We’ve enjoyed a family Christmas, the sherry, the turkey, the TV Christmas specials.
But for many, the festive season is not over. December and January presents a veritable pick and mix of pine-clad cosy ski resorts and delectable desert islands. Here we discover 2017/2018’s favourite festive playgrounds of the rich and famous.
Chamonix, Mont-Blanc
Hosting the first ever Winter Olympics back in 1924, Chamonix Mont-Blanc has been revered as the home of alpinism. With its superb mix of nursery, intermediate and advanced runs it is a recurrent favourite with families and serious ski enthusiasts alike, and now a hot spot for celebrities including Kylie Minogue, Penelope Cruz and even various royal families.
Martin Bromley is General Manager of Les Rives d’Argentière – a 5-star hamlet of Chamonix chalets – a firm favourite for those looking for ultimate exclusivity and luxury on the slopes, said: “Chamonix is the go-to destination for anyone from royalty to Russian oligarchs and celebrities requiring a super luxurious location offering superb ski facilities alongside outstanding accommodation and unrivalled gastronomic delights.”
South Beach, Miami
These days South Beach is as well known for its celeb spotting as it is for Art Deco architecture, but it wasn’t always that way – before the construction boom of the 1980s, and hit television programme Miami Vice, the area was poor and suffered from high rates of crime.
Now a firm favourite with stars such as Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bieber and the Kardashians, South Beach’s night life scene is notorious as the place to be seen to ring in the New Year.
Stay in the old Versace mansion: The Villa. You’ll share The Villa with no more than a dozen and a half fellow guests. There’s a full-service spa, a beach club, and an extravagantly ornate dining room, as well as Versace’s famous Thousand Mosaic swimming pool. And rather than the typical South Beach velvet-roped hotel bar, The Villa boasts a couple of relatively sedate private lounges, including one whose rooftop views might just change your perspective on Miami.
Kakslauttanen, Finland
If it’s good enough for world-famous fashion label Ralph Lauren it’s good enough for us! From the sartorial to the seasonal, this enchanting Arctic resort is the ideal hideaway for immersing yourself in a smorgasbord of wintry delights including aurora hunting, ice fishing and husky safaris.
Sleep under the stars in a delightful glass igloo-style cabin whilst sipping on hot chocolate and watching the Northern Lights glide by. Read more about Kakslauttanen Hotel and more unusual hotels around the world here.
Aspen, Colorado
With the gloriously picturesque Rocky Mountains for a backdrop, Aspen boasts the most expensive real estate prices in the United States, and has a list of designer boutiques that would rival Rodeo Drive.Kate Hudson, Mariah Carey and Gigi Hadid all count it on their lists of seasonal stays.
Try Colorado’s world-class Hotel Jerome – for a taste of the high life. It is a brick structure built in the 1880s that is often described as one of the city’s major landmarks, its “crown jewel”.
The Maldives, Indian Ocean
Boasting one of the most expensive Michelin-starred restaurants in the world, The Maldives is also home to more than 1,000 coral islands, extensive reefs and beautiful blue lagoons.
David Beckham, Gordon Ramsay, and Chelsea FC owner Roman Abramovich and their families; Tom Cruise; American model and actress Milla Jovovich; Russell Crowe are all fans of Reethi Rah resort. This part of the island created the ‘barefoot’ luxury concept a couple of decades back but Reethi Rah bucks the low-key trend, with guests parading around in their stylish attire.
As part of the LVMH group, Cheval Blanc is nothing short of exquisite and spectacular throughout it’s every square metre. A quick look through the resort’s pictures and features will have you believing it’s certainly a true paradise on earth.
St. Barths, Caribbean
Saint-Barthélemy (also known as St. Barts or St. Barths) is a French-speaking Caribbean island that’s popular among the rich and the famous. Land in beautiful St Maarten, explore this half French, half Dutch island with some great beach and shopping, then jump on a small plane for 15 minutes to St Barths.
Post-Irma, they are still undergoing some refurbishments, but its still a great time to go, see the beautiful island and support them back onto their feet. Christmas and New Year’s are the mad season. Celebrities can often be seen mooring their personal ships on the island. Whether playing with the rich and famous on Baie de St. John, or shopping for high-end designer pieces in Gustavia, visitors can expect velvet rope service across the island. It’s essentially a hot-weather playground for the glamour set, spend some time here air-kissing over a glass of rosé.
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