Ah ~ yes….’tis the Season to drive around town to see all the gorgeous Christmas lights on display! It’s one of my favorite things to do, to be honest. We pile our family into the car and seek out the best and most creative demonstrations around town. So, what a treat it was for me to be invited to tour the Rosen Hotels in and around Orlando to see THEIR spectacular Christmas light displays. In addition, we had the chance to experience a little of how they will be celebrating the holidays with guests!
I was invited as media to tour and learn more about seven of the Rosen Hotels in Orlando and their Holiday Night of Lights. All opinions in this post , however, are 100% mine and mine alone.
Mr. Harris Rosen Loves Christmas
The story was told that, one Saturday night, Mr. Rosen was admiring a beautifully decorated tree in the yard next to his own home. Overcome with excitement, he called one of his right hand business associates and asked him to race over so he could share the moment with him. When that gentleman arrived to the home, Mr. Rosen expressed his desire to have something just as beautiful standing in the courtyard of one of his hotels. In fact, he actually wished to have one in EVERY hotel he owned in Orlando.
Holiday Night of Lights
It was such a treat to receive this special invite to tour the Rosen Hotels. I mean, what a way to kick off the holidays! Right? In an attempt to spread the holiday spirit, Rosen Hotels invited a large group of media (to include bloggers, vloggers, writers and more) to explore their holiday decor, brilliant lights, decadent treats and the live entertainment they were showcasing this year.
There were approximately 60 or so of us who poured into a double decker bus from City Sightseeing Orlando, which acted as our holiday sleigh ride for the evening. The tour took us to seven of the Rosen Hotels in the Orlando area, ranging from economy to luxury. The list included:
- Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista
- Rosen Inn
- Rosen Inn International
- Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando
- Rosen Plaza
- Rosen Centre
- and Rosen Shingle Creek
Holiday Treats
At each venue, we were treated to a variety of delicious tastings that included such good eats as donuts, Maryland crab cakes, Chicken Wellington and Caesar Salad Cups. We were also provided a handful of opportunities to enjoy a few specialty libations or their non-alcoholic counterparts.
Many of these tastings were scrumptious, my favorite being the Baby Lamb Chops served during our visit to the Rosen Plaza. I know the donut-making station at The Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista was also a huge hit, as was sushi at the Shogun Japanese Steakhouse located at the Rosen Inn.
Holiday Lights
Our primary goal, however, was to see the holiday lights at each facility and, boy, were they brilliant and spectacular! Trees were illuminated, lush garland was hanging in and around the hotel lobbies. It was quite a festive sight. At the Rosen Inn at Pointe Orlando, we even had the opportunity to see snow falling from the sky as we arrived.
Entertainment
A few of the venues had live entertainment to enjoy. At the Rosen Inn, we watched the Shogun Japanese chefs prepare food on the hibachi and another chef prepare fresh sushi right in front of our eyes at the sushi bar.
Oh, I cannot tell a lie ~ it was soooo delicious!
At the Rosen Plaza, we were entertained by live music and an ice sculpting demonstration. It was fascinating to watch how quickly this chef was able to shape the ice into Rudolph!!
When we arrived at the Rosen Centre, we were greeted by carolers decked out in period garb, ready to serenade us with a few of our favorites. This was perhaps one of my favorite moments of the night because they sang a song that is near and dear to my heart, “Let It Snow.”
Decorating for Charity
We ended our evening by returning to the Rosen Shingle Creek, where we began our “sleigh ride” around town. We were escorted through the exquisitely designed facility to the Gatlin Ballroom. There, 24 non-profit organizations were putting their finishing touches on Christmas trees that, once completed, would adorn the hotel in various locations throughout the remainder of the season.
