Everyone knows that winter is the best time to enjoy cozy atmosphere, and booking a special dinner at a hotel can be a festive way to experience maximum comfort during the cold season. It doesn’t even matter if it’s snowing outside or not; The colder months, with shorter days, are the ideal time to enjoy delicious hot drinks accompanied by delicious, melting food and always festive champagne.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a hotel that isn’t decorated with plenty of twinkling lights, garlands, and a dose of evergreen for the winter season. However, some take the winter magic further, creating temporary igloos, building chalets, and offering guests other creative and immersive amenities that really set a winter tone.
These nine properties, all bookable for points, span the globe from sunny florida to the slopes of the mountains Japanand they go all out with seasonal, winter-only food extravaganzas that are as transporting as they are tantalizing.
Related: 11 incredible hotels for a dream winter vacation
The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe – Truckee, California
there is no après ski experience Much like the Veuve Clicquot Cabana Chalets at this luxurious hillside hotel, especially when it comes to decadence. Winter specials are private for up to eight guests who can relax on fur-lined chairs and benches, stay warm by their personal fire pit and savor Veuve Clicquot and gingerbread hot chocolate. Add-ons include caviar, charcuterie and fondue, and weekend DJ sets only add to the apres vibes.
Rates in The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe Start at $619 or 91,200 Marriott Bonvoy points per night this winter. He Veuve Clicquot Cabin Chalets starts from $300.
Related: Review of the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe
The Singer Oceanfront Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton – Riviera Beach, Florida
The Singer Oceanfront Resort proves that it doesn’t have to be cold outside to feel the winter spirit. Their “Beach Igloo Experience” involves transparent igloos located just above the sand with the ocean providing an ideal backdrop for a comfortable scene. Visitors can expect warm blankets, festive decor, bonfires and more. The igloos are a partnership with Caymus Vineyards in Napa, California, which is handling the wine pairings for a special sharing menu curated by Winston Guerrero, executive chef of the hotel’s Caretta Caretta restaurant.
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Rates in The Singer Oceanfront Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton Start at $205 or 65,000 Hilton Honors points per night this winter. He Igloo experience on the beach starts from $325.
Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono — Hokkaido, Japan
With a blanket of the famous Ja-pow (Japan Powder) on Mount Yotei as a backdrop, Park Hyatt’s partnership with Krug Champagne has produced an indelible winter wonderland dining experience in Hokkaido, Japan’s ski hotspot. The “Krug Igloo Prive” includes a beautiful igloo, which is of course air-conditioned. But before settling in, guests can savor canapes and champagne under the night sky. Once inside, they’ll enjoy a chandelier-lit French, Chinese or Japanese multi-course prix-fixe meal featuring renowned local ingredients like Hokkaido abalone and Kobe beef, combined (of course) with rare Krug harvests.
Rates in Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono Start at $558 or 45,000 World of Hyatt points per night this winter. Krug’s Private Igloo The experience starts at $5,154.
Related: The best Park Hyatt hotels, according to Globalists
Burgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne — Obburgen, Switzerland
This bucket-list property located high above Lake Lucerne in Switzerland, with arrival via the coolest catamaran and funicular, is the epitome of year-round comfort. In winter, however, the magic increases even more. This is especially true for those who enjoy the “Raclette with a Difference” package, which includes an amazing helicopter flight over the Swiss Alps to a private location on Petersgrat Mountain. There, you’ll be greeted by expensive champagne and a private chef who will prepare an authentic but elevated feast of sticky, sticky Swiss raclette. Take the next day off to recover from your indulgences in the 100,000-plus-square-foot Alpine Spa’s hydrotherapy pools, fragrant steam rooms, saunas, and more.
Rates in Burgenstock Resort Lake Lucerne starts at $1,294 per night this winter, or you can book with points through the Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts Program. He Raclette with a difference The experience starts at $3,767.
Fairmont Chateau Whistler—Whistler, British Columbia
The best European and Alpine-inspired winter classics are on the menu at The Chalet, Fairmont Chateau Whistler’s fabulous snow-season restaurant located just outside the property and accessible by shuttle (or a magical walk under the fresh snow). The French onion soup is as unmissable as the fondue and cold cuts; Plus, a cup of delicious chocolate fondue is the must-have dessert. You can enjoy all of this while a blazing fire warms the space with its high ceilings and large windows offering glimpses of the snowy landscape and twinkling stars beyond.
Rates in Hotel Fairmont Chateau Whistler starts at $544 per night this winter, or book with the Accor lives without limits to earn points. The special three-course menu The Chalet starts from $50.
Related: Checking into the world’s most photographed hotel: a review of the Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac
The Berkeley Hotel – London
if you love London but they are missing ski resort vibesYou’ll find the best of both worlds at the Berkeley Hotel’s “Feast Off-Piste” pop-up event, held on a custom-built ski gondola on the hotel’s rooftop overlooking Hyde Park. The charming stationary gondolas are the site of intimate dinners that begin with mulled wine and continue with traditional Swiss raclette, a tartiflette with freshly shaved truffle, milk chocolate fondue with edible candles for dipping, and gingerbread s’mores. Each gondola has its own “champagne ring” bell, allowing guests to order a festive glass of Laurent-Perrier right at the table.
Rates in The Berkeley London starts at $1,004 per night this winter, or you can book with points through the Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts Program. The off-piste party The experience starts at $114 per person.
Hotel Vin, Grapevine, Autograph Collection – Grapevine, Texas
With an overwhelming number of annual Christmas-themed events, Grapevine, Texas is known as the official Christmas capital of Texas, and this boutique hotel just off historic Main Street is also in the holiday business. Here, guests will find Texas Tinis hand-shaken by a martini butler, a champagne yurt partnered with Veuve Clicquot, a Holly Jolly Bar serving themed libations, and, the piece de resistance, Winter Wonderland Bubbles. These private pods are inspired by an elegant mountain chalet (with cozy Pendleton decor that can also be purchased) and feature a curated fondue menu.
Rates in Hotel Vin, Grapevine, Autograph Collection Start at $303 or 37,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night this winter. Winter Wonderland Bubbles at Hotel Vin starts at $200 per party.
Related: The 13 Best Texas Resorts for a Getaway to the Lone Star State
Hotel Plaza Athénée — Paris
A Parisian winter fantasy is on the menu during the colder season at Hotel Plaza Athenee, one of TPG Favorite Hotels in Paris where the beautiful and picturesque Plaza Athenee Chalet appears in the resplendent courtyard of La Cour Jardin. Prepare for a swoon-worthy night of alpine style in the heart of Paris. The experience includes Mauviel 1830 Champagne, raclette and succulent European food including scallops, foie gras ravioli and Alsatian-style truffled flammekueche. Before or after chocolate fondue, take a dip at the hotel’s private ice rink—the experience includes one hour of access plus skate rental.
Rates in Hotel Plaza Athenee starts at $2,066 per night this winter, or you can book with points through the Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts Program. He Chalet Plaza Athenee the experience starts at $265.
