’Twixmas escapes: where to stay between the celebrations
That sweet spot between Christmas and New Year is the most underrated time to check in and chill out. Whether you’re escaping the leftovers or leaning into low-key luxury, find your reset button at these restorative hotels
03/12/2025
Words: Hannah Hopkins
The turkey coma is starting to lift, the tinsel is looking tired and, frankly, the prospect of wearing anything with a drawstring for another week is depressing. Now is the moment to seize the year’s greatest opportunity: that beautiful, blurry decompression zone between the festive main events. It’s the perfect time to upgrade your comfort, swapping the well-worn sofa for Egyptian cotton and trading Quality Street for cocktails with a view. We’ve found seven sanctuaries that offer the perfect, personality-packed refuge for recharging your batteries so you sail into the New Year feeling truly refreshed.
A vast, serene pool at The Oberoi, Marrakech
The Oberoi, Marrakech
If your idea of post-festive bliss involves sunshine, spice and ditching the jumper you got from Auntie Brenda, point your compass towards The Oberoi, Marrakech. Set in 28 acres of serene, fragrant citrus orchards, this palatial resort is less hotel, more private kingdom. It’s the perfect antithesis of holiday stress. A stay here is all about languid mornings, dipping into your private pool villa, and being surrounded by Atlas Mountain scenery so captivating and relaxing that it instantly removes all your everyday worries and stresses. The architecture, inspired by the ancient Madrasa Ben Youssef, is utterly jaw-dropping.
You’ll be swapping cold cuts for authentic Moroccan tagines at Siniman and achieving a new level of Zen at the spa, where an immersive hammam ritual will quite literally scrub away the remnants of Christmas Day. The beautiful grounds provide a quiet, sophisticated distance from the city’s thrilling chaos, allowing you to absorb Morocco at your own pace. While the souks of the Medina are still beautifully vibrant, escaping back to the tranquillity of The Oberoi feels like a profound act of self-care – a luxurious, sun-drenched pause before the pressures of the New Year begin.
High Life says... For a romantic private dining experience, ask for a table set up under the stars in the hotel’s citrus groves.
A leisurely start to the day at The Lanesborough, London
The Lanesborough, London
While the rest of the country debates their post-Christmas diet, you should be checking in to The Lanesborough, London’s grandest Regency residence. Overlooking Hyde Park Corner, this is where you go when you want to feel utterly spoiled. This in-between week is the ideal time to revel in pure, unadulterated Mayfair luxury. Case in point: each of the hotels’ 93 rooms and 43 suites (decorated with opulent silks, rich velvets and antique furnishings) are serviced by a private butler, whose sole purpose is to ensure your every whim is met, from drawing a bath to curating your private in-room bar or flawlessly unpacking your suitcase (the ultimate holiday reprieve).
Continue the festive indulgence with a decadent afternoon tea or a lingering lunch in The Lanesborough Grill, where signature dishes such as the delicately spiced Coronation crab or the impeccably crafted Beef Wellington showcase the restaurant’s modern take on British dining. Or simply curl up by a flickering fire in one of the beautifully appointed drawing rooms. For true decompression, retreat to The Lanesborough Club & Spa, a luxurious haven with a hydrotherapy pool, personalised treatments using Tata Harper and ila products, thermal suites that help relax muscles and improve circulation, and a sauna for sweating out the gluttony of the festive period. This post-Christmas lull is when London’s grandest hotels truly shine. The decorations are still up, the atmosphere is wonderfully hushed and the quiet opulence will lull you into a state of blissful non-productivity.
High Life says... Ask your butler to show you the library bar’s rare collection of vintage Cognacs, which date back to the 1770s. An evening spent here is a real education.
Hotel Brosundet by 62° Nord, Norway. Opening image: Hotel Union Øye, also by 62° Nord
62° Nord, Norway
For something completely different (forget frantic city hopping) immerse yourself in the wildness of Norway’s magical Sunnmøre region, courtesy of 62° Nord. The late December period is dark, silent and wonderfully dramatic, encouraging a deep appreciation for nature and high-end hygge (read: cosiness). Its collection of gorgeous properties ranges from a converted warehouse hotel in the heart of Ålesund – famous for its stunning Art Nouveau architecture – to a remote one-bedroom lighthouse or the secluded ‘Owners Cabin’ on Giske, the land of Viking nobility. You can even stay at the iconic Hotel Union Øye, a one-of-a-kind mountain retreat by the remote Norangsfjorden, offering an authentic slice of Nordic living.
The true luxury here is the orchestrated adventure – think bespoke, private itineraries created by expert local guides, from high-speed RIB boat trips through the fjords to see spectacular waterfalls to guided snowshoeing up a mountain only accessible by boat. And after a day of adventures, you can retreat to a stay of Scandinavian luxury, with locally sourced cuisine at celebrated restaurants, all paired with a sommelier-curated wine list.
High Life says... Take a midnight stroll and look up. The combination of the Arctic darkness and the crisp air give you a great chance of spotting the northern lights.
