Christmas Somewhere Else: 5 Luxury Escapes for a Different Kind of Festive Season
From bare feet in the Caribbean to a chalet in the Alps, these are the Christmas holidays that make the season feel entirely your own.
Christmas does not have to mean one thing. For some, the perfect festive break is a sunlounger, a long lunch and Christmas morning by the sea. For others, it is snow falling outside a mountain chalet, a beautifully dressed hotel in a favourite city, or gathering everyone together in a country house with none of the hosting to do.
If you are planning a luxury Christmas holiday from the UK, the best place to begin is not with a destination. It is with the atmosphere you want. Here are five very different ways to spend Christmas somewhere else, with our recommendations for where to go and where to stay.
1. A Christmas in the Caribbean: for sunshine, sea and a complete change of scene
There is something wonderfully liberating about swapping December grey for warm water, beach days and dinner outside. The Caribbean works particularly well at Christmas because it still feels celebratory: hotels put real thought into festive meals and music, while you can keep the days as relaxed or as sociable as you like.
Where to go: Barbados is the choice for a lively mix of brilliant restaurants, beach clubs and festive energy. Anguilla is quieter, more low-key and wonderfully polished. Antigua suits families and groups who want beautiful beaches with sailing and plenty to explore.
Where we would stay: Cap Juluca, A Belmond Hotel, Anguilla - an icon of barefoot Caribbean luxury on the powder white sands of Maundays Bay. Its whitewashed, Greco-Moorish villas, exceptional restaurants and Guerlain spa make it the sort of place where Christmas is spent barefoot, beautifully looked after and entirely unhurried.
Cap Juluca, A Belmond Hotel, Anguilla
2. A snowy Christmas in the Alps: for fires, skiing and full festive magic
If you want Christmas to look like Christmas, there is no substitute for the mountains. Think snow covered villages, a proper tree in the hotel, long lunches after skiing and an aperitif by the fire. A ski holiday also gives different generations something to do: ski, spa, walk, read or simply enjoy a beautiful hotel.
Where to go: Courchevel 1850 offers all-out glamour, excellent skiing and some of the Alps’ most exceptional hotels. For a slightly more traditional atmosphere, St Moritz delivers old-world grandeur alongside world-class winter sports.
Where we would stay: Airelles Courchevel, Les Airelles - Courchevel 1850’s fairytale Palace hotel: a turreted, Austria-Hungary-inspired snow castle with crackling fires, deeply personal service and direct access to the vast Trois Vallées ski area. This is Christmas in the Alps at its most indulgent.
Airelles Courchevel, Les Airelles
3. A Christmas city break: for lights, restaurants and a very good hotel
Cities feel made for December. The best combine decorated streets, galleries, theatre, late lunches and cocktail bars with a hotel that becomes part of the experience—not merely somewhere to sleep. It is a lovely option for couples, friends or families with older children, especially when a week away feels like too much.
Where to go: New York is brilliantly over-the-top in the best possible way, from Fifth Avenue windows to skating at Rockefeller Center. For something closer to home, Vienna brings grand cafés, classical music and elegant Christmas markets; Paris is always hard to beat for dining, shopping and atmosphere.
Where we would stay: The Peninsula New York - one of Manhattan’s most iconic luxury hotels, on Fifth Avenue at the heart of the city’s festive action. A Forbes Five Star hotel with newly refurbished rooms, a celebrated spa and rooftop cocktails at Pen Top, it is the sort of address that makes Christmas in New York feel completely cinematic.
The Peninsula New York lobby
4. A chalet Christmas: for bringing everyone together
For a family Christmas, a private chalet is one of the few ways to make the occasion feel both personal and genuinely relaxing. Everyone can be under one roof, but you still have the space, privacy and service that make the whole thing easier. Add a chef, a big dining table, a cinema room or a spa, and Christmas Day can be exactly as leisurely as it should be.
Where to go: Verbier is excellent for mixed groups: a lively village, varied terrain and plenty to do beyond skiing. Megève has a softer, more village-like feel, with beautiful restaurants and boutiques.
Where we would stay: The Lodge, Verbier - Sir Richard Branson’s spectacular private mountain retreat in Verbier. With nine bedrooms and suites, an indoor pool, indoor and outdoor hot tubs, and a full team of staff, it is made for a truly memorable Christmas with family or friends.
The Lodge, Verbier
5. A country house Christmas: for all the atmosphere, none of the washing up
You do not have to travel far to do Christmas differently. A great country house hotel gives you the best bits of the traditional celebration (think fires, festive menus, long walks and beautiful interiors), without the shopping, cooking and clearing up. It is especially appealing for a shorter escape with family or friends.
Where to go: The New Forest is ideal for a cosy two or three night break close to home. The Cotswolds has the full storybook appeal, while the Scottish Highlands offer a more dramatic option for those prepared to travel a little further.
Where we would stay: The Newt in Somerset - a beautifully considered Somerset estate with Georgian rooms at Hadspen House, the more relaxed Farmyard, gardens, orchards, excellent food and a seriously good spa. For Christmas, it offers all the occasion of a country house celebration, but with far more character than the usual safe choice.
The Newt in Somerset
Planning Christmas travel: when to book
The best luxury hotels, family suites, villas and chalets sell early for the festive period, particularly for the week from Christmas to New Year.
Booking early gives you more choice on rooms, flight timings and the details that matter most to your trip. It also means we have time to shape the celebration around you, whether that is a Christmas lunch on the beach, ski school for the children, restaurant reservations or a completely bespoke itinerary.
Why book your Christmas holiday with ONECHICSTAY?
Christmas travel has more moving parts than most trips. We take the time to understand the sort of celebration you want, then recommend the hotels, villas, flights and experiences that fit, not just the properties that happen to be available.
Through our trusted travel partners, many selected luxury hotels also offer complimentary benefits such as daily breakfast, possible room upgrades, hotel or resort credit, and flexible check-in or check-out. Benefits vary by hotel, rate and availability.
Whether you already know you want a Caribbean Christmas, a snowy escape or simply something different this year, we can help you plan it beautifully.
