Top Hotels Have A Month Of Fright-Filled Fun In Store
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Halloween typically means costumes and candy, and while that certainly never gets old, there are some other options for going all-out for the devilish holiday. In fact, we found eight luxury hotels pulling out all the stops for Halloween this year — no tricks, just really great treats.
The Magnolia Hotel & Spa
If you really want to be startled, visit Victoria, the oldest city in the Pacific Northwest and reportedly the most haunted one in Canada’s British Columbia. Let the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star Magnolia Hotel curate your trip with the Spooktacular package. Aside from a luxe room and breakfast for two, the deal gives you access to the Spooktacular concierge, who is dedicated to ensuring you have a spine-tingling experience. He will have a list of haunted happenings around town, everything from ghost festivals to zombie walks, but also can send you on a self-guided haunted walking trail of the city’s scariest spots (including the Parliament Buildings, where the ghost of murdered architect Francis Rattenbury supposedly roams).
The Jefferson Hotel, Photo Courtesy of The Jefferson Hotel
The Jefferson Hotel
Richmond’s iconic Five-Star hotel will kick off Halloween weekend celebrating both its 120th anniversary and the spook-filled holiday with the Beaux Arts Ball on October 31. In partnership with the Fire, Flour & Fork culinary festival (October 28 to November 1), the grand ole ball will have an architectural focus — guests are encouraged to costume up in outfits that look like their favorite Virginia landmarks. The food, created by The Jefferson’s own Walter Bundy and a host of other noted chefs, will be architecturally inspired as well.
The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner
Also in Virginia, this Four-Star McLean hotel is doing its best to put a luxurious twist on Halloween traditions. On October 24 and 31, partake in a pumpkin-carving class with executive chef Chris Johnson and his team. Suitable for kids age six and up, the session includes everything needed to slice up a charming or creepy pumpkin as well as a slew of boo-inspired treats. On Halloween, kiddos and their parents can attend the Scary Tea (seatings at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.) to see a magician perform tricks, enjoy a decked-out photo booth, indulge in tasty treats and sip on hot chocolate and cider.
Inn on Biltmore Estate
The phrase “Happy Halloween” takes on a whole new meaning at the Four-Star Asheville resort this fall, thanks to an itinerary filled with jovial activities such as the Fall Harvest Celebration package. Available Halloween weekend, the promotion includes a two-night stay, a bottle of wine upon arrival, daily breakfast and Saturday dinner at the estate’s Antler Hill Barn (it will feature a bonfire and a bunch of all-ages games, too). Of course, the weekend slate will also include themed events like a pumpkin carving and lighting ceremony, an alfresco vino social, and Halloween treats at the candy bar inside the inn’s lobby.
Halloween Excitement Near Hotel Hershey, Photo Courtesy of Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company
The Hotel Hershey
For a kid, Halloween means candy. And lots of it. So why not head to Hershey, Pennsylvania for gobs of chocolate treats and some adventure, too? Hersheypark will host an extravaganza of events during Hersheypark In The Dark, held the last three weekends in October. The Four-Star Hotel Hershey offers transportation directly to the amusement park. Once you get there, you and your little ones can ride roller coasters in the dark, take a flashlight tour of the neighboring 11-acre zoo, go on a trick-or-treat trip through the park (there are 11 stops), and see special musical shows (singing mummies, anyone?). After a long night out, retreat to your suite or pony up for one of the Woodside Cottages, 525-square-foot digs where you can spread out and properly count your bounty of sweets.
Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort
It should come as no surprise that Disney goes all out for Halloween, but the annual Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party will be impressive to even the most jaded trick-or-treater. On various nights through November 1, Magic Kingdom puts on a party from 7 p.m. to midnight that includes a special Halloween parade, trick-or-treating throughout the park, Disney characters dressed in costumes, fireworks and more. Located just 10 minutes from Magic Kingdom, this elegant Orlando resort serves as an ideal home base to recuperate after seeing the evil Maleficent in person. To really set the tone of your trip, order Mickey’s Spooktacular Celebration 2015 to your room. The (not-so) frightening welcome amenity includes a lit-up pumpkin sash on the outside of your guest room door, plus a personalized welcome letter from the mouse himself and a room filled with a creepy candelabra, a festive blanket, cobwebs, hidden messages and more goodies.
Union Station Hotel, Autograph Collection
While there are a number of ghost stories circulating about this former train-station-turned-Four-Star-hotel, the most famous one is about Abigail. Local lore says that after Abigail was left at the altar, she jumped from her window onto the train tracks below. People have reported seeing the jilted bride’s apparition in the Nashville hotel ever since then. If you dare, reserve the Abigail Halloween package. In addition to overnight accommodations and dinner at Prime 108, you’ll receive a pair of tickets for the Nashville Ghost Tours, a booklet of haunted locations in the city (in case you’re brave enough for a self-guided tour), a guided backstage tour of the haunted Ryman Auditorium, a bottle of Ghostly White Chardonnay, a Ouija board game and a private tour of suite 711, which is the home of Abigail’s ghost.
Loews Atlanta Hotel
Already known for its pet-friendliness, this Four-Star property is hosting a bash on October 29 for its four-legged visitors (and their owners). Costumes on the Woof, a parade for dressed-up doggies, will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on the outdoor terrace overlooking Midtown Atlanta. Expect pooch-inspired cocktails, small bites and a photo booth for canines and their human pals. Won’t be in the city that weekend? You can also enter the hotel’s online dog costume photo contest.
