airstream trailer. “It’s all cake!” she screamed. 98 San Jacinto Blvd., Austin
Commodore Perry Estate, Auberge Resorts Collection
For art and fine dining connoisseurs, the Commodore Perry Estate, Auberge Resorts Collection delivers. Outside, find a custom commissioned holiday illumination from the Dallas-based conceptual artistic duo Anderson + Kincaid. The gorgeous property also offers once-in-a-lifetimes gift ideas—like having Evan Voyles design a custom, hand-crafted neon piece—and the decadent Holiday Panettone, a collaboration with world-renowned Houston-based baker Roy Shvartzapel and executive pastry Chef Susan Querejazu. 4100 Red River St., Austin
Collective Hill Country
For nature lovers who prefer stars over holiday lights, check out luxury glamping retreat Collective Hill Country in Wimberley, an International Dark Sky Community. Don’t miss their dark sky parties, when an astronomer visits the retreat and guides guests to the best stargazing spots all while helping them to identify new constellations. Guests also get to enjoy a complimentary star-themed cocktail during their stay and have 24/7 access to the outdoor lounge chairs, decks, common areas and telescopes on request for convenient stargazing. 7431 Fulton Ranch Road, Wimberley
Photo Courtesy Moody Gardens
For a Road Trip…
Moody Gardens
Head to Galveston to celebrate the season at Moody Gardens, which presents Ice Land: Ice Sculptures, A Caribbean Christmas, through Jan. 7. Back after a two-year hiatus, the ice event combines the vibe of the Caribbean with the winter cold of the North Pole for a holiday tour that includes a look at a flower garden, glimpses of ice fish, Hammerhead sharks, dolphins and plenty of Christmas surprises. 7 Hope Blvd., Galveston
Gaylord Texan
Ice! returns to the Gaylord after a two-year, pandemic-induced break. Bundle up in a (loaned) oversized parka and head into a 14,000-square-foot wonderland featuring sculptures crafted out of more than 2 million pounds of colorful ice. Though a 15-year-tradition in Grapevine, this year’s theme, The Polar Express, is new. After posing on an icy train seat and waving to the conductor, take a turn on the ice slides and then head back into the hotel for even more holiday fun (like gingerbread decorating, sledding and Santa visits). 636 S. Main St., Grapevine