Make some new traditions this holiday season at Gaylord Hotels. We spent our Thanksgiving holiday at Gaylord Rockies near Denver, which turned out to be the perfect place to kick off this special season. Each of the five Gaylord resorts has slightly different seasonal offerings. Whether you go for a few hours or a few days, the holiday festivities will keep your whole family entertained.
While the holiday spirit’s sprinkled throughout the resort, much of Christmas at Gaylord Rockies is centered in Mistletoe Village.
Christmas at Gaylord Rockies Resort
ICE!
A signature experience at Gaylord Hotels is ICE!. Each resort has a different theme. It’s truly incredible what experienced artisans can create from ice. Imagine the most iconic scenes from the holiday classic, A Christmas Story, carved out of ice. Temperatures inside the 17,000 square foot space are kept at 9 degrees to preserve the sculptures. Some details are as small as a coin, while others soar 30 feet tall. It’s quite impressive.
Upon arrival, guests receive big blue parkas. While the parkas help quell the cold, we’d still recommend dressing in warm clothing and bringing hats and gloves.
For most, the highlight of the display is the 2-story ice slide. It reimagines the scene where Raphie finally gets up the courage to ask Santa for an “official Red Ryder, carbine action, 200 shot range model air rifle” before Santa says “You’ll shoot your eye out kid” and gives him the boot down the big red slide. There are 4 slides at ICE!, one for smaller kids, and three for bigger kids and adults.
Cirque: Spirit of Christmas
Amazing acrobatics and thrilling theatrics make Cirque: Spirit of Christmas a memorable family outing. The story centers around Noel, a child saddened by the hustle and bustle of the season. It features a talented international cast.
The performance runs about an hour, the perfect length for the younger audience members.
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Santa Claus Meeting
It wouldn’t be Christmas without Santa Claus. Santa’s greeting guests in the Father Christmas Library. This is your chance to verify that your kids landed on the nice list … and to get a sweet family photo, too.
You can schedule an appointment or drop in. Personal cameras aren’t allowed, so you’ll need to purchase a photo package.
Letters to Santa
If Santa’s busy, or if your kids are too shy to say hi, they can write him a letter instead. Or do both, like we did.
Postcards for Santa are available for free inside the Elf Training Academy. Letters can be dropped off in the big red mailbox inside Mistletoe Village.
Build-A-Bear Workshop
Did we need more stuffed animals in our lives? Absolutely not. But the holiday outfits at the Build-A-Bear Workshop were too cute to pass up. So we splurged on a few stuffed souvenirs. One kid picked a bunny and the other chose a frog, each with seasonal attire.
Reindeer Games Scavenger Hunt
Be sure to join in some reindeer games, too. Search for clues around the resort to solve the puzzle and win a prize.
There were several more holiday activities that we didn’t have time to do. Those included the Elf Training Academy, the Gingerbread Decorating Corner, the Naughty or Nice Escape Room, and more. Looks like we’ll have to return next year!
Perks for Overnight Guests at Gaylord Rockies Resort
To participate in most of the festivities at Mistletoe Village, you’ll need to buy tickets. You can purchase them a la carte, or get discounts on packages.
Resort guests get complimentary perks like the “Chill Pass” which offers shorter waiting times. Extra Cool Hour allows resort guests entry into ICE! And Mistletoe Village one hour before it opens to day guests.
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Accommodations at Gaylord Rockies Resort
The resort offers a variety of room choices for families. Families can book a standard two queen hotel room, a deluxe family king with a bunk bed, or a spacious suite.
Many rooms have views of the Rocky Mountains. We recommend requesting a room in the tower closest to the pools. When you’re not doing the Christmas activities, this is the place to be.
Activities at Gaylord Rockies Resort
The resort has activities year-round. That includes an indoor and outdoor water park. Inside, there’s a large pool with slides as well as other fun water features.
Outdoors, there’s a sprawling infinity edge pool, a lazy river, and two hot tubs. One of them is reserved for adults only. In spite of Colorado’s cold winter temperatures, the water is warm. The pools are comfortably heated. Even the outdoor spaces are open approximately 300 days a year.
We also liked relaxing by the outdoor fire pits that line the back of the resort, all with gorgeous mountain views.
Dining at Gaylord Rockies Resort
The resort boasts several dining options, with more choices on the way. Crews are working on a big renovation right now which will add several new restaurants.
In the Spring of 2024, Embers Lodge Bar and the Fortunate Prospector will debut. Then later in the year, Copper Table and Garden & Grain will open.
The renovation project also includes added outdoor dining spaces. Plus, a huge new event pavilion with multifunctional indoor and outdoor spaces.
Getting to Gaylord Rockies Resort
Gaylord Rockies Resort is located in Aurora, Colorado about 15 minutes from Denver International Airport or 30 minutes from Downtown Denver. Parking is available for a fee.
Gaylord Rockies provided the writer with a complimentary stay, as well as some activities and meals for the purposes of this review. All opinions are her own.
