This quaint little town has a rustic charm to it that is best felt during the winter, autumn, or spring antique fairs. This time frame enables you to experience both the antique fair and the famous Marburger Farm Antique Show. As this time has the most attractions, it is also the most crowded. So, if you want to have a more quiet experience with no rush or waiting lines, it is best to plan your trip outside of this time frame.

Located halfway between Houston and Austin, the town can be easily accessible from airports in either city. So, depending on your choice, you can rent a car from the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston (IAH) (96 miles away) or the Austin–Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) to reach the town and go exploring.

The Rancho Pillow has an eclectic appeal thanks to the designer Sheila Youngblood, who owns the property. The Frenchie specifically caters to any girls’ trip headed to the town, while at The Vintage Round Top, you can rent an entire cottage for the duration of your trip. The boutique hotel Wander Inn is also a great choice, as it presents itself as a distinctive option, run by Junk Gypsy owners. A recent addition to these options is the restored and renovated Hotel Lulu, formerly Bybee Square.

Famous for the antique shopping options that it offers, Round Top also offers a lot of other tourist attractions. These include the modern takes on the Texan shopping experience thanks to Curate by Stash, designer Courtney Barton, the two-story Townsend Provisions, and Wimberly. There are options in terms of festivals and such experiences as well, in the form of Jaster Street, home to the Round Top Festival Institute, which houses the Festival Concert Hall. The restaurant experience in the town also offers delightful options for food and drinks. Il Cuculo is a bar decorated with artist Andrea Condara’s murals while Royers Round Top Cafe and Royers Pie Haven are family-owned establishments in line with the old-school charm of the town overall.

‘Elf’ is one of the Christmas movies that people look forward to watching during the holidays. It spreads Christmas cheer and is hilariously funny. Now, people get more into the holiday spirit by staying in a hotel room that was created in honor of Buddy the Elf. The Royal Park Hotel located in Rochester, Michigan is now offering a fully decorated “Elf” suite for the holidays.

The “Elf” Suite at the Royal Park Hotel

Since 2020 has been such a tough year for everyone, the Royal Park Hotel thought that it would be a cool idea for people to get some extra holiday cheer by offering this Christmas experience. The room was designed to include many movie references from the Christmas comedy “Elf” which was released in 2003. Buddy the Elf, who is the main character, is played by Will Ferrell. A large sign that reads “Santa I know him,” is hanging right over the bed in the suite. There are tons of other decors, including over 5,000 feet of paper snowflake garland that was made by hand.

Aside from helping guests escape for the holidays, the Royal Park Hotel in Rochester, Michigan also donates 10% of the proceeds from the “Elf” suite to Rochester’s The Big, Bright Light Show.

The Full ‘Elf’ Experience

Guests have the chance to dive into this complete holiday experience, which includes food that was inspired by Buddy the Elf, like his four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corn, and maple syrup.

When the guests arrive at the “Elf” suit at the Royal Park Hotel, they’ll receive chocolate-covered marshmallow snowballs, maple toasty tarts, and elf munch which consists of Chex mix with chocolate, marshmallows, and candy canes.

The Royal Park Hotel partnered up with Maker’s Mark, so aside from the many Buddy-themed decorations, there is also a Christmas tree that is decorated with Maker’s Mark paraphernalia.