6 Destinations To Book Now For A Festive Getaway
LAKE COMO, ITALY
Where To Stay: Villa d’Este
Lake Como is renowned as a destination for summer sun and, if you’ve ever been during the traditional tourist season between March and October, you’ll know the area is usually heaving with visitors. So, it’s a joy to see some of the lakeside hotels now extending their season and paving the way for Lake Como to become a go-to destination for festive celebrations. Three years ago, Villa d’Este, the iconic grande dame of the lake located in the picturesque village of Cernobbio, remained open until early January for the first time. It was such a success that it will welcome guests again for Christmas and New Year this year.
Every inch of Villa d’Este oozes history and timeless elegance – expect Murano chandeliers, sweeping staircases and serious works of art. The interiors and rooms are palatial, even the smallest, and most have views of the lake and mountains. Done up in opulent shades of green, yellow and blue with antiques, embroidered silks, brocade furnishings and with sumptuous marble bathrooms, the rooms and suites are spread across the Cardinal Building and the Queen’s Pavilion. There are also four 19th-century villas in the grounds, if you’re looking for total privacy.
From the end of November, the hotel transforms into a Christmas wonderland – over a couple of weeks, a team works day and night to festoon the halls and staircases with the most lavish decorations and place thousands of fairy lights in the trees and topiary in the gardens. They also commission a glasshouse to extend the hotel’s Lake Terrace eating area for guests to enjoy sweeping views of Lake Como, as they would in the summer, whilst remaining cosy indoors – head here for burgers, sandwiches, pasta (we recommend the unforgettable tagliolini with white truffle) and winter cocktails. Another addition, if you’ve got a sugar craving, is the Chocolate Room which has a stunning display of chocolates, artisanal haute patisserie and sweets.
For fine dining at Villa d’Este, La Veranda is the main, formal restaurant (men have to wear jackets in the evenings) – expect classic and contemporary Italian cuisine with international touches, using seasonal produce. Be sure to leave room for the crêpe suzette, a flambléed classic prepared at your table. The wine list (a weighty leather-bound book) is one of the most expansive we’ve seen, with some bottles costing thousands and thousands of euros. For something more casual, the Grill (a George Clooney favourite) is located near the Queen’s Pavilion and serves meat and classic fish dishes, and Il Platano serves Italian/Japanese fusion food. If you fancy a short walk into town, the hotel also owns Harry’s Bar where you can enjoy typical Italian dishes.
Rates start from €1,300 (approx. £1,117) per night for a Double Classic Room, including breakfast. Visit VilladEste.com
GSTAAD, SWITZERLAND
Where To Stay: Gstaad Palace
Exclusive and celebrity-packed Gstaad is the most perfect, chocolate-box Swiss Alpine resort and there’s nowhere else like this to celebrate the magic of Christmas. The place to stay, if budget isn’t an issue, has to be the award-winning Gstaad Palace whose towers and turrets rise above the town like a fairytale castle. Opened in 1913 and family-owned for three generations, it is known for its discreet approach – no wonder it became famed in the 1960s for its jet-setting celebrities, with the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Jackie Kennedy spending the festive season here.
Over Christmas, the hotel is truly the stuff of fairytales. Outside, the mountains are dusted with snow and indoors you can expect lavish decorations from garlands and holly to twinkly lights and creches adorning the halls. On Christmas Eve, champagne starts the evening off, followed by a six-course dinner at one of the hotel’s gastronomic restaurants which range from traditional Swiss, Italian and international. The accommodation is uber luxe – the décor in the 90 rooms and suites combines contemporary glamour with Alpine comfort, with exceptional panoramic views of the Bernese Oberland.
If you decide to venture out, the ski slopes are just outside the door. The hotel can also arrange exciting mountain adventures, including electric fat-bike tours, sledding, tobogganing and winter hiking on one of the many trails. Or book a horse-drawn sleigh and carriage ride which will take you on a romantic jaunt through the snow-covered Lauenen Valley. Fashionistas will love the Promenade, which is packed with boutiques like Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren, Hermès and Prada.
Rates start from CHF 1,350 (approx. £1,248) per night for a Cosy Room, including breakfast. Visit Palace.CH
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LONDON
Where To Stay: The Goring
London is one of the most atmospheric places to spend the festive season. Even if you live in or near the capital, spending a few nights in the centre of town or just going out for Christmas Day lunch feels like a treat. There are, of course, no end of choices amongst the plethora of five-star hotels in the centre of town that do the festive season in style. If we had to pick one this year, it would be The Goring, the family-owned hotel where royalty from across the world stayed during the late Queen's Coronation in 1953 and also her favourite venue for her annual Christmas lunch for palace staff. Just minutes from Buckingham Palace, The Goring is small enough to feel intimate and homely and they know how to put on a quintessentially English Christmas experience with all the traditional trimmings, including a beautiful real tree in the lobby and a snow globe in the gardens. If you opt to stay for two or three nights, the Christmas package includes champagne and chocolates on arrival, full English festive breakfast, Christmas Eve dinner, Christmas Day lunch of dinner (a classic turkey dinner, complete with all the trimmings and Boxing Day lunch or dinner), all served in the Michelin-starred Dining Room.
