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We kicked off winter break with our second visit to the annual 12 Days of Drover at Hotel Drover . This festive event has become a family holiday tradition I look forward to each year and will cherish with my boys for as long as they’ll join us!

My favorite hotel in Fort Worth where luxury meets the untamed spirit of the Wild West—Hotel Drover. As the holiday season descends upon us, Hotel Drover unveils a celebration like no other with the “12 Days of Drover.” It’s a festive experience exclusive to hotel guests through the enchanting traditions and special moments that make this cowboy Christmas a truly unforgettable experience.

Arrival: Cowboy Welcome The 12 Days of Drover kick off with a warm Cowboy Welcome, where guests are greeted by the scent of pine, the twinkle of holiday lights, and the unmistakable ambiance of Western hospitality. The lobby transforms into a festive haven, setting the stage for the magical days ahead.

Room

This year, our room had the best view of the Christmas tree, what a delightful sight to arrive to and wake up to!

The Backyard

Where the Christmas magic happens. The cornerstone of the hotel The Backyard, is a beautiful outdoor oasis situated along Marine Creek surrounded by towering oak, magnolia, cypress and crepe myrtle trees from farms throughout East Texas contrasted with classic Texas cacti. During the 12 Day of Drover, all the trees are lit up and dripping with hundreds of Christmas lights with Hotel Drover’s signature Christmas tree as the centerpiece of the courtyard.

This year’s weather was perfect for sitting outside and enjoying all the holiday festivities and activations taking place in the Backyard of the Hotel Drover.  Hotel guests enjoyed a gourmet hot cocoa bar and s’mores station with all the fixings (my kids LOVED the full-sized candy bars for their s’mores), pictures with Cowboy Santa and live reindeer, and fire pits to roast their marshmallows.

The setup this year looked a little different from past events to make room for a few new features:

  • Discover The Mark – Guests are provided the opportunity to make their own mark with the help of the hotel’s blacksmith by branding a personalized initial into a leather luggage tag keepsake, using the same technique Drovers used to mark livestock. How cool is that?

  • Letters To Santa – an adorable station for kids to write and mail their letters to Santa

  • Also new this year were printed and branded photos by Motus Booth while you visited with Santa and posted for pictures in his sleigh with his reindeer which provided a great keepsake of this event.

Hotel Drover’s 12 Days of Drover encapsulate the true spirit of a cowboy Christmas, blending Western charm with holiday magic. For those seeking an extraordinary festive escape, saddle up and experience the warmth, tradition, and joy that define the holiday season at Hotel Drover in Fort Worth.

What are your favorite or new holiday traditions?

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My family and I enjoyed a holiday staycation to celebrate the start of the kids’ winter break and my husband’s milestone birthday.  Now in its second holiday season offered, the 12 Days of Drover is a unique, elevated holiday experience exclusive to all overnight Hotel Drover guests to enjoy holiday activations featuring live reindeer, photos with Cowboy Santa, a festive hot cocoa station, boozy hot cocoa for grownups, and fire roasted s’mores tucked away in The Backyard.

Opened in March 2021, Hotel Drover is a new(ish) luxury Autograph Collection hotel by Marriott in downtown Fort Worth. This stunning hotel is built in the middle of the revamped Mule Alley in the Fort Worth Stockyards and Marine Creek. Mule Alley is now filled with shops, upscale saloons, new breweries and restaurants, the beautiful Hotel Drover, and Tannahills Music Hall. The area sparkles with lights at night, and the Hotel Drover neon pop cowboy lassos you into its modern Fort Worth ambiance and design.

In December, The Backyard at Hotel Drover transforms into an intimate, rustic-luxe, Western winter wonderland filled with twinkling lights and elegant family holiday experiences during the 12 Days of Drover. As you wander through the stunning patio dripping with Christmas lights, a charming courtyard with a massive Christmas tree welcomes you. Past the lit oak trees, the outdoor covered bar and heated pool, you’ll make your way to The Backyard where the holiday magic awaits.

 

 

Highlights from our holiday experience at the 12 Days Of Drover:

Decadent Hot Cocoa

A beautiful hot cocoa station with all the festive fixings made with real hot chocolate, real rich whipped cream, chocolate shavings, sprinkles, and marshmallows.

 

 

Deluxe S’Mores and Fire Pits

An elevated s’mores station serving up bags filled with all the goodies and supplies you’d need to roast s’mores at the fire pits, followed by a self-serve candy bar tower if s’mores aren’t your thing. For adults, there is a coffee truck serving up boozy hot cocoa.

Take your s’mores kit and grab a seat and gather around the cozy fire pits to roast your marshmallows, enjoy your cup of cocoa and take it all in.

