by Esther White
I am always on the lookout for fresh, exciting, memory-making adventures with my toddler. As we are make our way through December you can bet that I am looking for all the best photo opportunities of my precious little one enjoying the wonders of the holiday season. Recently, I had a stand-out adventure experience that while engaging for my daughter felt like a much-needed break for me, Christmas at the Anatole.
Before I get to the fun festive stuff, I have to call out two highly important things I consider when considering a toddler/family-friendly adventure; safety and cleanliness. When I became a mom, I quickly learned the serenity a clean bathroom provides when out with my sidekick and faced with the inevitable bathroom trip. The high standard of cleanliness was apparent not only during our dining experience but at every single one of the restrooms we stopped at throughout our North Pole adventure.
As far as safety, the Anatole is, of course, a 100% worry-free outing. Once inside the resort, I was able to get my steps in while the little one ran around calling out all the art and decorations capturing her attention along the way. My daughter had a blast while I got to enjoy a delightful meal along with cocktails feeling as if I were out on the town, but without the stress of cars buzzing around while I frantically try to keep my kid safe. This place exceeded expectations of safety as it contains the little energizer bunnies and their constant appetite for play and exploration extraordinarily well while giving parents a relaxing break from the constant chase of the kiddos as you know they are safe.
Media Bar and Grill is available in the Grand Atrium of the property – perfect to drop in for a quick bite and cocktails before or after your North Pole Adventure experience. Overall, the food and cocktail experience was well above the quality you typically associate with “family-friendly” experiences. I’ve been to other DFW child-friendly hotel resorts where my kid is served a plain old juice meanwhile here, at the Hilton Anatole, she had her pick of whimsically presented child-friendly seasonal drinks such as the holly juice (fruit punch handmade by elves and served in a light-up ornament) or a hot cocoa bomb. For the adults, we had a selection of fun, holiday-inspired spins on traditional cocktails such as Texas Reindeer, Snowflake, and The Nutcracker to choose from.
I highly recommend Media Bar and Grill as there are seats where you can catch a seasonal light show in the Grand Atrium, featuring festive holiday music every night at 6-7-8 & 9:00. If you have a party of 6 or more consider a more private and authentic addition to your North Pole experience and catch the light show while enjoying a cocktail and dessert in an igloo.
If a more modern dining experience is your preference or if you’re looking to impress your date try SER Steak and Spirits. Quite literally, an elevated dining experience on the 27th floor complete with sweeping Dallas skyline views serving exclusive cuts of prime beef, locally sourced ingredients, and an award-winning wine collection.
We spent about an hour and a half making our way through Anatole’s North Pole adventure immersive experience. It’s available daily from 11am-8pm now through December 31st. Photo and video opportunities were abundant given the over 20 different festive interactive displays. My little one had her fill of activity outside of the fun sights as there were plenty of creative little tasks and challenges to complete along the adventure. The varied activities and captivating sights will delight both younger-aged children all the way up to selfie-crazed teenagers.
This immersive experience was well thought out complete with magic bag of props corresponding to the various themed rooms – and when in doubt on what to do elves hard at work are available to provide guidance. Adorable photo opportunities and fun challenges were set up at various must-see North Pole spots such as Sant’s mail room complete with a magical mailbox for direct delivery to Santa, an Elf Academy, Cookie Factory, Reindeer Stables, Candy Cane Lane, Tunnel of Lights, as well as a walk inside a Snow Globe. At the end of the North Pole adventure was a fun toy shop to reward completion and trade in the tokens earned along the way. My little one loved the stuffed reindeer friend she earned. On our walk back to the atrium we made a stop at the holiday Candy Store much to the joy of my little one.
The most important thing that truly made our North Pole adventure magical was that every single person I interacted with was without a doubt genuinely inclusive of my child being with me during a night out. I highlight this because I hate places that pretend my kid is invisible. My toddler had more than her fill of adoration here given the sincere connections made by every employee we encountered – energetic waves, warm smiles, and silly toddler conversation.
Also, did I mention that they donate proceeds from the North Pole Adventure to Operation Bliss, a local Dallas charity providing memorable hotel stays for children requiring ongoing medical services and critical care treatment? Everything about our North Pole experience including the spirited employees my daughter met at the Hilton Anatole resort can be summed up as the feeling of Christmas described in one of my favorite holiday songs, Silver Bells.
