Naughty or ice? What it’s like staying on the Gaylord Nationwide through the holidays

Editor’s Be aware: Gaylord Nationwide Resort supplied a complimentary keep in order that TPG may get an inside take a look at the lodge and its facilities. The opinions expressed under are solely these of the creator and weren’t topic to overview by Gaylord Inns or any exterior entity.

For a lot of households, the holidays grow to be extra of a holi-daze as they scramble to pack in all types of Christmas magic between Thanksgiving and New 12 months’s. Nevertheless, this over-tired, working mother of two discovered a method to pack in a season’s value of magical vacation actions into one weekend with solely a round-trip automobile journey required.

TPG was invited to take part in a vacation preview occasion on the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center. As a employees member who lives within the Washington, D.C., area with no plans that weekend, I acquired the garland-filled task (alongside my household).

The Gaylord Nationwide Resort and Conference Middle and the Nationwide Harbor space have at all times been a little bit of a thriller to me as a DMV (that is District, Maryland and Virginia) resident. I knew the realm primarily as one thing to have a look at whereas inching over the Woodrow Wilson Bridge in bumper-to-bumper site visitors. After an evening there, I realized that it is nicely value a visit across the Beltway for a vacation go to.

Holidays at The Gaylord Nationwide Resort and Conference Middle

Vacation suites stuffed with sweets

As a part of this hosted keep, my household obtained a particular Christmas Dream Suite at the Gaylord National. The suite had a view of the resort’s Christmas tree, which hung within the huge atrium over a stage. There are common tree lighting reveals, and the suite provides you an ideal seat for all of them.

Associated: Festive hotels for people who really love the holidays

The house itself was an unlimited hospitality suite that includes a kitchenette, giant eating desk, two seating areas, an enormous toilet and a walk-in closet that I’m fairly certain is larger than one of many bedrooms in my home. Gaylord had kitted out your entire house for Christmas with lighted garland, a tree and stockings.

The kitchenette was stocked with an enormous plate of vacation sweets and a scorching chocolate-making station.

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The Christmas Dream Suite had an ordinary double queen room connected to the suite, which was additionally adorned with a lighted wreath over the nightstand.

Whereas the house was all about Christmas, it lacked some fundamentals you would possibly anticipate in a set. For instance, the suite itself did not have a bed room, so in case you needed to sleep within the Christmas-themed house, you will be bunking on both a Murphy or couch mattress (the suite had each). It additionally did not have bathrobes or slippers, however I’m guessing that for a lot of households, the Christmas touches are luxurious sufficient.

Costs for the Christmas Dream Suites begin from $499 per night time for 4 individuals or $549 for six individuals (and include a double queen or single king connecting room). There are two different forms of Christmas suites on the Gaylord: The Junior Christmas suite can sleep two and begins at $549 per night time, whereas the Grand Christmas Suite, can accommodate two individuals and begins at $599 per night time. (Sadly, the suites do not seem like bookable with Marriott Bonvoy factors however you’ll earn on a keep.)

A non-Christmas room on the Gaylord Nationwide begins round $160 per night time or 31,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors through the vacation season; so, if you are able to do with out decorations, you possibly can nonetheless be on-site for all the vacation enjoyable whereas saving a little bit bit of money. One nice perk in a single day friends obtain on the Gaylord — suite or not — is early entry to vacation points of interest and precedence entry to eating places and bars on the resort.

The Nationwide Harbor space additionally has an AC lodge, a Westin and a Residence Inn, all inside a simple stroll of the Gaylord resort. So, you could have loads of different Marriott choices for a keep within the space.

Vacation actions at Gaylord Nationwide

Bear in mind how I mentioned you would pack a season’s value of vacation magic into one weekend? On the Gaylord Nationwide Resort through the vacation season you possibly can:

• Go ice skating
• Watch a fireworks present from a Ferris wheel
• Get photographs with Santa and take heed to tales learn by Mrs. Claus
• Construct a gingerbread home
• Go snow tubing indoors
• See an incredible indoor ice exhibit that includes Rudolph
• See two totally different Christmas stage reveals
• Go on a vacation scavenger hunt

On condition that our keep was lower than 24 hours, we did not expertise all the pieces the resort needed to provide, however we certain needed to.

