The most wonderful time of the year is around the corner and the luxury hotels of Dorchester Collection are ready to celebrate and inspire guests with family-friendly offerings, glittering decorations, special seasonal packages, holiday-themed dining, visits from Santa Claus and more.

Gather Around the Yule Log in Paris

Le Meurice has celebrated the festive season and welcomed guests to the heart of Paris for over 200 years. This year's festivities will continue to delight with the hotel's culinary talent creating menus to satisfy all ages and appetites.

Le Meurice's talented pastry chef Cédric Grolet, who was named World's Best Restaurant Pastry Chef 2018, will create a remarkable array of seasonal treats for Le Tea Time de Noël, including gourmet sweets such as The Lemon 2.0 and Royal Gala Apple 2.0, peanut cookies, pistachio tart and his annual Yule Log. This year's Yule Log will incorporate lemon and fresh herbs, and will be available from December 16 – 26 at Restaurant Le Dalí or directly from La Pâtisserie du Meurice par Cédric Grolet from December 17 – 30. 

Under the mastery of executive chef Jocelyn Herland, additional culinary offerings include seasonal menus highlighting the subtle taste of white and black truffles at Restaurant Le Dalí, with live jazz entertainment during Christmas Eve dinner. Also on offer will be a special Christmas Day and New Year's Day brunch, Christmas and New Year's dinner at two Michelin-starred Restaurant le Meurice Alain Ducasse, as well as Bar 228's latest cocktail creation, “Midnight in Paris”, served alongside a new menu of truffle and caviar canapés.

Enjoy a Festive Yule log at Hôtel Plaza Athénée

Travellers in Paris this festive season are in for a treat while visiting the iconic
Hôtel Plaza Athénée. Executive pastry chef Angelo Musa, winner of the 2003 World Pastry Cup and the 2007 Best Craftsman of France (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) award, along with pastry chef Alexandre Dufeu, has created an edible rendition of a traditional Yule log. Inspired by the bark found in the natural environment, it features flaky, grooved chocolate bark with an uneven surface and varied colors that look like the real thing. Beneath the layer of chocolate bark is a fine layer of dark chocolate and a milk chocolate mousse, filled with a marmalade of citrus fruits, dark chocolate cream and chocolate biscuit. The duo has also created a new Galette des Rois which combines the sweet flavor of almonds and citrus fruits – the perfect complement to the delicious Yule log.

Additional festive programming available to guests includes the annual ice-skating rink in the famed courtyard, joined by a festive pop-up store in a charming wooden chalet that will be open during the same hours as the ice rink. The store will sell festive foods such as waffles and gingerbread for visitors to eat on site or take along with them. From November 22-26, the hotel will also welcome around 25 Christmas trees elegantly designed by top fashion designers, architects and artists for les sapins des créateurs.

There will be no shortage of festive food and sophisticated celebration, with Christmas Brunch served in the breakfast room, a very “Parisian” Christmas celebration at Relais Plaza (December 24 and 25), seven-course New Year's Eve dining at Restaurant Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée, Relais Plaza and Le Bar, as well as New Year's Brunch at Relais Plaza and the option of organizing a special dinner with private access to the hotel's ice-skating rink in La Cour Jardin. Those wishing to indulge in guilt-free pleasures this festive season can enjoy a signature dessert created by Jessica Préalpato, the pastry chef at Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée who was named World's Best Pastry Chef 2019 by World's 50 Best Restaurants, at La Galerie or Le Relais Plaza.

All for the Family in Milan

There will be something for every generation to enjoy during the festive season at Hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan. Guests are invited to enjoy the tastes of the holiday season with traditional dishes reinvented with modern concepts and stunning presentations by chef Alessandro Buffolino in the festive atmosphere of Acanto Restaurant. Starting with a special Christmas Eve dinner and closing the season with a New Year's Day traditional brunch with live music and fun activities for children, the restaurant offers delights for guests of all ages.

The landmark hotel will be dressed to daze with seasonal decorations and will display for a second year an Italian handcrafted Acqua di Parma Christmas tree in the lobby, featuring a corner-retail space selling a selection of premium Acqua di Parma goods. All donations and a percentage of the proceeds will directly support Dynamo Camp in its mission to provide a cost-free, fun, recreational therapy camp to support children with severe and chronic illnesses post hospitalization.

The hotel will also be offering a Christmas Family Getaway package with a welcome gift for children: a complimentary third bed or 50% off a second room, and €50 credit for Il Salotto, Principe Bar, or in-room dining (once per stay). The package also includes daily buffet breakfast, access to Club 10 Fitness & Beauty Center, and daily complimentary shuttle service to and from the city's historical center.

Travellers must not miss the festive events and activities just steps away from the property, including the Oh Bej! Oh Bej! Market, an annual Christmas shopping extravaganza translated as 'oh so nice! oh so nice!' which commemorates the exclamations of joy expressed by the Milanese children who received gifts from Giannetto Castiglione, delegate of Pope Pius IV. These days, the annual Christmas fair draws huge crowds to shop at over 300 exhibitors around Sforza Castle with an authentic atmosphere featuring everything from handcrafted wooden toys to delicacies created in the ancient Milanese tradition (December 7 – 10, 2019).

Italian Feasts and Treats in Rome 

Match the beauty of the Eternal City with the magic of the festive season at Hotel Eden, and what do you get? A holiday getaway to the heart of Rome that is not to be missed.

The hotel's signature dining experience La Terrazza will feature an amazing fish menu on Christmas Eve fashioned in Italian tradition by executive chef Fabio Ciervo. On Christmas Day and New Year's Eve, chef Ciervo will reinterpret tradition to create dishes with new twists on the flavours of the season for the contemporary palate, including crispy red mullet with broth and seaweed tartare, tortellini filled with aged parmesan and capon broth, and more.

At Il Giardino Ristorante, guests are invited to take in mesmerizing views of the Old City of Rome while dining festively through the season, starting with a four-course dinner on Christmas Eve and continuing through brunch on New Year's Day with dishes such as crab salad with mango and mint, codfish and Spello beans, panettone and pandoro, and more.

Hotel Eden's Festive Season package includes luxury accommodation for two, daily breakfast, a traditional festive panettone and a bottle of Italian sparkling wine.

Three Times the Christmas Charm in Ascot

Prepare to get cosy for Christmas at Coworth Park in Ascot. The luxury country house hotel nestled next to Windsor Great Park, just 45 minutes from London, will be celebrating the holidays with a three-night stay and themed dining.

Arrive on Christmas Eve and be welcomed with Festive Champagne Afternoon Tea in the Drawing Room followed by children's story time and Christmas card-making or movies in the Tower House. After a three-course dinner at Restaurant Coworth Park or The Barn, transfers to Sunningdale Parish Church can be arranged for guests wishing to enjoy midnight service as well as hot drinks and live entertainment back at the hotel.

On Christmas Day, Father Christmas will pop by the lobby for a visit right after breakfast and just before Champagne, leading to a four-course lunch at The Barn or a six-course lunch at Restaurant Coworth Park. Well satiated, guests can catch Her Majesty the Queen's speech on screen in the Garden Room and then make their way to the Mansion House for a buffet dinner and live entertainment in the Drawing Room until midnight.

The festive fun continues on Boxing Day with a leisurely brunch and activities including assorted country pursuits, a Chocolate Master Class and wine tasting in the Oval Room. A three-course dinner will be served at Restaurant Coworth Park or The Barn, and live entertainment will once again usher in midnight in the Drawing Room.

Sparkling Lights at The Dorchester

There's nothing quite like the festive season in London – specifically walking into The Dorchester at Christmas. Sparkling lights line The Promenade as merriment fills the atmosphere. Festive season will be in full swing at The Grill at The Dorchester with specially tailored menus and live music throughout Christmas and New Year. In addition to sumptuous, multi-course menus on Christmas Eve, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and New Year's Eve, newly appointed head chef, Tom Booton, will present a modern twist on traditional British dishes for a five-course Christmas Day lunch. This Christmas menu will include delicacies such as scallop ceviche with clementine, poached halibut, Norfolk Bronze turkey with all the trimmings, rich Christmas pudding, and more. Additional dining options are available at Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester and The Promenade, as are a variety of Afternoon Teas including Festive High Tea, Christmas Carols Afternoon Tea, and more.

Guests looking to relax this holiday season look no further than The Dorchester Spa as they're offering a winter spa ritual which includes a nourishing Carol Joy London Caviar & Algae detox (60 minutes) followed by a Valmont Energy Ritual (90 minutes) with rejuvenating massage and collagen mask.

Festive Food at 45 Park Lane

The holiday season at 45 Park Lane is an intimate, glamorous affair in the heart of London. To celebrate the season, Executive Chef David McIntyre of CUT at 45 Park Lane has prepared festive dining experiences like no other. Three-course Christmas Eve dinner and Christmas Day lunch menus feature seasonal dishes such as maple bacon macarons, wild sea bass with littleneck clams and sautéed rapini, and seared diver scallops with morel mushrooms.

