Christmas in an Hotel?

Sue!

Whatever the reason for being alone at Christmas (I am too), I think it's very easy to feel sad and as though you are the only person not doing anything.
I've always found that if you regard it as just another day and a good chance to lounge around, watch a film, eat chocolate for breakfast, and smoked salmon for dinner, or whatever seems a bit decadent/naughty/rebellious, then before you know it..............................it's over and you've had a good time!
Works for me anyway

The trouble with hotels is that [for me] there is far too much eating and drinking.I like to eat only when I am ready, and I like to eat only what I fancy.So, perhaps a holiday cottage somewhere [in this country] would be better if you and your DH feel abit the same? Somewhere with a log burner, and you can take [or buy there] all the Christmas food you need.You don't have any forced jollity thrust upon you that way.Choose a part of the country that you like, or somewhere you have never been before. Go to the local church on Christmas morning.

I have always loved to spend Christmas at home with the family but our eldest has for the last number of years wanted us as a family to go to a good hotel but DD and family couldn`t afford to do it nor youngest DS but this year I have been thinking about it DH suffered a severe stroke at Christmastime last year and going away for 2014 sounds good - but don`t know if I we could manage it and to pay for everyone to go would be exhorbitant. But I understand where you are coming from Sue

Forgot to say...... after meeting the locals at church, meet the locals at the pub.Or if you don't go to church, just go to the pub. If you never drink, and don't go to church, light the fire and have a great day in, with a lovely Christmas meal of your own choosing.

Being alone at Christmas suits me down to the ground - it means I can ignore the whole thing! The best Christmas day I can remember was in an hotel, though - it started at 10:30 with champagne cocktails in the Manager's apartment -- after which I shall draw a veil... it was at the Gulf Hotel, in Bahrain, by the way.

When my DF died, the last of our older generation, I could not face Christmas for just the four of us, so we 4 (2DDs, DH and Me) booked our time off work, held our breath until a fortnight before Christmas and then got a real bargain of a late deal at a top hotel in Majorca. Having found that it is the more expensive hotels that sell out last, we repeated this, twice to Benidorm, which is where the rich Spanish go at Christmas, and once each to Lanzarote and Cyprus. Then when the DDs could not arrange a full week off we went to Auchranie on Arran twice and also to Dumfries. The 2nd visit to Auchranie we hired a lodge there instead of staying in the hotel and each took part of a sumptuous Christmas dinner, although we booked into the boxing day Murder Mystery dinner in the hotel and joined in with the duck race, swimming, quizzes etc. We paid for the hotels as DD's Christmas presents and they paid their airfares. No other presents allowed [this was not strictly adhered to] We all enjoyed these breaks from tradition and taking part in different kinds of Christmas celebrations. I particularly loved avoiding the Christmas food shopping, the cooking and the clearing up.

Thereafter, DDs' partners and one set of in-laws joined the family and then the DGC came along so back to 'at home' Christmases for us.

My mum goes away for Christmas every year. She loves it. No cooking or washing up. Day trips out. Entertainment. New friends.

Being alone at Christmas suits me down to the ground - it means I can ignore the whole thing!

I'm inclined to agree with that sentiment. Once my children had passed the age of about 13/14, I lost interest in Christmas as a holiday season and it just became a chore with all that cooking and clearing away - all that preparation as well. Now I can blissfully ignore the whole charade (apart from Christmas dinner - I still have to do that as my son prefers to come here for Christmas dinner).

We did it one year when I was heavily pregnant with first child and working and we were having a new bathroom installed and our house was chaos. It was very nice to be waited on at the time, although the enduring memory is simply one of too much food!

Luckily, I have never had Christmas on my own. The first after I was widowed I spent with DD and her in-laws as I didn't want to be at home remembering the previous year's happy gathering, and the second I spent in Sydney with another DD. This year, 2 DD's + families are coming to me. It will be strange, but I feel now is the time to bite the bullet.
We once spent a 3 day Christmas with another family and our respective parents at Crieff Hydro. It was wonderful, great fun with lots of activities for the children including a creche where they could be left for a couple of hours if required, leaving the adults free to enjoy a or three. Every meal was an occasion with the Turkey being piped-in on Christmas Day, much formality, hilarity and laughter especially when instructing Santa to change his arrangements . I look back on it with such happy memories.

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