Best Hotel Santas

When celebrating Christmas on a relatively remote island, Santa loses all of his inhibitions and plans a different grand arrival every year on Christmas Day. Last year, he came in on a pirate ship accompanied by dancers and invited all the young maties aboard for a sail. This year, he plans to skydive into the resort. After a safe landing, he distributes gifts to the kids—usually a local product like a jute bag or a traditional dance costume.

As the sun sets on Christmas Eve, Santa pulls up in an outrigger canoe on Waikiki Beach. Hotel guests along with a traditional keiki hula troupe greet Santa, who then hosts an exclusive children’s party complete with balloon makers, piñatas, and snacks. Santa also attends a more formal reception for teenagers later that evening.

Every so often, Santa likes to make a traditional entrance. On Christmas Eve, families are given their own turkey to carve, along with all the classic fixings. Just as the carols are being sung around the fireplace, Santa arrives on a horse-drawn sleigh. He has a big bag of gifts that he distributes to the kids. Families also get individual Christmas trees in their lodge rooms.

Guests staying at Indigo Bay usually have to take several planes to reach this remote island. But on Christmas Day, Santa takes an alternative route, arriving in a traditional dhow boat made by local craftsmen from a hollowed tree trunk. He then gives out gifts to the kids. Dressed in red board shorts, Santa can frequently be seen swimming or fishing with guests.

Santa gets into the spirit of the desert on Christmas Day, arriving at this Red Sea resort by camel. He and his caravan then attend a children’s party, where he distributes gifts. There are camel rides, face painting, and a holiday lunch with Santa. Santa makes sure each child gets a stocking filled with holiday cookies.

On Christmas Eve, all hotel guests are given jingling bells to welcome Santa, who makes a classic entrance on a horse-drawn sleigh. Santa leads guests to a life-size ice sculpture of his sleigh and reindeer and poses for photos. He is the guest of honor at the Gingerbread Ball (more photos outside the Gingerbread House) and takes part in a holiday sing-along.

It’s not often that Santa can fit a round of golf into his schedule, but when he makes an entrance at Half Moon on Christmas Day, he comes in on a golf cart. Santa then gives each child a backpack filled with toys, books, and candy, and sticks around for photos. (He’s assisted by Jamaican folklore hero Anansi the spider.) Families can join in a tree-lighting ceremony and sandcastle-building contest.

Families staying at Laguna Bay get treated to a surfer Santa who arrives in a red woody car with a surfboard on top and a big bag of candy canes. Santa comes a little early to take part in the tree-lighting ceremony, then joins the kids during a holiday story hour. Locally, there’s a Surfing Santa Competition, proceeds from which support Surfers Healing, an autism foundation.

On Christmas Eve, guests go down to the bay to greet Santa, who arrives by ferry. Santa, assisted by his elves, gives each child a present, including toy cars and stuffed animals. While waiting for Santa’s arrival, adults are served eggnog and mulled wine and also get surprise gifts in their rooms.

When visiting children down under, Santa likes to make a grand entrance on Christmas morning. While most guests arrive on a launch, Santa drops down in a helicopter on Hayman Beach. After the dust has settled, he distributes gifts to all of the children. Families then celebrate a traditional Christmas dinner with plum pudding and a chocolate fountain.

Early in the Christmas season, Santa arrives at Amelia Island in a horse-drawn carriage along a drive lined with guests and local families to help light the tree. He distributes snacks and drinks and then makes an appearance at the Santa Storybook Tea Party and the Holiday Character Dinner. Every weekend leading up to Christmas, Santa, escorted by an elf, tucks children into bed and reads them a story.