Travel North Carolina This Nearly 100-Year-Old North Carolina Resort Is Decked for the Holidays, and It's Pure Christmas Magic By Betsy Cribb Betsy Cribb Betsy is the Home and Features Editor at Southern Living. She writes about a veritable potpourri of topics for print and digital, from profiling Southern movers-and-shakers and celebrating family traditions to highlighting newsy restaurant openings and curating the annual holiday gift guide. Prior to joining the Southern Living team in 2017 as the style editor, she worked at Coastal Living as an assistant editor covering pets and homes. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on December 15, 2021 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Courtesy of High Hampton High Hampton, a beloved family resort in Cashiers, North Carolina, reopened this spring with a fresh new look, and now it's celebrating its first-ever holiday season. "High Hampton has so much history over its nearly 100 years of welcoming friends and family, but since it was previously a seasonal destination, the property never had the opportunity to establish traditions during the holiday season," says Scott Greene, the hotel's general manager. "So we are really excited to start this year with an over-the-top celebration and have this become part of our guests' holiday traditions for generations to follow." In the spirit of the season, spectacularly decorated trees and thousands of lights have transformed the property, and there are festive activities galore, from cookie decorating to potpourri classes and a station where little revelers can pen letters to Santa. Here, sneak a peek at the mountain magic. 01 of 07 High Hampton's First Christmas Courtesy of High Hampton Reimagined by the talented team behind Tennessee's luxuriously bucolic Blackberry Farm, the restored High Hampton feels especially welcoming for its first holiday season. 02 of 07 Bright Lights (And Lots of Them) Courtesy of High Hampton More than 50,000 linear feet of lights dance across the property's fences, trees, and doorways. Larger-than-life (6 feet tall, to be exact!), shimmering snowflakes are also scattered about the grounds. 03 of 07 Natural Wonders Courtesy of High Hampton Aromatic garlands ornamented with berries and burlap ribbon reflect the resort's stunning surrounds. 04 of 07 Merry Mantel Courtesy of High Hampton Whimsically arranged greenery elevates fireside game nights in the resort lobby. 05 of 07 New Traditions Courtesy of High Hampton One of the hotel's trees is decked with nostalgic photo memories from its 99-year history. Another tree ushers in the resort's next chapter, featuring photos of guests who are spending the holiday season at High Hampton. 06 of 07 Snail Mail for Santa Courtesy of High Hampton For young guests who wish to dash off last-minute lists to St. Nick, there's a letter-writing station set up with all the essentials. 07 of 07 Better by the Dozen Courtesy of High Hampton Lean into the holiday's sweet side and take a cookie decorating class, available each Friday through Christmas. For guests who favor the scents of the holiday over its flavors, a potpourri-making class is offered December 10 and December 27. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit