Winter is here. Some people dread the shorter days of the season, but for those looking on the bright side, winter means longer nights at Omaha’s lodging destinations. Whether travelers are searching for luxury, fine dining, history or a jumping off point for downtown adventures, Omaha warms up at the city’s winter getaways.

 

The Peregrine Omaha Downtown   

When the cold wind ruffles feathers, The Peregrine provides winter travelers a decadent place to relax, refuel and recharge and a prime taking off point to explore Omaha. Once on the endangered species list, the peregrine falcon inspired the hotel’s name. The animal’s resilience and keen vision reflects Omaha’s vibrant history and its revitalization.

Hotel mascot Aero doesn’t reside at the Peregrine – he lives at a bird sanctuary in Fontenelle Forest – but guests  experience the falcon’s presence through design elements that include a six-story-tall art deco falcon mural designed by Omaha tattoo artist Dave Koenig. Guests booking Falcon View rooms can see the mural when peering out their bedroom window. A cutout in the building’s space left a blank wall with an inner light well that screamed to be repurposed. Guests gasp as they walk into their room and see the mural outside.

Inside The Habitat, the elegant hotel restaurant highlighting contemporary cuisine, hangs another dramatic feature: a 20-feet-wide bird’s nest with twinkling lights. Weather permitting, guests can get a cityscape view from the Takeoff Rooftop Bar while relaxing under heaters by a firepit on chilly nights.

Winter packages for an overnight stay at The Peregrine include tickets to the Omaha Symphony. Daytrips include Henry Doorly Zoo or shopping in the Old Market. Others visit Fontenelle Forest in Bellevue, where Aero the falcon has some pretty nice winter accommodations, too.

 

Kimpton Cottonwood Hotel

This hotel combines elevated service with modernized old school amenities that its predecessor, the legendary Blackstone Hotel, was once renowned for. Arriving guests can shake off the cold by the lobby fireplace or settle in for an Old-Fashioned at The Orleans Room – dubbed Omaha’s living room. 

Original owner Charles Schimmel and his group of friends called “the committee” would approve of the rich atmosphere and amenities the new hotel has to offer, including one of their favorite creations: the reuben sandwich.

As the committee met for their weekly Sunday night poker game, Schimmel asked his son, Bernard, to make local grocer Reuben Kulakofsky, a sauerkraut and corned beef sandwich. Embellished with Emmental cheese, Russian dressing and pumpernickel bread, the sandwich was such a hit that Schimmel put it on his hotel’s regular menu. His “Reuben” won the 1956 National Restaurant Association’s Sandwich of the Year award, and its fame spread. Visitors can order the Kimpton Cottonwood’s nod to this Omaha original in the Orleans Room, the Reuben’s birthplace.

Guests feel like they’ve been transported to that time when entering the Cottonwood Room, a speakeasy-style basement bar known for classic libations and a warm, intimate setting.

There are 30 locally owned shops and restaurants in the Blackstone District, but guests don’t have to leave the hotel as it snows outside. Delighted with her stay, Maryland native Shamaere Ashby said, “From the French-themed breakfast including brioche aux amandes, the European-styled décor and charming staff, it felt like a luxury winter retreat in another country.” Elegant Great Gatsby vibes abound.

 

Oft’s Bed and Breakfast 

As a soft snow falls, weary winter travelers welcome the comfort of Oft’s Bed and Breakfast in Bennington. Sycamore trees surround the Queen Anne home and a state champion pin oak proudly stands sentry on the grounds.

Ornate wood furnishings and artwork make for a homely welcome in the front parlor. Many guests say that the bed and breakfast reminds them of their own grandparents’ home. No wonder, considering that friendly hosts Gordon and Linda Mueller offer hot homemade German chocolate chip cookies hot before their guests’ winter coats and scarves even come off.     

Guests experience not only a place to lay their heads for wintery dreams, but also a physical connection with the past during their stay. The home was built in 1910 by Gordon’s great-grandparents and is filled with family heirlooms guests can see and are welcome to touch. More than 6,000 guests have stayed with the Muellers since the home was restored in 2010. “Our visitors can step out of the rat race and sit down for a full breakfast with strangers from all over the world and all walks of life who become friends,” Gordon said.

Favorite winter-time treats include the raisin-apple pancakes, breakfast pot pies, wheat and sourdough bread and cherry rhubarb preserves.

Guests leave with satiated stomachs and cozy memories of winter in Omaha.

 

Magnolia Omaha

This ornate structure was erected in 1923 to resemble the Bargello Palace in Florence, Italy. The hotel’s u-shaped design surrounds an open classical courtyard with an external staircase that provides a grand view from the hotel’s suites.

Guests will feel transported to Italy as they stroll past the potted indoor winter garden on their way to their room. The lobby  boasts original marble floors, a ribbed vaulted ceiling, travertine walls and simulated Roman columns.

Weddings, receptions and tailgate parties take place in the spacious courtyard. Rooms inclue the apartment-size Queen Loft Suite with floor-to-ceiling windows and a bed in the upper loft, and the Presidential, which is the size of a small home and has its own private balcony for scenic views.

While there may be a slick coat of ice outside, the hotel’s District Restaurant and Lounge heats up with its double-sided hearth and cozy atmosphere. Hotel staffer Sue Strampe raves about the hand-cut steaks and blackened salmon, but her personal favorite is the Wagyu burger with bacon onion jam and pimento on a brioche bun. The Magnolia Hotel provides guests the opportunity to experience Omaha flavor and big-time opulence during their winter retreat in the Big O.

 

The Farnam, Autograph Collection

Seated in the center of the historic Old Market and the newly revitalized Gene Leahy Mall, The Farnam is the energetic link between Omaha’s progressive past and present.

Named after Henry Farnam, a dynamic thinker from Omaha’s past who was instrumental in getting the railroad to run through the community, the Farnam fast-tracks Omaha history in its decor and experiences. When guests arrive, they are greeted by a front desk made of salvaged beams from South Omaha’s St. Agnes Church. Artwork from local creators displayed throughout the hotel depicts quintessential Nebraska.

A recycled sawdust panel wall represents corn fields covered by a red tractor art piece painted by Lincoln native Edwin Carter Weitz. Touches of Nebraska are even underfoot. Guests traipse across carpet inspired by a 9-mile-high aerial view of the Missouri River’s swirling currents.

As the winter wind blows, guests stay warm inside at The Farnam’s signature restaurant, Dynamite Woodfire Grill. There is a 16-foot double-sided fireplace in the private dining room. Chefs prepare cuisine using a unique wood-fire grill/smoker that makes the environment seem dramatic and explosive according to owner Angie Fisher. The restaurant includes a wine wall with selections found nowhere else in Nebraska. Each pairs perfectly with a wintry Omaha getaway.