With the most wonderful time of the year fast-approaching, we have curated a collection of special spots to celebrate Christmas and ring in the New Year. From cosying up in the city to watching the sunrise on a secluded sandbank, the festive spirit can be found all over – all you need to do is choose a location.
Cosy up at Beaverbrook, Surrey
This Christmas and New Year, Beaverbrook welcomes you for a classic festive season in the striking surroundings of the rolling Surrey Hills. Throughout winter, the magic of Christmas is brought to life with bespoke decorations, sparkling dining offerings and extra special touches across the estate. Continuing a winter tradition, Beaverbrook’s real ice experience will return to The Lawn at The House, where you will be able to glide across the ice to a soundtrack of yuletide melodies and rink-side indulgences which include champagne, hot chocolates, and festive sweet treats. Glamorous Sir Frank’s Bar will come to life with spicy and warming concoctions, whilst restaurants across the estate will offer dazzling dining experiences of Japanese or Anglo-Italian cuisine. If you’re looking to kick off your heels and cosy up this winter, you are invited to sink into plush velvet armchairs in one of Britain’s’ first home cinemas, where Winston Churchill once watched Pathé newsreels, to view a collection of classic festive blockbusters. Glowing with warmth and seasonal charm, you will feel right at home at Beaverbrook as you dine, unwind, rejuvenate, and indulge, surrounded by unspoilt countryside and rich history.
Celebrate in the city at Beaverbrook Town House, London
If you’re opting to see the city lights this winter, you can check in to Chelsea’s most charismatic resident, Beaverbrook Town House. Located on Sloane Street, these revamped Georgian townhouses can be found sitting pretty opposite the Grade-II-listed Cadogan Gardens and offering London’s prime perch this festive season. The well-established creative spirit which has fast become synonymous with the Beaverbrook name prevails throughout and will feature a festive twist to its already rich interiors in the form of delicate decorations and roaring fires for a cosy evening in with a glass of bubbles. Providing a perfect springboard to London’s most-loved festive fancies from London’s iconic Winter Wonderland and the Natural History Museum Ice Rink to the glorious Christmas Lights Switch-On across Regent Street, and the annual Christmas events at the Royal Albert Hall, there really is no place like Beaverbrook Town House to see in the holiday season right at the heart of where the magic happens.
Christmas Cheer at Three Mile Beach
Located in St Ives Bay, just a stone’s throw from Gwithian Beach, Three Mile Beach is a collection of luxury three and four-bedroom self-catered beach houses. This Christmas, you can embrace the elements and delight in quieter beaches, better surf, visits to much loved restaurants and galleries, and spot seal pups at nearby Mutton Cove – all without the madding crowds of the summer months.
Open plan kitchen-lounge-diners are home to deep sofas and warming log burners, with wrap-around terraces complete with barrel saunas and sunken cedar hot tubs for a sumptuous soak after a day exploring. This Christmas, you will be treated to a host of special experiences and greeted with festive welcome hampers and sparkling Christmas trees. Little ones can fear not as Santa Claus will be delivering a stocking full of treats on Christmas Eve and daily advent calendars. Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve festive feasts will be prepared by the chef and delivered to your house the day before, and as the clock strikes midnight on the 31st December, you will be invited to come together for drinks with other guests whilst watching fireworks illuminate the skies of St Ives Bay. If you’re looking to brush up your surf skills you can book a lesson with the next-door surf school, or opt for an adrenaline-inducing coasteering session. E-bikes can be hired to explore more of the spectacular Cornish coastline, whilst fishing rods are available if you’re looking to make the most of the region’s mackerel fishing offering during the winter months.
Christmas at the Castello
Surrounded by verdant valleys, towering pines and acre upon acre of nature at its wildest, Reschio is a 3,700-acre family-owned estate in the lush rolling hills of the Umbrian countryside. This festive season, a decadent sojourn awaits at Hotel Castello di Reschio, the recently restored and meticulously reimagined tenth-century castle turned 36-room elegant boutique hotel.
Impromptu performances from local jazz musicians and carols around the Christmas tree from Reschio’s very own choir will set the scene of festive fun, and come nightfall, a pianist will serenade you as you enjoy pre-dinner cocktails in the Palm Court. On Christmas Eve, you will begin the celebrations and delight in a magical four-course dinner at Ristorante Alle Scuderie, and come Christmas Day a festive four-course Christmas lunch awaits. During this festive period, a daily selection of unique Reschio Experiences are on offer including, a choice of cookery classes to learn the art of traditional Italian feasting, wine or olive oil tastings to sample the produce from Reschio’s very own vineyards and olive groves, horse riding lessons and wild hacks across the estate on one of the estate’s magnificent Spanish horses, cycling, art classes or even a cocktail masterclass. As winter embraces Reschio, you can enjoy invigorating walks through ancient chestnut and oak forests through the early morning mists, before returning to the castle to welcome roaring fires to roast chestnuts, play charades, backgammon, or slink away to read in secluded corners.
Escape to the Alentejo for farmhouse festivities at São Lourenço do Barrocal
In Portugal’s wild Alentejo region, hidden amongst 780-hectares of wildflower-strewn meadows, olive groves and vineyards, a magical Christmas awaits at São Lourenço do Barrocal. Diligently cared for by the same family for two centuries, the estate has tradition and home comforts at its core. If you have the opportunity to spend the festive season at São Lourenço do Barrocal, you will be made to feel completely at home spending the days cosied together around fire pits, indulging in authentic, seasonal cuisine and delicious wines harvested onsite all in the intimate setting of this 40-key hotel.
On Christmas Eve, festive spirit fills the air as children delight in donkey cart rides through Monte’s Main Street and bake homemade cookies. You can admire Barrocal’s single estate wines with a sumptuous wine tasting before uniting to feast on a decadent Christmas Dinner in the farm-to-table restaurant or the comfort of your private cottage. Come Christmas morning, children can get lost in the world of Christmas stories or enjoy horse-drawn carriage rides. Then, Christmas lunch awaits as you choose from a menu of Alentejan favourites, from Roasted Alentejo lamb with rosemary, chestnut stew with pumpkin chickpea or octopus seasoned with Barrocal’s own organic olive-oil and garlic. If you’re looking to ring in the New Year at São Lourenço do Barrocal, you will be welcomed with open arms. An abundance of activities, from cocktail making to piñatas in the meadow, complement plentiful good food and wine. As midnight approaches, you will gather in the main street and raise a toast to 2023.
Sweet Charity: Christmas at Badrutt’s Palace
Similar to the town in which it can be found, Badrutt’s Palace, has been synonymous with indulgence and extravagance, a true celebration of style, sports, culinary adventures, and wellness in the Swiss Alps since its very conception. Set in the winter wonderland of St Moritz, you can explore one of the world’s most exciting ski regions, dine in one of the Palaces’ eight on-site restaurants including Andreas Caminada’s Michelin-starred restaurant, IGNIV, pay a visit to St Moritz’s numerous designer boutiques for some Christmas shopping or dive into the dramatic Palace Wellness Spa, only accessible by tunnel.
Last year Badrutt’s Palace reopened the Swiss Alps’ most luxurious and exclusive hotel suite for the first time in 30 years: the Tower Penthouse Apartment. Ideal for a family Christmas in style, this three-storey private residence boasts four individually decorated bedrooms, each with a personal bathroom en-suite, a dining area, a fully equipped kitchen perfect for Christmas lunch, and a sitting room with a cosy open fireplace.
If you are wanting to give back, each year Badrutt’s Palace holds a Christmas gala dinner where the annual Christmas tree auction in aid of local communities takes place. Here luxury brands from St. Moritz are invited to donate Christmas trees and gifts for auction. The money raised from the highest bidders is then distributed to four different charities.
Sun, Sand and Season Greetings at Soneva Fushi, Maldives
Dotted along the powder-white beaches of an idyllic private island located in the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Soneva Fushi blends castaway chic with sustainability. This festive season you are invited to embrace the Sonevian take on a white Christmas, one involving white sandy beaches with not a winter boot in sight.
New for the festive season, the year-round Soneva Stars programme will welcome a line up spanning master mentalists to wellness specialists and everything in between. On Christmas Eve, you are invited to an evening audience with Master Mentalist Lior Suchard, renowned for his mind-blowing performances and miraculous predictions. Suchard will perform an intimate show taking you on a journey through the wonders of the brain. If you’re seeking something a little more soothing, spiritual healer Roger Moore will be conducting therapies, seminars, and workshops over the festive period employing his unique methodology which combines cutting-edge science and medicine, Eastern wellness philosophies, psychotherapeutics, and spirituality to create an integrative pathway to well-being. The more active among us might enjoy honing your tennis skills with world champion tennis player, Jonas Björkman who will return to the island’s courts for 11 days of workshops, coaching and talks.
Come Christmas Day, you can enjoy breakfast with a twist, watching the sunrise over the crystal waters on a secluded sandbank before awaiting the arrival of Father Christmas where young guests can receive their stocking presents and games will be played on the beach ahead of a Christmas feast at Miharee Mithaa. With their no news, no shoes policy Soneva Fushi is the ultimate place to switch off and spend time with your family this festive season – even Father Christmas leaves his boots on the sleigh!
