Christmas Tree in Hotel Room???
 

My family will be in Maui for Christmas and I would like to make it special for them. Has anyone ever put a Christmas tree in their hotel room? I am thinking a table top size. We are staying at the 4S. Do you think the concierge would be able to arrange one for us? Would there be a shop in the Wailea area where we could purchase some ornaments for it??? Or am I totally crazy to even consider this idea????

With a little advance notice, the concierge at the FS can arrange just about anything, including a Christmas tree in your room. They will probably work with the in-house florist or another trusted vendor to the hotel to supply it. Call or email them and I am sure you will get a positive response.

Why would you need the concierge for this? Buy your own table top Christmas tree, probably at the same place you buy the ornaments. You might have to drive to Kahului where there are department stores and malls.

Rusty, I think you miss the point of places like the Four Seasons. One of the main reasons to stay at a place like that is for total relaxation and pampering. That's what the concierge does. I personally wouldn't want to spend my Hawaiin vacation running around to malls buying trees and decorations. I suppose you could also ignore the hotel's room service, for which you don't "NEED" the services of the hotel either. Instead you could drive to a 7-11 or grocery and buy your own food.

Patrick you are absolutely right! And I am sure that Ashley24 and her family will always have fond memories of their "special" Christmas in Maui, especially the Christmas tree that a stranger bought, decorated, and put up !!

Ashley24
We have done this. It was a small tabletop tree and we put small oraments that were special to us for that time period. It could be a fun family time! You could buy small Hawaiian oraments. re: pineapples, floweres...etc. Does Maui have the ABC stores like Oahu? I think your children would have fun selecting what they want on the tree. And you could all decorate it wearing lei's! Take pictures after it's done..Memories for a lifetime!

If you can't find a pine tree, get a potted plant and get creative! How about decorating it with flower earrings, then bringing them home? I remember seeing some great ornaments at Hawaiian stores, either at the airport or ABC stores. Wish I had bought that Santa on a surfboard....

Hey Ashley,
Why not go buy one of those great table top fiber optic trees! Then give it to someone-the maid perhaps!

I like the idea of decorating the tree ourselves wearing leis! I guess I would prefer the tree was already there with the lights on, and I was hoping the concierge would be able to do that much. My girls love to decorate trees so this would definately be a great memory for all of us!
We have never stayed at a resort as deluxe as the 4S so could someone tell me how much would be appropriate to tip for such a service (of course beyond the price of the lighted tree).
Thanks!

Ashley24
I would not know how much to tip for this as I have never stayed at a 4S either. :-) However, call toll free the ABC stores and ask if at Christmastime they sell lighted artifical trees. I bet they do. 1-888-703-4ABC

If you can afford to stay at the Four Seasons, you probably aren't going to be doing your shopping at the ABC.

I don't mind shopping at discount stores but I wanted the lighted tree to be a surprise when our family entered our room. Then we could have fun shopping for special ornaments to decorate it. I think leaving the tree for a maid would be a great idea!

Ashley,
Ignore the naysayers--this sounds like a wonderful memory-in-the-making. Doing something a little over the top on vacation is so much fun, especially if you reinforce it with the small kindness of giving the tree to the housekeeper when checking out. If you're like us, staying at the 4S is not an everyday occurence so this will make it even more special. My kids still talk about our Thanksgiving dinner in Jamaica where they drank coconut juice straight from the coconut and feasted on lobster. A little different from our usual turkey/stuffing/mashed potatoes Thanksgiving fare and something they'll never forget.

for about 7 years my husband and I put up a tree for Christmas in our hotel room. We would have the hotel supply the tree and lights and we would bring a few family decorations and then purchase more locally. My step children usually spent part of Christmas day with us at the hotel and the rest at their home with their mother/stepfather. I know they appreciated our effort and it gave us pleasure.

This relatively simple request should be nothing for the Four Seasons: lesser hotels were always happy to oblige for us.

This may be dumb, but what is an ABC store? I've never heard of it.

To: the ladyjess:
ABC stores are little convenience stores found on nearly every block in all the tourist areas like
Waikiki, lahaina, etc. They carry every souvenir, snack and necessity that a vacationer could ever need, and all at very competitive prices.
Ashley25- The simple answer to your question is YES. For the right price, the FS concierge will get anything you want for your room. Give them some advance notice, and ask about the cost up front, as you will pay dearly to have them do this. It might be cheaper to arrange delivery from a local florist.

Would I assume that if they charge a bundle for doing this service, that the tip is included in that price? Is tipping a concierge a usual practice? If so, how much would be appropriate? I am thinking that going to a store might be a better option if it turns out to be too costly. I could still make it a surprise, just not on arrival.

Did this exact same thing last year at The Hilton NYC. I had the conciege take care of the tree and the lights (added the price to our bill) and tipped the concierge $50 (he handled the arrangements). Found out that two guys from the Food & Beverage Department hung the lights so I tracked them down and tipped them $10 each.

For Hawaii may I suggest a fake tree? I think it may be a more practical solution on the islands.

GoTravel,
Thanks for the information! Can I ask how much they charged you for the lighted tree?
Thanks!

It was around $250 without tips. Yes, I could have done it cheaper myself (shipped fake to to hotel with lights) but I really didn't want to deal with the thing.