The Rosevale Cocktail Room at the Civilian Hotel (Johnny Miller)
Civilian Hotel, New York
Christmas in New York is all very Miracle on 34th Street but, by the 27th, the real show is off-Broadway. Enter the Civilian Hotel, a fantastical hideaway in the heart of the Theater District that feels less like a hotel and more like the chicest backstage dressing room you’ve ever seen (complete with dramatic curtains and stage-like hardware). This is a brilliant escape because the city is still sparkling with seasonal magic, yet the Christmas shopping crowds have dissipated, leaving the streets manageable. The genius here is the playful escapism – rooms are snug, plush and decked out with vintage theatre prints and mood lighting, making it feel wonderfully hushed despite the Times Square bustle just outside (the High Line, Central Park and Moma Museum are also close by).
You can trade pre-New Year supermarket runs for a pre-show Sazerac at the Rosevale Cocktail Room) look closely, and you’ll spot actual Broadway props). Lounge around, catch a coveted matinee, or simply appreciate the dramatic pause before the final, frenzied act of the festive season. The entire hotel is designed as a tribute to the theatrical world, giving everyone who stays here a sense of being part of a glamorous, exclusive production.
High Life says... Head to the 27th-floor Starchild Rooftop bar for panoramic views of Midtown Manhattan and beyond, plus live jazz music or DJs.
The wildly avant-garde Hotel Marqués de Riscal, a Luxury Collection Hotel
Hotel Marqués de Riscal, Rioja
The ultimate escape from the domestic grind? A wine-themed spa in a Frank Gehry masterpiece, of course. Hotel Marqués de Riscal is a beacon of futuristic design, its titanium ribbons twisting above the ancient vineyards of Elciego, about an hour and a half’s drive from Bilbao. The last days of the year in Spain’s Rioja Alavesa are all about a slow, luxurious consumption of life’s great pleasures. Forget the hurried post-Christmas clear-up. Here, you’re unwinding with vinotherapy treatments at the Caudalie Spa (yes, that’s a real thing) and indulging in Michelin-mentioned cuisine at the hotel’s restaurant, perfectly paired with a vintage from the cellar.
The 61 luxurious rooms and suites feature sleek, contemporary décor, with spectacular views of the vineyards or the mediaeval village, and many include Gehry-designed furniture. It’s a stylish, slightly surreal contrast of ancient hamlet, space-age architecture and endless, rolling Spanish vines. Take a stroll around the nearby villages or the Roman salt pans of Añana or venture further out to Vitoria-Gasteiz. However you spend your days, a stay at this architectural marvel is the ideal place to toast the year’s end in unforgettable style.
High Life says... The titanium on the roof is coloured to reflect the local wine – pink for the wine, gold for the bottle netting and silver for the foil cap.
Cosy après-ski at La Folie Douce
La Folie Douce, Chamonix
You’ve unwrapped the presents; now it’s time to unclip the skis. La Folie Douce (aka The Sweet Madness) in Chamonix takes a former grand palace and injects it with an infectious and unadulterated joie de vivre. A mountain holiday at this time of year is glorious: the slopes are in peak condition, but the pre-New Year mayhem is still a few days off. This is a ski-in/ski-out dream where you can swap the sofa for a sun-drenched terrace facing Mont Blanc. The hotel shares its name with the renowned La Folie Douce venues, which are famous for hosting loud, outdoor après-ski parties on the mountain. This Chamonix location, however, offers the same festive vibe and entertainment right in town, so there’s no need to even hop on a ski lift.
After a day of exhilarating turns down the valley, the outdoor heated pool and Feel Good Club spa are exactly what the doctor ordered to stretch out your ski-legs. Design-wise, expect high-octane luxury with a very Gallic wink – interiors are chic, playful and have a distinctly French charm. Spend days snagging the best snow before the peak season crowds arrive and enjoy the combination of serious athleticism and serious pampering – it’s the perfect tonic for the soul (and the thighs).
High Life says... Opt for one of the rooms with a Mont Blanc view. Waking up to that colossal, glittering landscape is the only motivation you’ll need to hit the slopes.
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The VOX Bar at the Hilton Reykjavík Nordica hotel
Hilton Reykjavík Nordica, Iceland
For those who believe winter holidays should involve actual winter, Reykjavík is your calling. The Hilton Reykjavík Nordica is a sleek, Scandi-chic base that positions you perfectly to tackle the elements (or retreat from them). The beauty of a late December break here is the low-light season. Forget the manic crowds of high summer; you’re here for the quiet drama. Spend your days chasing the ethereal northern lights (dark skies are your friend) or taking a restorative dip in a geothermal pool. The hotel’s VOX Brasserie & Bar is a masterclass in ‘New Nordic’ cuisine, so you can trade stodgy festive puddings for exquisite, fresh Icelandic seafood.
Rooms are classic Scandi minimalist, leaving plenty of space for vast beds and huge windows and views over the sea and mountains. Plus, the on-site spa, with its sauna and hot tub, is the perfect hygge-filled antidote to any lingering seasonal exhaustion. The world outside may be waiting for spring, but here, the deep winter feels incredibly vital, offering a rare sense of quiet isolation just minutes from a colourful capital. This is pure, unadulterated escapism for the truly adventurous, providing maximum drama with minimum hassle.
High Life says... Don’t miss the chance to try a pylsa (Icelandic hot dog) from a Reykjavík street vendor. It’s a national obsession and the ultimate cold-weather snack.
