Hotels
Christmas at a hotel: 21 festive hotels for a Christmas to remember
From the glowing fairy-tale palace of Tivoli in Copenhagen to London’s grand hotels and a snug mining town in the snow: these are the hotels where Christmas comes without planning or washing up.
There is something rather special about waking up in a hotel in December. Outside the window the Christmas lights flicker on one by one, the scent of mulled wine and roasted almonds drifts in from the market, and the only real decision of the day is which stall to visit first. No shopping list for Christmas dinner, no washing up: just cities dressed for the festive season and days that unfold at your own pace.
We have picked 21 Christmas hotels in Europe and New York, from London’s grand hotels, where the trees reach up towards ornate ceilings, to a snug stay in the snow in Røros. What they all share is that the festive spirit is waiting right outside the door.
The links to the hotels are partner links. If you book through them, Picolo may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. You choose your own dates and room on the hotel page.
How to choose the right Christmas hotel
Start with how you want Christmas to feel. If the markets are the main event, stay within walking distance of the stalls, so you can wander back for a break when the cold nips at your cheeks and your feet long for a sofa. If you would like to spend Christmas Day in a hotel, check what the hotel offers in terms of festive dinners and events before you book. That way you know the evening is in safe hands.
European Christmas cities: Vienna, Strasbourg, Copenhagen, Berlin, Tallinn, Prague, Colmar, Innsbruck and Gothenburg
City Christmas: London, New York and Paris
Christmas in Norway: Bergen and Røros
White Christmas and New Year: Iceland, the Alps and Edinburgh
Christmas hotels in Europe: from Vienna to Gothenburg
Vienna: Hotel Imperial and the hotels of the Ringstrasse
Vienna wears Christmas with imperial elegance. The markets spread out in front of the City Hall, around Schönbrunn Palace and through the narrow streets of Spittelberg, where little stalls glow like lanterns in the winter dark.
Hotel Imperial is a former palace on the Ringstrasse, and here the ballrooms and chandeliers feel like a natural part of the Christmas story. It is the kind of hotel that makes you stand a little taller as you walk through the door. We link to a search for hotels in Vienna, so you can choose between the Imperial and the city’s other hotels for exactly the dates you have in mind.
Book your Christmas stay: See hotels in Vienna
Strasbourg: Sofitel Strasbourg Grande Ile
Strasbourg calls itself the capital of Christmas, and the city lives up to the title. Its market is one of the oldest in Europe, and in December the old town fills with light, cinnamon and an atmosphere that has had centuries to mature.
The Sofitel sits on the Grande Île, the island that forms the old town. The markets around the cathedral and Place Kléber are just a short stroll away, so you can head out early, before the crowds, and return once the lights are glowing.
Book your Christmas stay: See rooms at Sofitel Strasbourg Grande Ile
Hotel Imperial, Vienna
The former palace on the Ringstrasse is one of Vienna’s best-known hotel addresses, and at Christmas its ballrooms truly come into their own.
Copenhagen: Nimb Hotel in Tivoli
Few places do Christmas like Tivoli. As darkness settles over Copenhagen, the lights come on across the gardens, and Nimb Hotel stands at the heart of it all like an illuminated fairy-tale palace. The hotel is inside Tivoli itself, in a Moorish-inspired building, so the Christmas market begins the moment you step outside.
And when you want to see more of Copenhagen, the Christmas shopping along Strøget is only minutes away, with windows full of gift ideas and cafés tempting you in with hot chocolate.
Book your Christmas stay: See rooms at Nimb Hotel
Berlin: Hotel Adlon Kempinski
Berlin celebrates Christmas in many voices, with markets scattered across the whole city. Hotel Adlon Kempinski is on Pariser Platz, right by the Brandenburg Gate, where history crowds in close. From here you can stroll along Unter den Linden to several of the central markets, hands wrapped around a warm cup of mulled wine.
Book your Christmas stay: See rooms at Hotel Adlon Kempinski
Hotel Adlon Kempinski, Berlin
The hotel stands on Pariser Platz, a stone’s throw from the Brandenburg Gate in the historic heart of Berlin.
Tallinn: Hotel Telegraaf
Tallinn’s medieval old town looks as if it has stepped straight out of a Christmas card, with pointed towers, pastel facades and a market on Town Hall Square that is one of the most atmospheric in Northern Europe.
Hotel Telegraaf is in the old town, a short walk from the market. When the cold has crept in under your coat, the spa and pool are waiting, and the evening can drift gently into night.
