The clinking of champagne flutes and the ringing of sleigh bells can only mean one thing: the season of holiday festivities has arrived. A crop of festive pop-ups hosted by luxury hotels all over the world will help you make merry and bright memories, and we’ve rounded up some of the collaborations, events and experiences you don’t want to miss.
Fairmont Century Plaza, Los Angeles
Three rustic and luxurious wooden chalets bring the slopes of the Swiss Alps to sunny Los Angeles at the Fairmont Century Plaza patio adjacent to the bar. Coziness abounds with private fire pits, a prix fixe menu of cheese or chocolate fondue, a s’mores roasting kit and winter cocktails.
To get to the Five-Star hotel’s secret, intimate Mile High Cocktail Club, you enter through an old-fashioned phone booth. Styled like the opulent Orient Express, the 46th-floor speakeasy-style bar looks over Chicago’s landmarked Magnificent Mile and boasts a cocktail list as impressive as the stunning interior.
The Peninsula New York and Badrutt’s Palace Hotel
Badrutt’s Palace Hotel brings the glamour of a St. Moritz mountain chalet to the rooftop of The Peninsula New York for an immersive après-ski-style experience. The Chalet de Ning pop-up serves truffle fondue with Gruyère, Swiss chocolate fondue and cocktails like the Winter Spritz (Aperol, white wine, apple juice and crème de pêche) within chic Alpine-inspired domes.
Ocean House, Watch Hill, Rhode Island
At Ocean House’s Gondola Village, three authentic dining gondolas transport you to the French Alps. Enjoy spreads for breakfast and apéro (a French pre-dinner ritual of cocktails and crepes) and four-course meals with Veuve Clicquot for lunch and dinner. The picture-perfect gondolas, roaring fire pits and twinkling lights make for an intimate celebration of the season’s magic.
The stylish London hotel hosts its first pub pop-up with The Bishop at The Berkeley. Go there for reimagined pub fare (like crispy pork scratchings, fried pickles and blue cheese dressing, and black pudding croquettes with housemade HP sauce) and the warm atmosphere of a neighborhood bar, complete with beer on tap and repurposed church pews alongside bar stools.
As temperatures drop, warm up at the recently reopened Winter Spa’s five private, red cedar saunas with panoramic dome window views and two hot tubs on The William Vale’s terrace. For more winter fun, lace up some skates and spin on the Brooklyn hotel’s Vale Rink and Winter Village at Westlight. Starting December 11, you can start your day with a brunch at Leuca, followed by exclusive access to the rink before it opens to the public.
The Ritz-Carlton
Indulge in the senses of the season thanks to a new partnership between luxury candle brand Diptyque and The Ritz-Carlton. Pop-up stores at select hotels (including those in Hong Kong; Kyoto; NoMad, New York; and Tokyo) incorporate design elements from the winter night sky and offer Philosykos, The Ritz-Carlton’s signature rich fig scent. The Philosykos gift set comes with fragrance and a candle, all wrapped in a bespoke pattern created for the hotel brand.
Dolder Lodge, the Zurich hotel’s pop-up restaurant, adopts a retro St. Moritz look as the backdrop for Alpine dishes like venison ragout with dried currants and mushroom foam or kasnudeln, dumplings with white truffles and brown butter.
For something more exclusive, cozy up in the hotel’s Krug Chalet. Up to eight diners can enjoy comforting fondue crafted by chef Heiko Nieder and maître fromager Rolf Beeler, along with a bottle of Krug Grande Cuvée Champagne, on the Saltz restaurant terrace at the footstep of Switzerland’s majestic Alps.
The American Club, Kohler, Wisconsin
Winter Wonderland returns to the Five-Star hotel with a host of winter sports: a 5,400-square-foot ice-skating rink, Bavarian and Olympic curling, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Warm up with a well-earned drink from the hot chocolate bar in the cozy comfort of a heated shed.
The Montana mountain getaway elevates the glamour of the après-ski experience with a collaboration with Veuve Clicquot as the champagne brand launches its 2015 Le Grande Dame and celebrates its 250th anniversary. This season, enjoy traditional caviar service, pumpkin fondue and bison chili paired with bubbly flights from a heated hut as ice skaters twirl on the resort’s rink below.
The Charles Hotel, a Rocco Forte Hotel, Munich
Continue a holiday tradition held in Munich since 1310, the Christkindlmarkt, with a visit to The Charles Hotel’s alfresco Cozy Winter Village. Savor Bavarian Christmas market favorites like roasted chestnuts, waffles and mulled wine or more formal three-course menus in huts overlooking the Old Botanical Garden.
Lucy’s, a market beloved by locals, partnered with architect Keith Summerour to create the Astor Chalet, a well-curated, Swiss-inspired market for homewares. The 24-foot tree sparkling in the Susan B. Bozeman Designs-decorated hotel lobby cements the holiday spirit, creating just the environment for Sip & Shop opportunities at the Astor Chalet, tea with Santa, festive cocktails and Christmas Day brunch.
Four Seasons Resort and Residences Whistler
After a long day of working up an appetite on Whistler’s slopes, warm up with the spices of India at the G.O.A by Sajish Kumar pop-up. Executive chef Kumar’s dinner menu is informed by his childhood in Goa and brought to life with the best produce and seafood in British Columbia.
Solage, Auberge Resorts Collection, Napa
The Napa escape transformed its poolside cabanas into private holiday pop-ups. Decorated by California-cool lifestyle brand Jenni Kayne with sheepskin set covers, snug throws and plush pillows, the cabanas offer local Schramsberg sparkling wine and Regiis Ova caviar supplied by Five-Star chef Thomas Keller.
The Five-Star hotel grants you access to the referral-only, by-appointment luxury shopping destination Sita 1910 with an open-to-the-public pop-up shop. Offering exclusive items, the Peninsula’s holiday boutique ensures everyone on your list receives a thoughtful, one-of-a-kind gift, like a pair of Pefferi vegan shoes or a MAD edition Rolex.
El Encanto, A Belmond Hotel, Santa Barbara
Celebrate the season in El Encanto’s Craftsman Cottage. The converted 101 Suite houses holiday-themed crafting workshops like succulent wreath-making and creating hand-poured candles. Elsewhere on the property, partake in traditions like the annual tree lighting ceremony and the teddy bear afternoon tea.
Esperanza, Auberge Resorts Collection, Los Cabos
Give a guaranteed unique gift with an impressive story courtesy of Lago, a pop-up retail experience hosted at the Los Cabos hotel. Pick up exclusive pieces from emerging Mexican and Latin American designers and artists during the two-day market (December 17 and 18).