Our first cease was the Capital Wheel, a 180-foot-tall Ferris wheel that sits alongside the Potomac River. Tickets for a spin on the wheel have been included in our go to (usually $17 for adults, $13.50 for youths), and we stepped on board proper after sundown. That looks as if a foolish time to hop on an attraction that is all concerning the views, however a fireworks present began at 5:30 p.m. and lasted for many of our journey.

I’ve a powerful worry of heights that often makes Ferris wheel rides depressing, however being up within the air was a very new method to watch fireworks — and I beloved it. Nevertheless, a few of that braveness could have come from a pre-wheel cease at The Flight Deck, a waterside lounge that is a part of the wheel space, for a cup of vacation cheer. The Flight Deck would even be a great place for fireworks viewing if you cannot time your wheel journey completely.

The Nationwide Harbor fireworks run each Saturday night time by Dec. 30 at 5:30 p.m. Nationwide Harbor additionally has a 60-foot tree, and from sundown till 9 p.m., it lights up in a blinding present.

Whereas Nationwide Harbor has loads of eating places to select from, we went again to the Gaylord to marvel on the Christmas decorations alongside the grounds and within the atrium. As soon as the solar was down, lights alongside the entrance of the atrium made it appear like Queen Elsa from Arendelle was in residence, whereas string lights alongside the timber and outlets gave it the texture of a holiday village.

We grabbed dinner at Previous Hickory, the resort’s steakhouse with a contemporary tackle Hunt Nation stylish leather-based and plaid. Our group ate crabcakes and steak; whereas the crabcakes have been glorious, the steak was simply high quality. Nonetheless, the service was stellar, and on a non-family journey, I might like to move a while at Previous Hickory’s fashionable bar. I’ll level out that the restaurant is usually a little loud, nonetheless, and my husband, who suffers from listening to loss, had a troublesome time following the dialog. I do not undergo from listening to loss, and I did as nicely.

Gaylord Nationwide has a number of extra informal eating choices, as nicely. In-room eating is essentially the most informal since you possibly can put on your pajamas. Harbor Social is the resort’s sports activities bar with duckpin bowling lanes you possibly can reserve. The Belvedere foyer bar has nice views of the atrium, and there is at the moment an 80s-themed pop-up lounge on the resort’s roof, which needs to be value a go to for the views alone.

The Potomac District Cafe and Market has a number of grab-and-go choices, in addition to full menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It is also a simple stroll to dozens of eating places and bars at Nationwide Harbor, so you are not going to go hungry.

Ice! at Gaylord Nationwide

For a lot of households, the large draw for a go to to Gaylord Nationwide might be Ice!, featuring two million pounds of carved ice recreating scenes from the traditional “Rudolph the Crimson-Nosed Reindeer” film. The attraction is saved at 9 levels Fahrenheit, so you will wish to gown like Yukon Cornelius for a go to; parkas might be supplied in case you want them.

Along with some unbelievable ice sculpting (groups labored for 12,000 hours to create the scenes), the exhibit additionally options ice slides and tunnels to wander by. The attraction runs from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. by Dec. 30 and from 10 a.m. to five p.m. on Dec. 31. Ticket costs vary from $25.99 to $43.99, relying on the day you go to; you’ll want to ebook tickets upfront.

For those who want much more winter enjoyable, you may as well ebook tickets for Snow Circulation Mountain, an indoor snow tubing course. Resort friends have early entry to the attraction from 9 to 10 a.m. every day. It opens to basic ticketholders at 10 a.m. and runs till 5 p.m. on Dec. 31. Every ticket contains limitless runs in your ticket date. On condition that the mid-Atlantic has been starved for snow the previous few winters, that is your probability to suit a number of years’ value of sledding into someday. Tickets are $25.99 per particular person, per day, and all riders have to be at the very least 42 inches tall.

