One of the many advantages of a vacation rental during the December holidays is the opportunity to make your lodging “personal and memorable”. From the Rocky Mountain West to the beaches of Mexico, Florida and the Caribbean, celebrating the holidays infused with generations of tradition (or make some new ones) in your vacation residence can provide memories to last a lifetime. We interviewed a few of our partners who offered some ideas:

Ski Holiday: A mountain vacation in the mountains during December guarantees a “White Christmas”. Our mountain managers suggest the following:

Holiday Décor: Request a Christmas Tree. The tree can be delivered and decorated prior to arrival. To keep the family traditions, consider shipping a small selection of ornaments to the management company prior to your trip. When you arrive, you and your family can place the “finishing touches” on the tree. Few destinations during the holidays rival our Ski Safari Chalet in Beaver Creek, CO. Families will enjoy the spacious 4 bedrooms which sleeps 10 in luxury. Even though true ski-in/out, we suggest apres-ski in the village with a hot cocoa and gelato just a short walk from the chalet.

Gifts: Consider having your gifts shipped to your vacation home rental. Imagine opening gifts by the fireplace watching the falling snow and the twinkling lights of the town. Or, if you desire a forested setting with evergreen trees covered in snow, consider our 3 bedroom condo in West Vail which accommodates 14, just minutes from the slopes yet set within a beautiful valley of mature aspens and evergreen trees, the finest mountain setting for the holidays and beyond.When its time to return home, have the larger gifts shipped.

Skis/Boards: Anyone on your gift list receiving new skis, boots or boards? If yes, ask the managing agent which retailer they prefer and order the equipment to be delivered to the vacation residence. Concerning boots, be sure to use a reputable retailer with a boot-fitting specialist. Bows and gift-wrapping are optional.

Christmas Dinner: The finest restaurants will be booked for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the weekend that follows. If you do not wish to cook, consider a private caterer or chef. Full formal meals can be delivered and re-heated or prepared on-site and professionally served, the choice is yours. Having a holiday party, have TheSociety.com assist you in securing a Butler for your event.

Beach Holiday: While many consider a Christmas surrounded by palm trees and sand to be sacrilegious, the reality is, the holidays in a tropical setting can be magical where the closet you will get to snow is the frozen Margaritas. Our managers in Mexico, Florida and the Caribbean suggest :

Mexico:be sure to enjoy Ponche con Piquete, which is a hot beverage or “Punch” made out of seasonal fruits and cinnamon sticks, with a shot of alcohol. May we suggest enjoying your Ponche con Piquete on your private beach with 25 of your family and friends while residing in Casa Yardena, an unforgettable 9 bedroom beachfront villa on the Rivera Maya, just 10 minutes south of the Mayan ruins.

On Noche Buena, December 24, go to Misa de Noche Buena which is at midnight. After the Mass, enjoy a truly late dinner withyour family or locals. Christmas supper which may feature a simple fare of homemadede tamales and atole(corn gruel) or other regional dishes. A more exotic feast might include bacalao a la vizcaína (Biscayan cod) and revoltijo de romeritos (wild greens in mole sauce). Roast turkey, ham or suckling pig are other popular menu items. After the memorible feast, while in Los Cabos,retire in luxury and splendor at One Medano Beach, Cabo’s newest luxury tower coupled with the ultimate in-demand location. One and two bedroom units ae available, perfect for couples and small families.

Caribbean: Masquerade bands, performing and playing their special brand of  music,  are a common sight on the streets of towns and villages in the Caribbean at Christmastime .

• Throughout the English-speaking Caribbean, Boxing Day, December 26th is celebrated. It is treated as an extension of the Christmas holidays.
• It is traditional for Antiguans to eat pork on Christmas Day - baked or stewed or corned. On the day after Christmas, Boxing Day, pepperpot is a big favorite.
• Christmas Day in Barbados is a day for feasting. Among the favorites of the day are jug-jug, green peas and rice, baked ham, roast turkey with its stuffing with gravy, roast pork with crackling and gravy, fish, pepperpot, jug-jug, yam pie, candied sweet potatoes, plantain, conkies… and a lot more. There would also be Christmas cake, cassava pone, and other desserts. Often, the last item is plum pudding or Christmas pudding.

Belize: The Christmas trees decorating homes come mainly from the Mountain Pine Ridge in Belize. A holiday favorite in Belize is a rum-and-eggnog concoction called “rum popo”. Las Terrazas Resort , among the newest luxury resorts to be built on Ambergris Caye, would be our holiday choice in this most beautiful waterfront destination. Guests can be accommodated in flats ranging from 1-3 bedrooms. One of our favorite units is the Sea House, a 3 bedroom encompassing 2,100 square feet waterfront.

Costa Rica: Christmas traditions have a truly Latin American flavor, however, it is also a time for their “summer break” when the rainy season ends replaced by dry, cooler air (cooler is relative at 70 degrees).  A few days before Christmas, the Christmas tree is placed in the home. It is painted white and may be a small Cyprus tree or dried branches from the coffee plant. It is decorated in a homemade fashion with small figurines, lace ornaments and brightly colored strips of paper. Such a tree would be fabulous within the living room of Villa La Costa, an estate with a main house and guest house, beachfront at Playa Hermosa providing guests with 5 + bedrooms accommodating up to 10 guests.