These Texas hotels go big for the holidays, with massive trees, ice villages and rooftop chalets

The Adolphus in Downtown Dallas goes all out for the holidays, from the 25-foot real Christmas tree in its lobby to the Winter Village experience on the roof. Head up top for après-ski chalets, fire pits, s'mores and holiday movie-themed cocktails, like the Polar Bear Express-o and Yippe-Chai-Ye (yes, “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie). Then continue the fun back down in the French Room. The restaurant is serving holiday tea with all manner of sweet and savory treats, and the bar is pouring special cocktails inspired by Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Ballet.

This luxe Dallas hotel is bringing over-the-top holiday decor to every corner of the property, starting with the main entrance, where towering nutcrackers greet guests upon arrival. Once inside, you’ll find twinkling lights, green garlands and ornaments lining the lobby and common spaces, and plenty of activities to complement the scene, including a holiday-themed afternoon tea. If you’re looking for a fun meal or night out, on-site restaurants Stillwell’s and Isabelle’s are serving special holiday menus on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.

Once again, this luxe Austin hotel is sprucing up its rooftop pool deck and hosting the Lodge at Hotel Van Zandt. Modeled after a Swiss ski lodge, it features snowy environs and holiday decor, plus private igloos that hold up to six guests, so you can pretend you’re in the Alps and not adjacent to Rainey Street. Book an igloo, and you’ll receive themed food and festive drinks from a dedicated server. You can even request a shot ski to knock back a fun shot with your friends.

This Hill Country resort is a great vacation destination year round, but they dial it up for the holidays, with events and activities for everyone. Kids can send letters to Santa, make their own ornaments and listen to Christmas stories with Mrs. Claus while adults sample holiday-themed cocktails from the Blind Salamander bar. Stroll the holiday light trail, which takes you along illuminated paths on hotel grounds, then finish with a round of glow-in-the-dark miniature golf at Santa's Magical Toy Shop. Thursday through Saturday evenings, head to the Lady Bird Lawn for light displays and snowflake flurries, and capture that "snowy" Texas photo for Instagram.

Each year, this downtown hotel transforms its rooftop and its iconic Texas-shaped pool into Texas Winter Lights, featuring more than 100,000 lights and plenty of activities. Stroll the grounds to sample festive cocktails and snacks, like apple strudel and kolaches, take a virtual reality sleigh ride or watch “Love Actually” on the huge projection screen as artificial snow falls from the sky. If you prefer a more intimate evening, reserve one of the private, see-through igloos to enjoy hors d'oeuvres and wine under a cozy blanket.

Visitors flock to this Uptown Houston favorite for luxury stays and an award-winning spa, and that doesn’t change during the holidays. But the festive season sees the lobby festooned with a massive tree and decorations, and the hotel hosts special events like brunch with Santa and his elves. Decorate gingerbread houses in Santa’s workshop alongside holiday snacks, hot cocoa and Mimosas for the grownups. And be sure to check out Stella’s Wine Bar, which transforms into a snowy chalet with wintery cocktails and s’mores stations.

Grapevine’s known as the Christmas capital of Texas, and Gaylord Texan is one big reason why. The hotel transforms into DFW’s holiday epicenter each winter, with an ice skating rink, a multi-lane tubing hill covered in real snow, a holiday themed Cirque show with acrobats performing daring stunts and decorations everywhere you look. The biggest draw, though, is  ICE!, a 17,000-square-foot, immersive sculpture display featuring scenes from “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

Hotel Vin’s Winter Wonderland Experience is back, bringing nine igloo-shaped “bubbles” and evergreen trees to the WineYard Grille + Bar lawn. The bubbles are decorated with ski-lodge decor, including fur blankets and heaters, and provide views of the Grapevine Vintage Railroad across the street. Book the experience to secure a spot for yourself and a few friends, and you’ll get wine and a special menu of cheese or chocolate fondue paired with all the accoutrements.

ICE! is also popping up at this sprawling San Antonio resort, with colorful sculptures depicting scenes from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas.” Don your jacket and stroll through the displays, then stick around for more, because every inch of the property is decked out for the holidays. There’s a 30-foot-tall Christmas tree and light shows synchronized to holiday music. And when you’re ready to get more hands-on, the hotel has ice tubing tracks, gingerbread decorating, photo ops with Santa and the chance to throw real snowballs at elf targets. 

Located in Fort Worth’s historic Stockyards, the Drover is a prime spot to hole up for the holidays. Time your visit wisely, and you can partake in 12 Days of Drover. It all kicks off December 13 and runs through December 24, turning the hotel’s backyard into a festive hangout, complete with Cowboy Santa and his reindeer, a massive Christmas tree and holiday decor aplenty. Guests can take photos with the big man himself, then adjourn to the communal fire pits to roast s’mores, or sip fun, seasonal cocktails at the outdoor bar.