I love winter. While my friends dream of tropical getaways with sand and sea, I wait for frosty days and snowflakes. Winter isn’t your favorite season? Stay at a cozy hotel with snow-covered scenery, fireplaces, and soul-warming meals and you might just change your mind.
Embrace the elements with a winter vacation that leans into cold and snow. I’ve rounded up eight hotels with an abundance of winter wonderland charm, fun family activities, and indoor amenities to warm you up when you come in from the cold.
Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz, New York
Mohonk Mountain House is a Victorian castle surrounded by mountains only 90 miles from New York City. In winter, you could easily mistake the property for the inside of a whimsical snow-globe.
The rambling property is a launchpad for an array of cold-weather sports. Ice skate on the rink perched high above the pristine lake, go snow tubing, or try cross country skiing on 30 miles of groomed trails. The large indoor pool delivers stellar views of the Catskill Mountains.
Guest rooms are decorated with antique furnishings. Some rooms have stone fireplaces and private balconies, with there are no in-room televisions unless requested.
As a bonus, there’s no sticker shock when it’s time to pay the bill, as activities and three delicious meals are included in the all-inclusive rate.
Camp Richardson Resort, South Lake Tahoe, California
On Lake Tahoe’s southern shore, Camp Richardson Resort is a place of majestic natural beauty. This rustic property has been in existence since the late 1880s; many families have been visiting for generations and return each year. Winter is a serene time to savor the snow-covered landscape on Nordic skis or snowshoes (available for rent) while admiring the lake and Sierra Nevada Mountains. For downhill skiers, Heavenly Lake Tahoe is just eight miles away.
Many guest accommodations, including the historic hotel, lakeside inn, and winterized cabins, are available year-round. The on-property restaurant The Grove is open all year serving burgers, sandwiches, and hearty entrees topped off with pie or brownies a la mode.
The Lodge at Jackson Hole, Jackson, Wyoming
Located at the doorstep of the Grand Tetons National Park, The Lodge at Jackson Hole’s snow-capped scenery is stunning. An indoor-outdoor swimming pool and hot tub merge with practical amenities like the lodge’s courtesy shuttle. While Jackson Hole is a very pricey town, The Lodge at Jackson Hole (and sister property The Wyoming Inn) keep prices fair without sacrificing creature comforts.
Rooms, decorated with eye-catching local art, are spacious and modern. Common areas are graced with fireplaces and scores of carved bears that add whimsy and a sense of place.
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Active visitors can downhill ski at Snow King and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. For winter wildlife encounters, book an eco-tour or back-country snowshoe tour with the wonderful guides at Ecotour Adventures. Don’t miss a visit to mountaintop Snow King Observatory and a soak in the six thermal pools at family-friendly Astoria Hot Springs.
Intercontinental Boston, Boston, Massachusetts
For a cosmopolitan take on cozy, meet the Intercontinental Boston. Step inside the modern lobby and you’re greeted with a fireplace and soaring ceilings. The patio, overlooking historic Boston Harbor, offers individual fire pits with a S’mores Box filled with everything you need to make this nostalgic treat. And the creative menu of hot toddies will have the adults in your group feeling toasty in a jiffy.
Families come for the spacious rooms and indoor swimming pool. Take it up a notch and book a room with access to Club Intercontinental, an exclusive lounge with an array of guest perks, from a buffet breakfast to a collection of teddy bears just waiting to be cuddled.
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The location, a two-minute walk from the Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum and a few steps farther from the Boston Children’s Museum, is particularly great for families.
Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa, Whitefield, New Hampshire
Nestled in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, Mountain View Grand Resort & Spa is a storybook setting for families looking to reconnect in winter. Active guests can spend their days snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and sledding on the property. Indoors, unwind in the heated pool or catch a private movie screening.
A campfire with s’mores under the stars is offered every Friday and Saturday and sleigh rides take place each Saturday. Visit the resort’s working farm, home to friendly animals whose wool is sourced to make Mountain View Farm Blend’s butter-soft yarn.
Skytop Lodge, Skytop, Pennsylvania
Skytop Lodge is a casually elegant resort in the Pocono Mountains, just a few hours from New York City and even closer to Philadelphia. Traditions such as afternoon tea and cookies and a nightly campfire merge with nonstop outdoor fun on the property’s 5,500 acres. Cold weather options include ice fishing and ice skating on the frozen lake, indoor ice-skating, snow-tubing, and a small hill for downhill skiing. The new aquatic center’s indoor pool is an all-weather place to splash.
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Guest rooms in the lodge, inn, and cottages offer country charm. The onsite restaurants and eateries range from fancy to casual, with kids menus that go beyond the standard chicken fingers.
Liberty Hill Farm & Inn, Rochester, Vermont
Families craving an experiential connection with nature should consider a farm vacation. Liberty Hill Farm & Inn is a working Vermont dairy farm open to overnight guests all year. Here, you can watch the cows get milked, help the farmer with simple chores, snowshoe, or sled down the hill. If you’re looking to get away from the hectic pace of life, it’s a frosty heaven.
Guest rooms are comfortable and a hearty breakfast and homestyle dinner are included in the rate. The hands-on owners are extremely welcoming, setting the stage for a magical vacation.
The Williams Inn, Williamstown, MA
If you’d like to explore snow-covered hills and quaint villages, the Berkshires is for you. Williamstown is one of the area’s sweetest spots, with collegiate moxie thanks to Williams College and a top-notch collection of Impressionist art at the Clark Art Institute. When the flakes fly, the Clark’s Project Snowshoe provides complimentary snowshoes in a range of sizes, allowing visitors of all ages to traverse the 140-acre campus in packed-powder style.
In the heart of town is the Williams Inn, an upscale boutique hotel where warm hospitality is the rule. Design and decor take inspiration from New England farmhouses, with barn doors and accents of Berkshire stone and timber. And the outdoor fire pits are especially magical when the snow falls.
A roaring fireplace in the lobby, classic board games, and a restaurant featuring ingredients sourced from local fields and farms are welcome extras.