Photos with Cowboy Santa

Cowboy Santa makes an appearance each night during the 12 Days of Drover for complimentary photos and a chance to visit and pet real reindeer. Cowboy Santa did a great job of posing for photos in a stylish branded sleigh while interacting with kids.

Traveller Tip: Be sure to scan the QR code immediately after your photo is taken so you can access and download your photos for a keepsake souvenir of your visit!

 

Christmas carolers provided fun, lively musical entertainment throughout the night.

 

Dining at 97 West Kitchen & Bar

We celebrated my husband’s milestone birthday with a dinner reservation at the hotel’s on-site restaurant 97 West Kitchen and Bar. We dined outside on the patio overlooking the lushly lit backyard and the creek where we could still hear the carlors singing just steps away from our table. I ordered the pecan smoked salmon served with a purple potato puree, while John had the grilled ribeye with fingerling potato hash and we all shared a family fixin’ of fried brussels sprouts with pork belly burnt ends cooked in Round Rock Honey and an apple cider vinaigrette. Our dishes paired well with the Pinot Noir. The kids were easy and ordered the kids Mac & Cheese and the 97 Texas Burger.

We finished with John’s birthday dessert, a 97 West chocolate ganache cake sent from the kitchen. Thank you chef!

Chocolate Ganache birthday cake from 97 West

 

 

 

Christmas Moments Throughout the Property

As stunning as the Hotel Drover already is, they take it up a notch with their Christmas installations and holiday moments (aka instagrammable moments) throughout the property. The installations are modern and witty, rustic and luxe, and subtly branded with the hotel’s stylish logo design. The best time to enjoy the grounds and explore the property and amenities is early in the mornings before guests show up and go about their day.

Front Courtyard

 

Lobby Library Display

 

An assortment of children’s Christmas books are available in lobby areas

 

Lobby Fireplace

 

Elevator Moment

 

 

Back Patio

 

Bar Patio

 

Extras

I love hotels that go the extra mile and offer extras to make your stay memorable and inspiring. Hotel Drover was designed with the whole family in mind. The Lil Ropers package add-on makes your child’s stay at Hotel Drover in the Fort Worth Stockyards extra legendary.

LIL ROPERS*

– Traveling with a Lil Roper Includes –
Child size robe & stool in-room (Upon Request)
Plush Horse Companion
Drover Style Wild Rag
Library of books and games
Family concierge with local recommendations for kids of all ages
Children’s menu at 97 West Kitchen & Bar

*Contact concierge for package pricing.

 

In conclusion, the service, staff, well-appointed rooms and amenities, and overall experience at Hotel Drover was superb. Staying during the 12 Days of Drover made it even more festive and memorable. I look forward to making this an annual holiday staycation tradition with my family. If you’re looking for a special, intimate, and unique experience to celebrate the holidays, this is it!

I enjoyed our stay at this hotel so much that I will have to write an entirely separate post on the amenities itself.

 

There are still several dates of 12 Days Of Drover packages available!  To book your stay:

Photo: Hotel Drover website

Stay between Tuesday, December 13 and Saturday, December 24 to enjoy 12 Days of Drover, open only to overnight Hotel Drover guests and patrons of 97 West Kitchen & Bar. Book the 12 Days of Drover special package to enjoy rooms starting at $399 on select dates plus four tickets to first annual Stockyards Rodeo Rink AND $100 resort credit (USD) redeemable in the New Year.

Featured dates for rooms starting at $399 include Tuesday, December 13 and Sunday, December 18 – Wednesday, December 21. Blackout dates apply and rates subject to change at any time. Book HERE

 

Merry Christmas!

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There’s a new ice skating rink in Fort Worth for the 2022 holiday season and my kids were excited to check out Rodeo Rink during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The location is excellent being at the stockyards, and not having to drive as far into DFW for holiday activities.

The Fort Worth Stockyards and Mule Alley, together with Hotel Drover, has introduced the first-ever Stockyards Rodeo Rink in November and will be open from November 25, 2022 to February 5, 2023.

What we loved:

An outdoor winter wonderland with a covered ice skating rink, festive programming such as photos with Cowboy Santa, live music, (hot) Cocoa Corral, a picnic area, firepits, a beautiful holiday lights display, and a 40-foot Christmas tree for all your holiday photos needs.

 

Rodeo Rink hours:

Monday – Thursday has 5 sessions: 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, and 7pm.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday has 6 sessions to choose from: 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 7pm and 9pm.

 

You can buy tickets here:

Stockyards Rodeo Rink – NOW OPEN!