London‘s luxury hotels are pulling out all the stops for their guests this Christmas — and that includes creating a variety of decadent seasonal experiences. Here are three of our favorite festive packages.
An unforgettable Christmas present for shopaholics, the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star hotel’s Christmas Shopping Experience offers you three hours in a horse-drawn carriage. A top-hat-and-tailcoated coachman will drive you around London’s most exclusive shops and arcades — including Knightsbridge, The Burlington Arcade and Regent Street — and anywhere else you wish to stop. Post-shopping spree, you’ll be taken back to the hotel to check into your luxury suite, which offers lush touches such as Nina Campbell fabrics, Molton Brown toiletries and charming views of the onsite gardens, Victoria Square or Beeston Place. A bottle of Dom Pérignon awaits upon arrival, while you will also have the pleasure of enjoying a Silent Night cocktail (Delamain cognac, Chambord, crème de framboise and elderflower cordial) in the evening and a full English breakfast the following morning. It’s supreme retail therapy. Can be booked until January 16. Prices start at £2,100 ($3,400) per suite.
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London
Head to the ritzy Knightsbridge neighborhood for its Candlelit Christmas with a Harrods package that’s stuffed full of festive family fun. The experience at the Four-Star hotel begins when you check in for one night at the stunning luxury property. The kiddies will be bestowed with gifts such as a Harrods teddy bear, sweets, and a personal letter from Father Christmas, while adults are presented with a Christmas candle by London perfumery Ormonde Jayne. Then, you as a family will be given VIP tickets to meet Santa Claus at Harrods’ Christmas Grotto. The next morning, relax and enjoy a hearty English breakfast, either in the dining room overlooking Hyde Park, or in the comfort of your own room. Available until December 24. Prices start at £565 ($915).
Five-Star The Savoy and Somerset House have teamed up this year to create an unforgettable experience for ice-skating lovers. This exclusive Savoy and Skate at Somerset House package offers you a two-night stay in a superior room at the renowned luxury hotel (with a full English breakfast included), plus two tickets to Skate at Somerset House presented by Coach; a spectacular ice rink with late-night entertainment such as tunes spun by DJs, set in the stunning surroundings of the 18th-century riverside mansion. And that’s not all — you’ll also receive festive treats such as homemade chocolates or gingerbread upon arrival at the hotel, as well as an exquisite champagne afternoon tea (think freshly baked cranberry scones and eggnog éclairs), to be enjoyed at any time during the stay. Available from now until January 1 2014, and costs £395 ($640).
Photo Courtesy of The Goring
