Gaylord Hotels and select JW Marriott Resorts have teamed up with The Coca-Cola Company on a holiday program at eight resorts across the country. The collaboration begins this month and adds two new offerings to each property’s Christmas lineup. Those offerings are a traveling Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan and a limited-time Coca-Cola Christmas Suite. Participating properties include all Gaylord resorts, JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, and JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa.
Caravan Makes Eight Stops
The Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan is the red truck that has traveled across North America for decades. At each resort, it will set up a pop-up with free interactive activities, product sampling, and gifting takeaways. Guests can also pose for photos with the Coca-Cola Polar Bear. After each visit, the Caravan moves on to the next destination, following this schedule:
- Gaylord Opryland Resort, Nashville, Tenn.: Nov. 5–8
- Gaylord National Resort, National Harbor, Md.: Nov. 15–18
- Gaylord Palms Resort, Kissimmee, Fla.: Nov. 23–26
- JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort, San Antonio, Texas: Nov. 30–Dec. 3
- Gaylord Texan Resort, Grapevine, Texas: Dec. 6–9
- JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort, Phoenix, Ariz.: Dec. 13–16
- Gaylord Pacific Resort, Chula Vista, Calif.: Dec. 19–22
- Gaylord Rockies Resort, Aurora, Colo.: Dec. 28–31
Each stop lasts four days, and the tour runs from early November through the final days of December. Gaylord Opryland in Nashville hosts the first visit. Gaylord Rockies in Aurora hosts the last.
Christmas Suite Adds an Overnight Option
The Coca-Cola Christmas Suite is a limited-time room available throughout the holiday season at all eight resorts. Its décor draws on decades of holiday traditions, and each suite includes a themed Christmas tree. Stays come with a Coca-Cola keepsake, in-room Coca-Cola products, four tickets to ice!, and seasonal treats.
Only a limited number of suites are available, and guests can reserve them at SoMuchChristmas.com. Johann Krieger, Regional Vice President of Marriott International, said the project builds on the relationship between Marriott and Coca-Cola. He noted that each resort is known for its Christmas events and that the new offerings add the nostalgia guests associate with the brand. The suites give families another way to extend a visit beyond a single day at the resort.
Where ice! Fits In
The new offerings join ice!, the Christmas attraction Gaylord Hotels created in 2001. It debuted at Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, and tens of millions of visitors have attended since. Master artisans from Harbin, China, hand-carve the scenes, using more than 2 million pounds of ice for characters, two-story slides, and photo tunnels. All eight participating resorts host the attraction.
Beyond ice!, each resort is decorated for the season under a program called So Much Christmas. Rachel Chahal, Vice President of Customer Marketing for The Coca-Cola Company’s North America Operating Unit, said the company has been part of holiday traditions for generations. She said the collaboration gives guests new ways to make memories with family and friends. The Caravan and the suites are the first Coca-Cola offerings at the resorts.
