Holiday hotels - Directory

An abbreviated version for children, called Aunt Agatha's Christmas Tea, takes place from 3 to 5 in the afternoon from December 22 to 24 ($70, $39 ages 12 and under). Throughout the holiday season, Victorian High Tea will be served in the Palm Court, a tradition sure to transport even the most thoroughly modern Millie back to earlier, more gracious times. 681 rooms from $235. 1500 Orange Ave.; (800) 468-3533, (619) 435-6611, or www.hoteldel.com.

Peter Jensen

Other historic Southern California hotels

* BEVERLY HILLS: Beverly Hills Hotel. Woody Allen lampooned holiday celebrations in these parts but--pink hues and banana-leaf wallpaper notwithstanding--this 1912 landmark knows tradition. Strolling carolers and music from a gold-leaf piano enliven holiday teas and a Christmas Eve brunch. For tea reservations, call (310) 276-2251, extension 5701; for brunch, call extension 2941. 203 rooms from $355. 9641 Sunset Blvd.; (800) 283-8885 or www.beverlyhillshotel.com.

Matthew Jaffe

* LOS ANGELES: Biltmore Hotel. With its elaborate ceilings and ornate lobbies trimmed in gold, the Renaissance-inspired Biltmore provides the perfect backdrop for strolling carolers and holiday teas (213/613-1562 for reservations) in the gorgeous Rendezvous Court. 683 rooms start at $129 (holiday rate). 506 S. Grand Ave.; (800) 245-8673, (213) 624-1011, or www.thebiltmore.com.

* RIVERSIDE: Mission Inn. Already blessed with spectacular mission revival architecture, two million bulbs make this classic hotel sparkle. Displays include animated figures from mariachi singers to Dickens characters, as well as a towering 25-foot tree. Holiday brunches and horse-drawn-carriage rides fill out the season. 238 rooms from $139. 3649 Mission Inn Ave.; (800) 843-7755, (909) 784-0300, or www.missioninn.com.

M.J.

* SAN DIEGO: Horton Grand Hotel. A restored amalgam of two hotels from the 1880s, the Horton Grand offers afternoon teas, caroling, and holiday dinners. 132 rooms from $109 (holiday rate). 311 Island Ave.; (800) 542-1886, (619) 544-1886, or www.hortongrand.com.

M.J.

Southwest

P.J.

TUCSON

Arizona Inn

With an atmosphere that is always low-key and personal, this Southwest classic does the holidays just like you'd expect: tastefully understated. You can, of course, warm yourself with a cup of tea and nibble on finger sandwiches in the high-ceilinged library, where a 14-foot Christmas tree glows near a massive fireplace. A neighborhood group might pop in during these daily afternoon teas to entertain with a round of carols. You feel, whether you're there just for tea or for a long weekend, like you're at a friend's country estate.

That's just the way Isabella Greenway wanted the inn to be. A rancher, social activist, and Arizona's first congresswoman, Greenway spent several years after World War I helping a group of veterans run a furniture-making business. After the stock market crash of 1929, she found herself with a warehouse full of handcrafted furnishings and Tucson with a need for an elegant resort; the next year she founded the Arizona Inn.