The 69 rooms and suites, some with a private terrace, are individually designed in a timeless English classic theme, with wallpaper by Gainsborough (the silk weaving company in Suffolk), that is a replica of what’s in the White Drawing room in Buckingham Palace. If you want to splash out, book the penthouse Royal Suite which has a balcony that runs the entire length of the top floor, with large French windows in each of the rooms overlooking the hotel’s private garden.
Rates start from £870 per night, room only. Visit TheGoring.com
COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
Where To Stay: Nimb Hotel
There’s something magical about a Scandinavian Christmas. Known for their minimalist aesthetic and understated elegance, the Danes are all about hygge over the festive season – think warmth and comfort combined with muted tones, candlelight, greenery and simple wooden decorations.
One of Copenhagen’s most recognisable and romantic hotels, Nimb Hotel is housed in a Moorish-inspired palace overlooking Tivoli Gardens, which transform into a spectacular Christmas market and winter wonderland in December.
Nestled in the vibrant heart of the city, this hotel is where Scandinavian urban luxury meets timeless Danish design and impeccable service. Since 1909, this iconic destination has evolved from a celebrated restaurant into a small hotel boasting 38 elegantly designed rooms, world-class dining options, a serene wellness retreat and a rooftop bar with a pool. Our favourite room has to be the split-level Executive Suite 1, a pretty dove-grey pied-à-terre with a private balcony, fire-warmed living room and sculptural modern bathtub for two.
Scandinavians celebrate on Christmas Eve – at Nimb Hotel, the season unfolds with refined celebrations that blend Danish hygge with world-class dining. Expect magical moments, festive cheer and unforgettable culinary experiences at Nimb Brasserie where guests will gather for an evening filled with classic Danish Christmas dishes.
For lighter meals, head to Fru Nimb where you can choose from a range of traditional Danish open sandwiches and, at Nimb Bar, which is housed in the hotel’s historic, chandelier-ornamented ballroom, you can indulge in afternoon tea, champagne and the enchanting Fairy-Tale cocktail menu, inspired by popular Danish fairy tales.
Rates start from DKK 5,400 (approx. £627) per night, room only. Visit Nimb.DK
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MARBELLA, SPAIN
Where To Stay: Marbella Club
By December, some of us are craving some warmth and sunshine and Andalusia in southern Spain, where the sun shines and temperatures remain mild year-round, is the perfect short-haul destination. Surrounded by spacious sub-tropical gardens, on a prime beachfront spot on Marbella’s Golden Mile between the Old Town and glitzy Puerto Banus, the legendary Marbella Club Hotel, that has hosted everyone from Audrey Hepburn to Lady Gaga, has 115 elegant rooms and suites and 17 individually designed two to six-bedroom villas.
Christmas Eve starts off here with a cocktail and amuse bouches, followed by a gala dinner that includes the like of lobster salad, roasted turbot and beef tenderloin; on Christmas Day, traditional stuffed turkey is on the lunch menu in the hotel’s Clubhouse, or you can head to the buzzy beach club and the soothing sound of waves for an amazing buffet.
Known for its timeless glamour, this year, the property is launching a series of wellness workshops, gastronomical experiences and hosted parties for guests to celebrate the festive season in true Marbella Club style. These include flower arranging, Christmas baking, champagne tastings and backgammon tournaments. Guests who want to return home feeling revitalised can join guided meditation sessions under the La Concha mountains or sessions with visiting holistic practitioners, aura readings or aerial yoga. The hotel’s brand-new Herbal Spa, located on the newly acquired Finca Ana Maria adjacent to the hotel, also offer guests a chance to experience an ice bath and sauna cabin, as well as a range of wellness treatments.
Rates start from €1,000 (approx. £864) per night, room only. Visit MarbellaClub.com
PERTHSHIRE, SCOTLAND
Where To Stay: Gleneagles
Set beneath the snow-capped Ochil Hills in the heart of Perthshire, the uber stylish and iconic Gleneagles hotel is one of the most spectacular of destinations for a winter stay. If you’re looking for a totally indulgent and glorious Christmas escape, where your every wish and desire is taken care of, this is it. From brisk trail walks, ice-skating and country adventures by day to roaring log fires and fine dining by night, the festive season sees Gleneagles transform into an enchanting forest straight out of a storybook.
Famous for offering over 50 expert-led country pursuits, the ‘Christmas at Gleneagles’ package offers a thoughtfully designed programme of events – though some are aimed at little ones, we all love seeing the arrival of Father Christmas and his reindeer on Christmas Eve, ice skating and watching a panto and firework display. For grown-ups only, there’s a rare whisky tasting and fortune telling, or you can try your hand at falconry and horse riding or play a round of golf.
The rooms at Gleneagles are all inspired by the mountains and meadows, rivers and lakes of the Perthshire countryside. Every single nook and cranny, each fluffy cushion and even the cosy slippers are carefully designed to make your stay a warm and inviting home from home. For a blow-the-budget stay, book the Royal Lochnagar Suite with a four-poster and glorious panoramic views. If you need some pampering, the Gleneagles spa is one of the best in Scotland, with complementary and alternative therapies and every conceivable face and body treatment, as well as saunas, steam rooms, a hydrotherapy pool and sublime relaxation areas.
The three-night Christmas package (24th-26th Dec) starts from £7,740 per room and includes all food and entertainment. Visit Gleneagles.com
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