At the contemporary Mayfair restaurant, CUT at 45 Park Lane also offers a festive twist on its signature CUTcakes & Tea, with Afternoon Tea featuring sweets such as caramelized pecan and maple cake pops, cinnamon apple crumble cake, and peanut butter and jelly twinkies, as well as savoury American bites such as crab cakes with basil aioli, and mac and cheese with black truffles.

45 Park Lane is the perfect home for all of London's holiday festivities. Just minutes away, travellers and Londoners alike gather at Somerset House Ice Rink to skate with one of London's most stunning historic venues as a backdrop, or even enjoy an extraordinary run of seasonal shows at the Royal Albert Hall.  

Holiday Memories Well Served in Los Angeles

The festive season at Hotel Bel-Air and The Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles means sun-filled days, starry nights, gardens and grounds draped with decorations and lights, holiday-themed dining to impress every palate, and ginger bread cookies and hot apple cider in the lobby on weekends. This year, Hotel Bel-Air will be hosting a Holiday Market on November 17 from 11-3pm on the property's stunning front lawn - free for locals and guests. The event will include stands serving Hotel Bel-Air pastries, holiday cocktails and mulled wine from the Bar & Lounge, local pastry chefs and farmers featuring pre-made gifts, Hotel Bel-Air boutique products, jewellery, Valmont products, and more. Additionally, there will be a donation stand for toys that will go to the Children's Hospital LA, musical performances from local students, and a silent auction to benefit a non-profit organisation which will be announced soon. Attendees can expect interactive activities including candle making, wreath making and more.

Executive pastry chef Tiffany Pascua will be leading cookie making master classes for guests of all ages on the Front Lawn and at Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air. Kids will enjoy transforming their tasty treats with cocoa and snacks in the afternoon, while adults will indulge the evening instruction with wine, cheese and eggnog.

California cuisine will be served with festive twists through the season as the culinary teams at Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air and the Polo Lounge at The Beverly Hills Hotel transform locally sourced ingredients into new gourmet discoveries. At Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air guests can celebrate in true Hollywood style with multi-course dining available for Christmas Eve dinner; Christmas Day brunch including dessert feast and caviar bar; Christmas Day dinner including dessert feast; and New Year's Eve dinner. At the Polo Lounge, guests will indulge in a four-course Christmas Eve dinner, Christmas Day brunch and two New Year's Eve dinner options – an earlier a la carte dinner or a four course-menu later in the evening with live music and a champagne toast. Bar Nineteen12 at The Beverly Hills Hotel joins in on the holiday fun with a New Year celebration featuring musical guests DJ W & Rock and soul artist, Jonah Smith.

At The Beverly Hills Hotel, guests must not miss out on the 12 days of souffles which will feature a daily souffle inspired by festive flavors such as pumpkin spice, egg nog and candy cane. Guests can also sip on seasonal cocktails with the Polo Lounge's holiday menu, explore executive pastry chef Brooke Martin's grand holiday-inspired gingerbread display in the lobby and browse the pop-up shop at Bar Nineteen12 for signature gifts (December 10, 11am-8pm).

Book the Festive Season at Hotel Bel-Air package to enjoy luxury accommodation for two, a complimentary welcome beverage for two upon arrival in any outlet including in-room dining, $100 daily breakfast credit, and $100 hotel credit to spend on dining or spa treatments.

Festive dining, packages and special celebrations will be available on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day at all Dorchester Collection hotels, together with exclusive festive offers. Please visit https://www.dorchestercollection.com/en/festive-season/ for more information. 

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Dorchester Collection

Dorchester Collection is a portfolio of the world's foremost luxury hotels in Europe and the US, each of which reflects the distinctive culture of its destination. By applying its unrivalled experience and capability in owning and operating some of the greatest individual hotels, the company's mission is to develop an impeccable group of the finest landmark hotels through acquisition as well as management of wholly owned and part-owned hotels, and to enter into management agreements.

The current portfolio includes the following hotels: The Dorchester, London; 45 Park Lane, London; Coworth Park, Ascot, UK; Le Meurice, Paris; Hôtel Plaza Athénée, Paris; Hotel Principe di Savoia, Milan; Hotel Eden, Rome; The Beverly Hills Hotel, Beverly Hills; and Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles. dorchestercollection.com