Hotels at Christmas: 10 that go all-out for the holidays

(CNN) — Twinkling lights, glitter and gourmet menus galore — without a single dish to wash or tree to trim.

Spending Christmas at a hotel does hold a certain allure.

Whether you stay for a week or drop in for tea, these 10 properties go to great lengths to offer something special for the holidays.

1.Claridge’s, London

Horse-drawn carriages and carol singing await guests at Claridge’s in London, where a two-night package from December 24 includes those festivities, plus accommodation, Christmas lunch and more. Package rates start from about $4,000 per room with two-person occupancy.

The hotel’s highly anticipated Christmas feature decoration was designed this year by fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld, who drew on childhood memories of the festive season to create a series of inverted spruce Christmas trees around the lobby.

The centerpiece is a 16-foot tall upside down tree with sprawling silver roots topped with a mirrored star. The tree is decorated with lametta, handmade silver leather feathers, snowflakes and tree candles. A white Icelandic sheepksin rug draped under the tree represents the snowy ground.

2. Hotel Sacher, Vienna, Austria

There are few holiday destinations more charming than Austria. Christmas markets, classical concerts and — with any luck — a blanket of snow; it just doesn’t get much more festive.

At Vienna’s Hotel Sacher — home of the famous torte — four-course Christmas Eve menus will be served in its Anna Sacher and Rote Bar restaurants. From midday on Christmas Day, three-, four- and five-course menus will be offered.

For a taste of Vienna at home, the hotel ships its signature chocolate tortes, layered with an apricot jam filling, globally. Rates for Christmas week start at about $630 for a superior room. sacher.com

3. Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, Scottsdale, Arizona

The Fairmont Scottsdale Princess rolls out a huge outdoor light display for the holidays.

Dean Stevenson/Courtesy Fairmont Scottsdale Princess

Santa’s secret headquarters, an ice-skating rink, a train, holiday characters and more than 4.5 million lights: It’s safe to say that the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess doesn’t believe in overdoing it.

The resort’s Christmas at the Princess festival runs through December 31 and is open to the public. Free for hotel guests, the entrance/parking fee for up to six non-guests is $55 for self-parking and includes many of the holiday attractions and events.

A “Sip, Savor & Celebrate” holiday package, starting from $269 per room, includes accommodation, a $100 daily resort credit and express access to some of the holiday attractions. scottsdaleprincess.com

4. The Ritz, London

The Ritz London is putting on exactly what you’d expect from the elegant property.

Gala dinners with dancing on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day will be hosted in The Ritz Restaurant (about $430 for adults, $200 for children). The restaurant, featuring ceiling frescoes, marble columns and an elaborate garland chandelier, was featured on beloved TV drama “Downton Abbey.”

Traditional Christmas afternoon tea, with champagne, is available in the Palm Court until December 30 (about $105 for adults, $65 for children). A Nordic pine tree grown in Scotland towers in the lobby, dressed in traditional red and gold.

Rates for Christmas week start around $820 for a Superior King room. theritzlondon.com

5. The Cloister at Sea Island, Sea Island, Georgia

Christmas at The Cloister is an elegant affair.

Eliot VanOtteren

Elf tuck-ins, ornament decorating and gingerbread house construction are among Sea Island’s many activities during the holiday period from December 20-26. These offerings are available for a fee, but there are also a range of complimentary events — from caroling to a family fun run.

A Southern buffet brunch will be served on Christmas Day at The Cloister in the Mizner Ballroom ($82 for adults, $30 for kids).

6. Willard InterContinental, Washington

Free holiday musical performances are held in December at Washington’s Willard InterContinental.

Courtesy The Willard Intercontinental

In the United States’ capital, the elegant Willard InterContinental’s lobby Christmas tree is decked out with the entire line of White House Christmas ornaments.

Afternoon tea — with finger sandwiches and pastries — is served almost daily in December ($52 for adults) in the hotel’s Peacock Alley.

Local choral and vocal ensembles give free performances in the lobby from 5:30-7:30 p.m. nightly through December 23.

Right off the lobby, the historic Round Robin Bar will be serving up seasonal cocktails such as the Jingle Bell Julep and the After Eight.

7. Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris

In Paris, dazzling reflective reindeer and polar bears return to the Four Seasons Hotel George V, where scores of red roses add to the festive decor.

At Le Cinq, the hotel’s three Michelin-starred restaurant, an elegant Christmas Eve dinner featuring sea urchin, black truffle and Bresse poultry is available for about $625, excluding beverages.
Christmas Eve dinner will also be served at La Galerie (about $390, excluding beverages).

8. The Plaza, New York

Tea time and Christmastime coincide at The Plaza’s elegant Palm Court, where three holiday tea menus are served through January 7.

The New Yorker Holiday Tea ($95) features an array of sweets and savories, including egg nog cream eclairs and truffled chicken salad, while the Champagne Holiday Tea ($125) adds some effervescence to the occasion.

The hotel’s most famous fictional resident lends her name to the Eloise Holiday Tea, available for $50 per child 12 and under.

On Christmas Day, a grand buffet ($190 for adults, $75 for children) will be served in the Palm Court.

The starting rate for Christmas week is $1,150. theplazany.com

9. The Breakers, Palm Beach, Florida

At The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida, Christmas decorations add sparkle to the elegant interiors.

Joel I Castaneda/Courtesy The Breakers

Founded by Standard Oil Co. magnate Henry Morrison Flagler, The Breakers Palm Beach carries its lavish traditions right through the holiday season.

The oceanfront Italian Renaissance-style resort dazzles with sparkling lights, and holiday tea is available at HMF on select days in December for $55 per person.

There’s a Christmas dinner buffet in the Ponce de Leon ballroom ($150 for adults, $60 for children 11 and under).

Reservations for holiday dining can be made at (877) 724-3188.

Rooms have already been snapped up for Christmas week, but there’s availability leading up to the holiday, with rates starting at $680 between December 17 and 23. thebreakers.com

10. The Roosevelt, New Orleans, Louisiana

The Roosevelt New Orleans’ annual Teddy Bear Tea, complete with Santa and his elves, is held on Saturdays and Sundays in December and December 18-24. The tea is $67 for children ages 3-10 and $94 for ages 11 and above. Sparkling wine and mimosas are included in the price for adults.
On Christmas Day, brunch will be served in the Waldorf Astoria Ballroom ($95 for ages 11 and up, $45 for children ages 3-10, excluding tax, gratuity and service charge), and later there’s a four-course Christmas dinner in the Fountain Lounge ($79 for adults, $75 for children).

First published in 2015, this story has been updated to reflect 2017 hotel programs and pricing.

Hotels at Christmas: 10 that go all-out for the holidays

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