Visits with Santa and Mrs. Claus often imply schlepping to the mall, however the holidays’ hottest couple is at Gaylord Nationwide all season. Visits with Santa require tickets starting from $40 to $99, relying on the kind of photograph package deal you choose. Tickets for a go to with Mrs. Claus, which incorporates tales and singalongs, are $14.99. On Dec. 13 from 12 to eight p.m., Santa will use his magic (and American Signal Language) to satisfy with youngsters who talk through ASL. Costs for this occasion are the identical as different Santa visits; nonetheless, for youths, assembly with a Santa who communicates the identical method they do might be priceless.

Ice skating is obtainable from 9 a.m. to five p.m. day by day till Dec. 30 for resort friends and from 10 a.m. to five p.m. day by day for non-resort friends. Tickets are $22.99 per particular person. Your loved ones may also go to the gingerbread house-making station, the place tickets vary from $34.99 to $44.99.

Saving cash on holidays at Gaylord Nationwide

For those who’ve made it this far, you is perhaps considering {that a} weekend of vacation enjoyable at Gaylord Nationwide would possibly burst your vacation funds. Nevertheless, it can save you some money by bundling tickets. A Silver Play and Save Go contains admission to Ice!, snow tubing and the Reindeer Scavenger Hunt that includes Rudolph and the Misfit Toys. That package deal will run you $170.22 for one grownup and one baby, a financial savings of 20% over reserving these actions individually.

With the Gold Save and Play Go, you get the identical occasions because the silver package deal, in addition to ice skating, gingerbread home making, Mrs. Claus’ traditions and the Snowball Construct and Blast (a carnival-like snowball throwing recreation). The Gold package deal saves 30% over reserving the occasions individually.

Nationwide Harbor is a cease on the Potomac Water Taxi route. You may hop on board and cross the river to Previous City Alexandria, the place you possibly can wander the streets and soak up colonial-style Christmas decorations. Or you possibly can take the water taxi all the way in which to the Washington, D.C. neighborhood of Georgetown for the Georgetown Glow — a strolling route that options lighted artwork installations all through the neighborhood.

When you’re within the capital, you possibly can hop on a Circulator bus to go to the Nationwide Christmas Tree and the waterfront earlier than returning to the water taxi and heading again to the Nationwide Harbor.

If you wish to keep a bit nearer, Nationwide Harbor has a free shuttle service that may take you to the close by MGM On line casino to (attempt to) win some money; it will probably additionally convey you to Tanger Shops to spend your winnings on vacation items.

Testing

I left my temporary keep on the Gaylord Nationwide wishing for extra time — there was simply a lot to do. Nevertheless, on the flip aspect, there was additionally simply a lot to pay for. With particular person actions operating about $25 per particular person, a weekend of vacation enjoyable may get very costly in a short time for my household of 4. Add a keep in one of many Christmas suites, and our vacation funds may simply burst.

That is why I recognize the methods it can save you on a vacation expertise like this. Shopping for a Silver or Gold package deal ticket for occasions is not low-cost by any stretch. Nonetheless, it does make taking part in a number of actions extra inexpensive, with the Silver Play and Save Go hitting a candy spot by way of worth and the actions my household was most interested by.

Grabbing an everyday room at a midweek charge or with Marriott Bonvoy factors on the Gaylord is one other good way to save cash and get extra worth from all the pieces the Gaylord presents; that is very true you probably have youthful youngsters who aren’t topic to a college calendar.

Typically, it appears like essentially the most difficult a part of the vacation season is getting all the pieces completed whereas nonetheless leaving time for some magic. A vacation go to to the Gaylord Nationwide Resort is a good way to take a midseason break to take pleasure in quite a few enjoyable vacation actions multi functional place.