Garland, Alaska: Where was A Cozy Christmas Inn filmed?
Posted by Ra Moon
Set in the fictional town of Garland, Alaska, Hallmark's romantic movie A Cozy Christmas Inn was entirely filmed in Utah.
Without being a sequel, the film is inspired by 2014's Christmas Under Wraps (or at least, it has very similar characters), one of Hallmark's highest-rated movies of all time, which was also recorded in the Beehive State.
Without being a sequel, the film is inspired by 2014's Christmas Under Wraps (or at least, it has very similar characters), one of Hallmark's highest-rated movies of all time, which was also recorded in the Beehive State.
This is the story of Erika (played by Jodie Sweetin), a real estate executive from Seattle who travels to Alaska during Christmas time to buy a small bed and breakfast for her boss. The owner of the beautiful property turns out to be Andy (David O’Donnell), her ex-boyfriend from college.
But as is often the case in many Hallmarkies, while Erika tries to convince Andy, she starts to fall in love with the location, its people, and in particular with the charming owner of the remote house in the mountains.
Here is our (almost) spoiler-free guide to the filming locations of A Cozy Christmas Inn.
Welcome to Garland, Alaska
In the movie, Garland is a picturesque, adorable little village in the middle of nowhere, ideal for a Christmas getaway.
According to the tourist brochure that Sharon Farris (played by Vivica A. Fox) gives to Erika, the town features spectacular views of both Mount Healy and Denali National Park and Preserve, located in Interior Alaska, in the north of Anchorage.
Image courtesy of Hallmark Channel
Located in Ogden Valley, almost 50 miles outside of Salt Lake City, Huntsville, Utah, doubles as the fictional Garland town.
Huntsville is a lovely small community on the shores of Pineview Reservoir, surrounded by gorgeous parks and beaches.
There is also Utah’s oldest business, the Shooting Star Saloon restaurant, and the Huntsville Astronomic and Lunar Observatory (aka HALO), hosted in the same Inn featured in the movie.
The cozy Garland Inn is actually the unique Compass Rose Lodge in Huntsville.
Opened in 2018, this modern and cute farmhouse lodge offers 15 spacious and elegant rooms.
This cool boutique skiers’ hotel is a great venue for a romantic retreat in the snow like the awesome location, also in Utah, where Falling For Christmas was filmed.
Image courtesy of Hallmark Channel - Map
The silo attached to the building is the HALO Observatory with a retractable rotating roof.
Here you can gaze at distant galaxies with a massive scope in the dark Utah sky, with minimal light pollution.
The on-site coffee shop featured in the movie, where you can have a cappuccino, is called First Lift Coffee.
Image courtesy of Google Maps
Hattie's Diner was filmed at The Lodge at Huntsville Square, which doubles as Garland Square.
Located on the same street as the hotel, this rough-cut timber building is the ideal place to hold all kinds of events such as weddings, receptions, or conferences.
Many Hallmark productions have been filmed in Utah, including the two Haul Out the Holly movies, set in the fictional Evergreen Lane neighborhood.
Image courtesy of Hallmark - Map
Meet the A Cozy Christmas Inn Cast
American actress Jodie Sweetin stars as Erika McNicoll. Sweetin is best known for her role as Stephanie Tanner on ABC’s television series Full House, and the Netflix spinoff Fuller House.
Most recently, she also appeared on CBS's reality show Beyond the Edge and the Food Network's Worst Cooks in America.
Image courtesy of Hallmark
Actor and producer David O'Donnell portrays the charming owner of the B&B, Andy Holliday.
O'Donnell has starred in several films for Hallmark including Christmas Under Wraps, the movie on which A Cozy Christmas Inn is based, holding Hallmark's record for the number of household viewers at 6 million.
In Christmas Under Wraps, Andy seduced surgery resident Dr. Lauren Brunell, played by Candace Cameron Bure. So, we assume that this previous romance did not live happily ever after.
O'Donnell has starred in several films for Hallmark including Christmas Under Wraps, the movie on which A Cozy Christmas Inn is based, holding Hallmark's record for the number of household viewers at 6 million.
In Christmas Under Wraps, Andy seduced surgery resident Dr. Lauren Brunell, played by Candace Cameron Bure. So, we assume that this previous romance did not live happily ever after.
Andy's father, Frank, is played by Brian Doyle-Murray, the older brother of Bill Murray, who has appeared in many films including Caddyshack, Ghostbusters II, and Groundhog Day just to name a few.
In Christmas Under Wraps, Frank was Santa and the owner of Holliday Shipping.
Returning to their roles are also Jennifer Aspen as Claire, and Page Petrucka as Hattie.
Can you help to improve this article about the filming locations of A Cozy Christmas Inn? To complete and correct this report, any feedback, info, or images that you may have are more than welcome, thank you!