Book your Christmas stay: See rooms at Hotel Telegraaf
Prague: Botanique Hotel Prague
Prague dresses in Christmas lights from spire to gutter, and the markets on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square hum with life. Botanique Hotel Prague is a modern hotel that offers a calm harbour after busy days in the streets, a place where the city’s hum can fade before you fall asleep.
Book your Christmas stay: See rooms at Botanique Hotel Prague
Colmar: L’Esquisse Hotel & Spa
Colmar in Alsace looks like a living Advent calendar, where half-timbered houses lean towards each other and every street seems to hide a new little door. The town has several Christmas markets in the old town, and L’Esquisse Hotel & Spa offers a spa and some stillness once you have wandered your fill among the stalls.
Book your Christmas stay: See rooms at L’Esquisse Hotel & Spa
Innsbruck: Altstadthotel Weisses Kreuz
In Innsbruck the Christmas market meets the Alpine peaks. Altstadthotel Weisses Kreuz is in the pedestrian zone of the old town, where the market is held, and above the rooftops the mountains rise like a backdrop no set designer could better.
Book your Christmas stay: See rooms at Altstadthotel Weisses Kreuz
Hotel Telegraaf, Tallinn
The hotel is in the old town, a short walk from the market on Town Hall Square.
Gothenburg: Gothia Towers and Upper House
For many Scandinavians, Christmas at Liseberg is a tradition handed down through the generations. Gothia Towers stands right next to the amusement park, so the walk from the Christmas lights to your hotel bed is a short one.
In the spa at Upper House you swim with views over the city, while the Ferris wheel turns slowly outside the window. Read more about Gothenburg.
Book your Christmas stay: See rooms at Gothia Towers and Upper House
Upper House, Gothenburg
The spa sits high above the city, with views towards the Ferris wheel and the lights coming on in the December dark.
Christmas hotels in London
London in December is a city that dresses up without a hint of modesty. The lights hang over Regent Street and Oxford Street, the trees in the hotel lobbies reach for the ceiling, and afternoon tea arrives with mince pies and a little sparkle. Here are six of the city’s best Christmas hotels.
Claridge’s: the tree everyone talks about
Claridge’s in Mayfair is famous for the Christmas tree in its lobby, designed each year by a different well-known designer. Many people come just to see it, but it is even better to wake up under the same roof. It is a classic choice for an elegant festive weekend, where every detail is just right.
Book your Christmas stay: See rooms at Claridge’s
Claridge’s, London
Claridge’s in Mayfair is one of London’s best-known hotel addresses.
The Ritz London: festive afternoon tea
The Ritz on Piccadilly may well be the most iconic hotel in London. Afternoon tea here is an experience in itself, with delicate china, tiny cakes and a calm that makes time slow down a little. At Christmas, the classic gains an extra sparkle.
Book your Christmas stay: See rooms at The Ritz London
The Ritz London
At The Ritz, afternoon tea is a tradition, not just a meal.
The Savoy: Christmas lights by the Thames
The Savoy is on the Strand, between the theatre lights of the West End and the Thames. The stages are on your doorstep, and you can stroll along the river to the winter markets on the South Bank, with the city lights mirrored in the dark water.
Book your Christmas stay: See rooms at The Savoy
The Langham: right by Regent Street
The Langham sits at the top of Regent Street. That means the Christmas lights and the shopping on Oxford Street are just around the corner, and the walk back with full shopping bags is wonderfully short.
Book your Christmas stay: See rooms at The Langham
Corinthia London: views of the London Eye
Corinthia is close to Trafalgar Square and the Thames. From the hotel you look towards the London Eye as it lights up the evening sky, and the West End is just around the corner when you want to head out into the festive bustle.
Book your Christmas stay: See rooms at Corinthia London
Corinthia London
From the terrace you look straight at the London Eye.
The Landmark London: the Winter Garden in Marylebone
The Landmark in Marylebone is known for its vast glass atrium, the Winter Garden. On a cold December day it is a lovely place for afternoon tea, with light pouring in through the glass roof and the winter chill kept safely outside. For more ideas, see our top 15 hotels for a magical Christmas stay in London.
Book your Christmas stay: See rooms at The Landmark London
City Christmas in New York and Paris
New York: The Plaza
Christmas in New York feels like stepping straight into a film. Skaters trace circles in Central Park, the tree at Rockefeller Center glows above the crowds, and the window displays along Fifth Avenue tell Christmas stories of their own.
The Plaza stands where Fifth Avenue meets Central Park, right in the heart of the festive season.
Book your Christmas stay: See rooms at The Plaza
The Plaza, New York
The hotel stands where Fifth Avenue meets Central Park, with the city’s Christmas lights right on the doorstep.