The following charities represented include:
- The Harris Rosen Foundation
- Rosen Hotels & Resorts Family Tree
- Runway to Hope
- Nemours Children’s Hospital
- The SW Orlando Jack and Lee Rosen JCC
- American Cancer Society
- Canine Companions for Independence
- Girl Scouts of America, Citrus Council
- Florida Hospital Foundation
- The Orlando Union Rescue Mission
- The Pixel Fund
- Shepherds Hope
- Valencia College Foundation
- A Gift for Teaching
- Compassionate Hands and Hearts
- Food for the Poor
- Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando
- The Elizabeth Parsons School of Dance
- Best Buddies of Florida
- Osceola School for the Arts
- Ronald McDonald House
- Bishop Grady Villas
My friends and I took some time to roam the room, snap some photos and hone in on some of the details. It was fun to see the creativity each tree showcased and how they represented their organization.
Once we had finished exploring the Christmas trees, it was time to mingle before closing out the night. It was great opportunity to network, meet new people and munch just a little bit more. The entire evening was, in essence, spectacular. It’s hard to believe how much we were able to tour in such a short period of time.
So, let’s talk Christmas!
Looking for a place to dine?
As noted above, Mr. Rosen is quite the fan of the Christmas season, so it’s no surprise that many of the hotels have vast Christmas buffets set up for the holidays! If you’re looking for a place to dine on Christmas Eve, Christmas morning or even Christmas dinner, be sure to check out these options. Reservations are highly recommended.
- (At Clarion Inn LBV) Belle Vista, a Rosen Venue – Christmas Day Buffet 11 AM to 3 PM
- Adults $32.99 / Chldren $13.99 for 4-11 / Kids up to 3 yrs of age FREE
- Rosen Plaza ~ Christmas Buffet 12 PM to 5 PM
- $42.95 per adult / $18/95 per child ages 4-12
- complimentary wine served with meal
- free parking
- Rosen Centre ~ Christmas Day Brunch 11 AM to 5 PM
- $47.95 with prepaid reservations / $49.95 at the door
- $17.95 children ages 4-12
- Children under the age of 4 are free.
- Rosen Shingle Creek ~ Christmas Brunch Buffet at Cafe Osceola 10 AM to 8 PM
- $69.96 Adults / $29.95 children ages 4-11 / Children ages 3 and under free
Extra Special Event!
The Rosen Plaza will also be host to the annual Iced Out! event on December 15th from 5 PM to 8 PM. Join Orlando’s top chefs as they put their chainsaw skills to the test in a competition that will land one of them top honors in the annual outdoor ice carving competition in partnership with Canine Companions for Independence. The event is free and open to the public. Beverages and holiday treats will be available for purchase, a portion of the proceeds of which will be donated to Canine Companions for Independence.
For more information, click here.
Ready to stay at Rosen Hotels?
While I was posting the event on social media, a friend of mine chimed in to share a personal story of hers regarding Mr. Rosen. This friend now lives in Hawaii. However, when they were stationed in Georgia, they planned a large family retreat at the Rosen Centre. They said Mr. Rosen was kind, gracious and extremely hospitable to all the families who attended. They really enjoyed working with him and his staff for that particular event. In fact, she mentioned that it may have been one of their favorite in terms of facilities and ease of working with hotel management. She referred to the Rosen Centre as “truly a class act resort.”
So , if you’re looking for a place to stay in the Orlando area that has a tremendous reputation that precedes it, be sure to check out any of the Rosen Hotels listed below.
For more information regarding the Christmas buffets or to make hotel reservations:
- Clarion Inn Lake Buena Vista (Bella Vista event venue)
- Rosen Inn closest to Universal –
- Rosen Inn International
- Rosen Inn Pointe Orlando
- Rosen Plaza
- Rosen Centre
- Rosen Shingle Creek
**all information provided above regarding Christmas buffets is basic information. Please refer to the hotel websites for more information regarding services charges, etc.
#RosenHotels #RosenHolidays #HNL #HolidayNightofLights
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Looks like it was a fabulous trip 👍
It was a lot of fun, Sebby! Goodness, they fed us well, too. LOL. Everyone was so cordial and hospitable. They would be a great place for anyone to stay!
It certainly looks like you ate well 😋
LOL ~ yes, we did. Those baby lamb chops…oh, my goodness!!! Soooo delish!
What a fun way to get in the holiday spirit! Decor looks so festive and food certainly looks delicious!