Photo: Hallmark Channel; Hannah Chubb
What it is:The Hallmark ChannelCountdown to ChristmasSuite at Club Wyndham
Who tried it:Hannah Chubb, PEOPLE Home + Travel writer
Level of Difficulty:1 (on a scale from 1 to 10)… unless you’re a certifiable Grinch.
I’m one ofthosepeople: As soon as trick-or-treaters leave the sidewalks and the calendar flips to November, I’m in full-on Christmas mode.
What Happened:
In early November, my boyfriend and I, along with two of our Christmas-loving friends, pulled up to the Club Wyndham Midtown 45, the hotel where the one-night stay was being hosted, bags in hand. We were the first-ever group to sleep over in the New York location oftheir Hallmark ChannelCountdown to Christmassuite(they also have locations in Nashville and Vail, CO). Stays for this year are now sold out, but they will be hosting holly jolly guests from November 12 through January 1, and rates start at $295 per night.
Hallmark Channel
When we were escorted to the room, located on one of the top floors of the hotel, it was clear that we were in forquitethe experience: Even the outside of the suite was decked out, with a wreath, bows, Christmas ornaments and wrapped presents dangling from the door and welcoming us in — along with a Hallmark Channel-branded doormat, of course.
When we opened the door, it was clear that the festive decor did not stop there. There was truly so much to look at, it was hard to even know where to begin.
In the living room, a Christmas tree with presents and a train underneath was the pièce de résistance. Surrounding it was a bar cart complete with four bottles ofHallmark-brand wineand long- and short-stemmed glasses; a holiday card writing station with stationary and real stamps, plus a mailbox to send them (ours already arrived to their destinations!).
A lever next to the tree beckoned us to pull it in order to see the “Tree Lighting Ceremony,” and it certainly did not disappoint.
Even the room’s regular fixtures and fittings were altered to fit the theme.
In the kitchen, the cabinets and fridge were papered to look like they were made of gingerbread, and came stuffed with snacks and drinks. On the counter, a hot chocolate station, a cookie-decorating station and a gingerbread house-making station were at the ready to appease our sweet tooth, along with pretty much every candy a kid could dream of — from chocolate spoons and candy canes to marshmallows, lollipops and Tootsie rolls.
Hannah Chubb
After passing under a sprig of mistletoe, we reached the bathroom and bedroom, which had a king-sized bed, decorative wrapped presents a-plenty, twinkling garland, a Polaroid camera with two packs of film for old school photo shoots and even a Santa suit in the closet (which you know came out after a couple of glasses of the aforementioned wine).
One of the most unique parts of the bedroom, however, was a machine that would emit your favorite holiday scent at the press of a button — either gingerbread, peppermint, Christmas tree or sugar cookie — each diffusing in essential oil-scented plumes.
I’m pretty sure I walked out the next morning smelling like a Bath and Body Works store in December, but there are certainly worse scents to bear.
We sent cards to our grandparents (hi, Grandma!), fought over whose Christmas cookies were best dressed, went heavy on the frosting during gingerbread house construction, slurped up some cocoa, snapped dozens of Polaroid photos and even rocked around the Christmas tree to some NSYNC holiday classics before turning in for the night.
As most New Yorkers do, I typically try to avoid the tourist-packed streets of Times Square but it was incredible looking down at the twinkling lights of Midtown from our windows and seeing the city that never sleeps preparing for the holiday season.
The Verdict:
Sometimes there’s nothing more refreshing than embracing your inner child and soaking up the magic of the season. There’s nowhere more wonderful than New York City at Christmas (you can fight me on it), and boy, were we ever ready to shout it from the rooftops when we walked out of the suite smelling like straight cookies the next morning.
If you’re as big of a Christmas freak as I am, I suggest you book your stay at the suite early next year — I have a feeling it will sell out again!
source: people.com
