Hotel christmas short story

This season, spend some quality time with the family with a read-aloud of some short stories for Christmas from these collections.

Charleston is worth visiting year-round, but the historic city really comes to life during the holiday season, with palmetto trees wrapped in Christmas lights and perfectly decorated hotels. The

Treat yourself with a festive stay thanks to this selection of London's best hotels for Christmas

What’s more Christmassy than ice-skating? Check into the ME Hotel and head over to the Moët & Chandon rink at Somerset House where, on special club nights, DJs will provide a funky soundtrack for you to show off your moves. For learners, there’s Skate School, and non-skaters can tipple at the Alpine-themed lodge before heading back to modern designer rooms – white leather walls and soundproofing – and chill some more. Other

There’s no shortage of Christmas markets, holiday shopping and festive entertainment during London’s yuletide season.

“There is no better way to get into the holiday spirit than singing along with carolers in this must-see Victorian-era concert hall,” said Francesco Sardelli, the hotel’s general manager. Additional benefits include daily breakfast, a bottle of Champagne, a surprise gift for children on Christmas Eve and a traditional roast turkey Christmas lunch alongside a roaring fire in the restaurant. The four-night package starts at

If you loved the Tom-Hanks-led adaptation, you’ll love the original even more, with its dreamlike story and detailed illustrations. One dark and snowy Christmas Eve, our young narrator boards the Polar Express and is whisked away to the North Pole… where he’ll get to meet the very red-coated, jelly-bellied man who makes all Christmas wishes come true.

Another lushly illustrated story, this one follows a father and son who discover that the best Christmas gifts are not always tangible. 15-year-old Rob gets up early on Christmas to do his father’s work on their farm — and when his father realizes what Rob has done for him, his reaction will overwhelm you in the best way possible.

Though Alcott’s book spans several years, the defining moments of the girls’ lives tend to happen on December 25th: it’s the day their story begins, and also the joyous occasion of their father’s return from war. So yes, Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy are no doubt the queens of Christmas — but their stories will warm your heart any day of the year.

Readers of Charles Dickens will already have a pretty good idea of how grim working class conditions were in industrial Britain. In this satirical poem, Sims tells the story of an old man in a home for the poor, recalling the tragedy that befell his wife last Christmas. And George Michael thought

This collection follows merrily in the vein of Gibbons’ original parody. In the title story, the local reverend is “spiritually guided” to the Starkadders’ farm after seeing a crate of wine being delivered, only to find the atmosphere a bit less than jolly — with the Starkadders soon to share their classic “Christmas pudding” of coffin nails and bad sixpences. Needless to say, these eccentric characters (made even more so by the holiday season) are sure to put a smile on your face.