Trapp Family Lodge: Home for the Holidays

It was beginning to look a lot like Christmas when our family checked into the Trapp Family Lodge the weekend before the holidays. Set high on the hill in Stowe, Vermont, this European-style hotel is an ideal place for families to spend the winter break. Every year the staff plans tons of yuletide fun for the kids. This can include cookie decorating, campfires, Christmas movies, storytelling and family sing-a-longs.

Getting into the spirit when you are away from home won’t be hard at the Trapp Family Lodge. Every cozy space of the hotel is festively decorated with elaborately trimmed trees. This family-run hotel enjoys including their guests on Christmas Eve for a special tradition. Join members of the von Trapp family by the fire to sing Christmas carols! Be sure to reserve a table in advance for Christmas Day dinner in the Main Dining Room.

During your stay book a sleigh ride to take you over the hills and through the woods at Trapp. Bundle up and hear those sleigh bells ringing as you venture out over the mountain tops. Reserve a private ride for just your family or check the schedule for the open sleigh rides which run almost every day.

Other outdoor activities include downhill skiing at nearby Stowe Mountain Resort. Ask about the Stay, Ski and Ride Package when you make your reservation. It includes discounted lift tickets for Stowe. Of course you can go cross-country skiing right on property. They have 37 groom trails for all ages and abilities. The terrain is also perfect for snowshoeing or hiking. If you are up for the challenge, head up to Slayton Pasture Cabin. This cozy log cabin serves soups, sandwiches and a great cup of hot chocolate to warm up on a cold winter day.

The heated indoor pool could just be your family’s sanctuary for the week. Located across from the lodge in the fitness center, this pool has a large wading area that is no more than 3ft deep. It is perfect for younger children to splash around.

After a long day of family fun, head to the Sunroom where Afternoon tea is served daily from 3:30pm-4:30pm. During the holiday week hot apple cider is also served. Families can sit back and make themselves at home in this warmly decorated space.

It won’t be hard to find a place to relax together and play a board game, read a book or do a puzzle. The library shelves are filled with volumes of novels. Of course the oversized leather chairs and couches may tempt you to take a long winter’s nap. Who could blame you?

No visit to the Trapp Family Lodge is complete without taking the history tour. The family photos hung on the walls throughout the hotel will leave you yearning to learn more about this family that has fascinated us for ages. During the tour learn about the making of the Sound of Music, and the two movies that preceded it. You will also hear about the family’s background and watch a documentary about Maria von Trapp’s life.

We were booked into a superior room with a king sized bed and pullout couch. There was ample room for the four of us even when we asked for an extra roll-away bed. If you are staying during the holidays you may want to request a room on the second floor facing the front of the lodge. Your balcony will likely open onto the terrace which glitters with miniature Christmas Trees each night.

You will have a spectacular view of the New Year’s Eve fireworks from here as well. Usher in the New Year with a champagne tasting for adults and a pizza pool party for kids ages 3-12.

If you book a stay at the Trapp Family Lodge during the holidays with your family we are sure that you will be making memories that will last a lifetime.