The Best Place to Spend Christmas in the U.S.A.

Image courtesy of The Point

With so many families spending last year’s Christmas apart under quarantine, Christmas 2021 promises to be nothing less than a Christmaspalooza. Cue the champagne, cookies, and socially un-distanced bear hugs as we make up for lost time! Now, the question is—where to have it?

If celebrating Christmas all by our lonesomes in 2020 taught us anything, it’s that the best place to spend Christmas is right alongside the people closest to you, wherever possible. BUT! If we could bring everyone we love to one dreamy destination, we’d argue the best place to spend Christmas in the U.S.A.—certainly one of the best—is The Point (from $1,800 a night, inclusive for two adults, with carte blanche use of all sports equipment and facilities, all gourmet meals, afternoon tea, wines and spirits.)

Image courtesy of The Point

Built as a Great Camp for Standard Oil and Citigroup tycoon William Avery Rockefeller II on the evergreen tree-studded shores of New York’s Upper Saranac Lake, the 11-room resort was the first North American member of the uber exclusive Relais & Châteaux for good reason. It’s nothing less than a Ralph Lauren fever dream sprung to life: in-room amenities include wood-burning fieldstone fireplaces, 19th century oil paintings, antiques at every turn, waterfall showers and private terraces for sipping cider overlooking the glimmering water.

Come Christmas, there’s nowhere we’d rather be. Each guest room is adorned with a fancifully decorated tree and garland-topped mantel to add to the Christmassy pleasures of the sky-high tree in the soaring Great Hall. The activities list gets all the more charming at Christmas, too, whether you want to take a horse-drawn sleigh ride over the frozen lake or sip an après-cross-country-skiing tipple (like a hot toddy or mulled wine from the ice-bar, no less) by the flickering bonfire.

Image courtesy of The Point

Oh, and did we mention the food? Recent Christmas dishes included diver scallops with Italian caviar and sauce vin blanc; and peking duck with hedgehog mushroom and honey jus. The best place to spend Christmas in the U.S.A., indeed. In fact, we think we see a certain Claus family on the reservation list for Christmas 2021. They’ve more than earned it, have they not?? Haven’t we all???