Paris: Cour des Vosges
Paris at Christmas is all about the lights on the Champs-Élysées and the towering trees in the grand department stores. Cour des Vosges is a small boutique hotel on Place des Vosges in the Marais, one of the city’s loveliest squares. It is a calm and romantic base for a Christmas break in Paris, where the days can end with a glass of wine and quiet streets.
Book your Christmas stay: See rooms at Cour des Vosges
Christmas in Norway: Bergen and Røros
Bergen: Bergen Børs Hotel
Bergen in December has its famous gingerbread town, a Christmas market in the centre and festive lights reflected in the water along Bryggen. Even the rain seems to sparkle a little more at this time of year.
Bergen Børs Hotel is in the old stock exchange building in the heart of the city, where shares were once traded. These days the business is mostly good nights’ sleep, with the Fish Market and Bryggen close by.
Book your Christmas stay: See rooms at Bergen Børs Hotel
Bergen Børs Hotel
The hotel is housed in the old stock exchange building in the centre of Bergen.
Røros: Erzscheidergården and the Christmas market in the mining town
Røros is one of the most Christmassy towns in Norway. The old mining town is a World Heritage Site, its wooden houses huddle together in the snow, and its Christmas market draws people from near and far. Here Christmas feels real, like a memory you did not know you had.
Erzscheidergården is one of the places you can stay in the town. We link to a search for hotels in Røros so you can pick the one that suits you.
Book your Christmas stay: See hotels in Røros
Erzscheidergården, Røros
Wool blankets and warm colours: a good start to a cold December day in the mining town.
White Christmas and northern lights
Iceland: 360 Hotel Boutique and Spa
If you want a Christmas abroad with snow, long nights and warm baths, Iceland is a wonderful choice. 360 Hotel Boutique and Spa is near Selfoss in South Iceland, with thermal baths and a good chance of seeing the northern lights on clear evenings. There are few things to match lying in warm water while the sky dances above you.
Book your Christmas stay: See rooms at 360 Hotel Boutique and Spa
Dreaming of a white Christmas in the Alps, with snow-laden pines and skis on the slopes? We have guides to Zermatt, Chamonix and Bad Gastein.
New Year’s Eve in a hotel
Edinburgh: The Balmoral
Edinburgh bids farewell to the old year with Hogmanay, one of the world’s best-known New Year celebrations. The Balmoral is on Princes Street, right by the Christmas market in Princes Street Gardens, and its clock tower has watched over the city for generations. It is a hotel with a view of both the party and the past. Read more about Edinburgh.
Book your Christmas stay: See rooms at The Balmoral
Fancy welcoming the new year under nature’s own fireworks instead? Read about New Year’s Eve on Svalbard.
The Balmoral, Edinburgh
A fireplace and a comfy chair: perfect after a cold evening at the Christmas market.
When should you book a Christmas hotel?
Book as early as you can. The weekends before Christmas and the festive week are popular, and the best-known hotels in London, Vienna and Copenhagen fill up long before the first lights go on. A long weekend in late November or early December gives you the markets with slightly smaller crowds, and a little more room to enjoy them.
Choose a hotel within walking distance of the market
Check what the hotel offers in terms of Christmas dinner and festive events
Book afternoon tea or Christmas dinner at the same time as your room
Frequently asked questions about Christmas breaks
Can you spend Christmas Day in a hotel?
Yes, many hotels celebrate Christmas with a festive dinner and their own programme, both in the UK and abroad. It is a lovely option if you want to skip the planning and the washing up, and spend the day with the people you care about instead. Check what the hotel offers before you book, as festive packages vary a lot and often sell out early.
Where is the best place to go for a Christmas break abroad?
London, Vienna and Copenhagen are among the most popular cities for a Christmas break, thanks to their lights, markets and strong festive traditions. If you dream of snow, Iceland, the Alps and Røros are good alternatives. For a romantic Christmas break, Paris and Colmar are hard to beat.
What is a Christmas hotel break?
A Christmas hotel break is a stay at a hotel that makes the most of the festive season, with Christmas trees, decorations and often its own festive dinner or programme. Many people choose to spend Christmas at a hotel to skip the planning, cooking and washing up, and spend the days on experiences and each other instead. Always check what the hotel offers over Christmas before you book.
When should you book a Christmas hotel?
It pays to book a Christmas hotel early in the autumn. The weekends before Christmas, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve are the most popular times, and the best-known hotels fill up fast. If you travel midweek or in late November, you often have more hotels to choose from.
Are hotels more expensive at Christmas?
Hotel prices in popular Christmas cities are often higher at weekends before Christmas and around New Year. Christmas week itself can vary more. Compare several dates on the hotel page, as shifting your stay by a day or two can get you a better room.