"Ho! Ho! Ho!," he bellowed, as kids posed with him poolside for a pre-Christmas photo op. "At least I'm not dressed as a Thanksgiving turkey."

For Jeff Wind, the arrival of the holiday season isn't marked by displays of acorns and misletoes or, for that matter, Lemson dressed in a Santa Claus outfit. Rather, it's the delivery of 800 pounds of fresh cranberry that signals the advent of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

"They (cranberries) come in tomorrow," said Wind, the hotel's food and beverage director and executive chef. "From that point on, we're off and running."

And the race begins when Lemson and the rest of the kitchen staff prepare 1,200 "Turkey To Go" dinners that must be ready for curbside pick-up on Thanksgiving Day.

Musashi chef Kevin Matsuda entertains guests with food and magic.

To place an order, call the 24-hour Turkey-to-Go hotline at 528-6066.

"We were the first to provide this type of to-go-turkey package," Wind asserted. "We even registered it as a trademark."

Once Thanksgiving is over, a week's lull will allow staff members to catch their breaths before the onslaught of company parties begins, according to assistant food and beverage director Ann Taketa.

"In the past, banks, mortgage lenders and other businesses have had their holiday office parties here," she said. "Depending on the size of their party, they can hold it at one of our four restaurants — Musashi, Ciao Mein, Colony Steak & Seafood or Terrace Grille — or at one of our banquet facilities."

One of the more enjoyable ways to celebrate with a group of people can be found at Ciao Mein. Semi-private rooms are whimsically decorated to match the fun food.

While it may be all-you-can-eat, the "Taste the Best" menu is not a self-service buffet. Guests will be waited on and dishes will be delivered to the table.

The menu lists all of Ciao Mein's Taste of Honolulu award-winning dishes, including Szechuan eggplant risotto, pasta tossed with spicy ginger garlic shrimp, Caesar salad in won ton cup, hot bean salmon alla Sicilliana and the bisteca de manzo alle Erbe.

For $30 per person, this menu offers great value and a lot of fun for the entire party.

If you want some real laughs, check out teppan chef Kevin Matsuda's entertaining magic show at Musashi.

"We always tell people they should start with food first and go from there," Taketa said. "What they want to eat will

determine the party's location."

In the spirit of giving, the hotel is now offering free $20 worth of certificates ($10 to one of its three restaurants and another $10 for Na Hoola Spa) when purchasing $50 worth.