All year long, we celebrate the unique touches that make independent hotels remarkable — their history, their connection to their communities, their heartfelt service, and their free-thinking, free-wheeling attitudes.

This season, we’re celebrating homegrown experiences that make holidays with friends and family unforgettable. Like the independent-hotel spirit, true holiday spirit cannot be duplicated, fabricated or mass-produced.

Here are some treasured traditions from Stash employees that make our holidays happy and uniquely ours.

The Gift That Keeps Giving: Re-gifting isn’t rude, it’s an art. Reappearing under our trees is a cow skull named Ben, and a Disney puzzle (ages 5 and up).

Now Bring Us Some Figgy Pudding: Our resident Brit devoutly eats figgy pudding, which her family laces with loose change. (The rest of us have expressed our concerns over obvious choking hazards)

Remember Your Roots: One staffer has an angel ornament that graced her newly-immigrated parent’s very first Christmas tree in America. After 42 years, and some glue, she’s still the star of the show.

Dashing Through the Snow: One family runs a 5k while dinner’s in the oven, our Saskatchewanian coworker takes a family snowmobile ride (complete with fire-roasted hot dogs), and another bangs pots and pans together at midnight on New Year’s.

Committed to the Claus: At one house, dad bangs sticks on roof to simulate the sound of reindeer hooves. One of us gets a heartfelt type-written letter from Santa (aka “Grandpa”) – 31 years and going strong! On the family farm in Illinois, Santa skips the sleigh and delivers presents on a John Deere front loader – Ho! Ho! E-I-E-I-O!

Happy Holidays,
The Stash Team