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NOTICE: If you’re using this information on your website, please credit and link to this page as a source.
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7 comments:
1- Anonymous - Oct 30, 2022, 6:21 PM
Helen Ga. Is an alpine village in North Ga. Mountains. It would be a beautiful and Gr8 Place to make one of your movies! I am an OverTheRoad 18 wheeler, 58 states, and Canada is a "One of a Kind", beautiful and friendly... Thanks "Ron!"
2- Mary - Dec 1, 2022, 1:53 AM
For a movie that supposedly took place in the freezing weather of Alaska, I didn’t see anyone wearing gloves and hardly anyone wearing a hat. Not very realistic.
3- Anonymous - Dec 15, 2022, 3:42 PM
Brian Doyle-Murray is Bill Murray's OLDER brother. He played Frank Holliday, owner of Holliday Shipping, not a car loan salesman. Frank's son, Andy, was the town handyman.
4- Anonymous - Oct 28, 2023, 12:48 PM
Christmas Under Wraps was one of my favorite movies. I am sure Bure didn't want to do a sequel. This "sequel" ruined the first one, knowing that it wasn't a happy ever after.
5- Anonymous - Nov 12, 2023, 7:54 AM
I loved Christmas Under Wraps with Candace. I am not impressed at all with this sequel in the first 30 minutes. It is not a real sequel, would have loved a sequel with Candace. Sorry Hallmark, you missed it on this one. I give this five️ stars!!!
6- Anonymous - Dec 9, 2023, 10:42 AM
I love A cozy Christmas, and I don’t think it’s a sequel to Christmas under wraps. It’s way off. I love that they have the same characters they did under Christmas under wraps, but I love A cozy Christmas in it, actually uses real snow, and I love that it’s more calmer than Christmas under wraps.
7- Anonymous - Jul 29, 2024, 10:57 AM
I would agree with others that you have to treat the "sequel" as a completely different movie, rather than as a follow-on of Christmas Under Wraps, to avoid the sadness of the original Lauren/Andy relationship being non-lasting.
We do know that Andy sold his plane to help finance the new Inn, complete with the Observatory. One would not know the significance of the missing plane had they not seen the 1st movie.
But all-in-all, I also agree with others that the 1st one was far more entertaining than the "sequel". So now, the previous 300-mile plane trip is a 5-hour road trip, IF the roads are clear, dry, and ice-free. LOL.
1- Anonymous - Oct 30, 2022, 6:21 PM
Helen Ga. Is an alpine village in North Ga. Mountains. It would be a beautiful and Gr8 Place to make one of your movies! I am an OverTheRoad 18 wheeler, 58 states, and Canada is a "One of a Kind", beautiful and friendly... Thanks "Ron!"
2- Mary - Dec 1, 2022, 1:53 AM
For a movie that supposedly took place in the freezing weather of Alaska, I didn’t see anyone wearing gloves and hardly anyone wearing a hat. Not very realistic.
3- Anonymous - Dec 15, 2022, 3:42 PM
Brian Doyle-Murray is Bill Murray's OLDER brother. He played Frank Holliday, owner of Holliday Shipping, not a car loan salesman. Frank's son, Andy, was the town handyman.
4- Anonymous - Oct 28, 2023, 12:48 PM
Christmas Under Wraps was one of my favorite movies. I am sure Bure didn't want to do a sequel. This "sequel" ruined the first one, knowing that it wasn't a happy ever after.
5- Anonymous - Nov 12, 2023, 7:54 AM
I loved Christmas Under Wraps with Candace. I am not impressed at all with this sequel in the first 30 minutes. It is not a real sequel, would have loved a sequel with Candace. Sorry Hallmark, you missed it on this one. I give this five️ stars!!!
6- Anonymous - Dec 9, 2023, 10:42 AM
I love A cozy Christmas, and I don’t think it’s a sequel to Christmas under wraps. It’s way off. I love that they have the same characters they did under Christmas under wraps, but I love A cozy Christmas in it, actually uses real snow, and I love that it’s more calmer than Christmas under wraps.
7- Anonymous - Jul 29, 2024, 10:57 AM
I would agree with others that you have to treat the "sequel" as a completely different movie, rather than as a follow-on of Christmas Under Wraps, to avoid the sadness of the original Lauren/Andy relationship being non-lasting.
We do know that Andy sold his plane to help finance the new Inn, complete with the Observatory. One would not know the significance of the missing plane had they not seen the 1st movie.
But all-in-all, I also agree with others that the 1st one was far more entertaining than the "sequel". So now, the previous 300-mile plane trip is a 5-hour road trip, IF the roads are clear, dry, and ice-free. LOL.
Ra Moon
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