Mrs. Claus has booked a bed in the lobby of Holiday Inn Park Central. The anticipated annual display features  Santa offering his wife both a hot water bottle and a gift in her cozy quarters.  A new feature is an old fashioned TV set, which actually affords a view of a moving holiday village behind its screen.

Hotelier Kathy Rachwal  revamps her Christmas drawing room party, kitchen bakery and Nativity scene each year. Elaborately coiffed and dressed figures are posed about detailed settings, such as a ‘50s-style kitchen overflowing with realistic “baked” goods.  This season look for a lighted sleigh, toy soldiers and even more settings in the bar. Bruce Oler of guest relations says both local and out-of-town visitors come with cameras every year to capture the festive display.

Holiday Inn Park Central is at 2929 Jimmy Johnson Blvd. Oler says that when the Christmas scenes come down, the Mardi Gras float will go up. Mardi  Gras of Southeast Texas is Feb. 16-19 in downtown Port Arthur. Museum of the Gulf Coast will feature “Carnival” from Jan. 28-March18 2012.