Seven Hotels and Resorts for your Second Life Christmas
First time visitor and want to know how Second Life Hotels work? There’s a quick explainer here.
Second Life boasts dozens of hotels and resorts that mimic the RL experience. That includes a number of Christmas / Winter vacation experiences, where you can spend the holidays with friends, or with a significant other.
Here’s my pick of places you might want to go to, this holiday season.
Note that Cheri Noel, Holiday Hill, Snowdrops and The Ritz SL are completely or partially open, meaning you can go and visit some or all of it, and also check yourself in via rental boxes. For Finland, Poconos and Santa’s Dreamland you need to pre-book via a website.
Cheri Noel
Now running for a second year, Cheri Noel is themed after the French/Alsatian city of Strasbourg, which sits on the border with Germany. As a result, creator Jasmine Kiyori has split it into a French-themed section and a German themed section.
There are markets, little shops to explore, fairgrounds, snowy gardens, and Cheri Noel regularly hosts live events.
Houses to rent start at 1295L a night, these are either ‘family’ or ‘couple’ themed, check in the main office on the sim. Then there’s Le Chateau de Noel, a huge Gothic structure which could easily house a group of friends. Here the cost is 4495L a night (you get 800 prims, so could throw a massive Xmas party if you wanted).
Staying at Cheri Noel also gives you exclusive access to a range of amenities, including a dining room, spa and wine room.
Cheri Noel is only open during December.
Finland / Lapland (from Dec 15th)
AshaRia has a track record of building pop-up vacation experiences for several weeks, tearing them down again and starting something else. Her five sim ‘Africa’ experience is coming down on December 10th, to be replaced by Finland / Lapland, which will cover four sims.
This is a closed experience, so you’ll need to pre-book, after which you get your tag when you check-in.
Getting there will first of all involve riding a purpose built train, after which you’ll be taken by private car to your accommodation.
Activities will include skiing, ice skating, a mini carnival and reindeer rides.
Based on my experience of staying on Asha’s other sims, I also know that community events and tours is a big part of it, in Africa there was something organised every night.
Prices are US$14 per night for a couple, book via the website.
Holiday Hill @ Little Salem
Like Finland, Holiday Hill is another winter-landscape experience, though it’s less RP focused.
Rather than take part in activities, you are left to your own devices.
You can rez sleighs and race them down snowy hills, go and spend time in the hot springs, or hang out in the bar at the main lodge.
Holiday Hill operates a weekly rental system, with the chalets going for 1200L and the quirky and imaginatively designed igloos for 1500L a week.
Holiday Hill is open throughout December and will shut early next year.
Poconos
Poconos comes from the team behind the very popular (and now closed), TImor isles, Ibiza and Winter in New York. Indeed, Poconos was part of the 2020 Winter in New York Experience, they’ve brought it back for this year.
Like some of the other Winter vacation resorts, Poconos features an ice rink, a cafe and bar, a ski and sledding area, and villas to rent that go up a hill and start at XL a night.
Note that you need to pre-book at Poconos, the sim isn’t open to visit.
Santa’s Winter Dreamland
Like Poconos, Santa’s Winter Dreamland is a closed sim, so you need to pre-book your stay via a website.
Chalets start at 1500L a night for a couple’s villa, going all the way up to the “Winter Palace”, which costs 5000L a night but could house a group of 12.
Activities include a Christmas Maze, an ice rink, an “Elf Brunch” lounge, and an ice fishing area.
For more information, see the Lifestyle Inc website
Snowdrops
Snowdrops is a kind of Christmas village offering snowboarding, tobogganing, ice skating, teegle horses, mini golf and other activities.
You can rent a cabin (which includes a generous 150 prim allowance) for 500L a night.
Snowdrops also offers a full RP dining experience, starting at 1000L pp for a couple, and 6000L for a group of 5-8
Explore the Winter Village and get free holiday gifts from Dahlia, KraftWork, Pitaya, Thor, Zerkalo, Elm, Moss&Mink and Atelier Burgundy.
Snowdrops website(to book the chalets or dinner)
Snowdrops SLURL(to visit)
The Ritz SL
Finally, as well as in a dedicated festive sim, you could also stay at a five star Parisian themed hotel this Christmas.
The Ritz SL is very loosely based on its RL Paris namesake, and is a vast development encompassing beautiful grounds, an outdoor pool (IMO one of the best hotel pools in SL), a spa which has been redeveloped since the last time I stayed, and beautiful suites. An ice skating rink has also been added for the Winter season
Rooms start at 595L a night, however I recommend paying more for the themed suites, which includes a swan suite and a peacock suite.
Hitchcocks Bar by the reception is open for anyone to visit, while the rest of the hotel is for guests only, though you can buy a day pass at 100L a day.