6 Magical City Hotels For A Cinematic Stay
The holiday season is a particularly alluring time for a stay in a resplendent city hotel, when the red carpets are rolled out for celebrations and extra dazzle enhances the style. Here, KATIE BERRINGTON chooses six of the most majestically for a festive getaway that’s worthy of the movies
Claridge’s, London
An icon of the London hotel scene, Claridge’s stands as the epitome of Art Deco opulence in Mayfair, whisking guests through revolving doors into its grand, checkerboard-tiled foyer and the timeless design delights of the spaces that lie beyond. These include several bars (the ambient Fumoir and the exquisitely rose-tinted Painter’s Room); the magnificent Claridge’s Restaurant; and the spa – a stunning oasis, designed by of André Fu, featuring a stone column-lined pool and discrete cabanas. The hotel’s bedrooms and suites are equally heavenly – and The Penthouse is the pinnacle of glamour: a 12,000-square-foot apartment, it takes up the entire rooftop and has a vast terrace, a heated pool, the world’s largest private collection of Damien Hirst artworks, and a statement piano pavilion, housed in a copper and glass structure with a front-row view of the city skyline. Each year, a legendary designer and friend of the hotel (Claridge’s is a favorite of many notable fans) is invited to use the lobby as their canvas and give their own take on the highly anticipated Claridge’s Christmas tree, with Burberry’s Daniel Lee at the helm for the 2025 edition.
Le Bristol, Paris
It has been a year of celebrations for the palatial Parisian luminary Le Bristol, as it marks its centenary and continues a remarkable legacy of style and luxury in the City of Lights. Come winter, the hotel is bedazzled in a shower of sparkling lights, matched in adornment by its tantalizing culinary offering: it boasts no fewer than four Michelin stars, shared between the contemporary Epicure restaurant and traditional brasserie 114 Faubourg. Then there is the delightful Café Antonia, an orange-tree-lined courtyard, and Le Bar du Bristol, a refined and snug spot to slink off for a nightcap. Once immortalized in the movie Midnight in Paris, the hotel’s homage to French elegance plays out across its resplendent atrium and magnificent rooms and suites. While it might be hard to pick a favorite spot, the glorious rooftop pool – up on the sixth floor, decked in 1980s nautical design by Professor Pinnau (who designed Aristotle Onassis’s famous yacht, Christina O), overlooking the Eiffel Tower, Montmartre and the Sacré-Cœur – is a highlight.
Broadwick Soho, London
Like something out of a Wes Anderson movie, Broadwick Soho conjures a joyful, flamboyant spirit in this storied part of the city. Designed by Martin Brudnizki, along with creative direction from Andrea Gelardin, stepping through the pastel-pink front door reveals a maximalist mash-up of disco glamour, Jazz Age opulence, La Dolce Vita, English eccentricity, and more – with an extravagance of rich detailing at every turn. Head to the rooftop Flute Bar for champagne and a bump of caviar, surrounded by mirrored ceilings, cork walls, plush animal-print upholstery, and the centerpiece onyx bar, while on the wraparound terrace, guests can hear the hum of the Soho streets below. Downstairs, the sumptuous Dear Jackie serves Italian dishes, while secret-spot The Nook is the place to end the night. This season, another auteur, Baz Luhrmann, has inspired the festivities, as a partnership with Moulin Rouge! The Musical has transformed the exterior of the hotel with a fantastically theatrical display, in celebration of a shared appreciation of “truth, beauty, freedom and love”.
The Plaza, New York
It is impossible to talk about hotels that come alive during the holidays without a mention of century-old New York institution The Plaza, which has backdropped scenes in many a movie in its time, including The Great Gatsby, Sleepless in Seattle and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Guests can in fact follow in the footsteps of Home Alone’s Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) – from a limousine tour of the landmarks to ordering an extra-large ice cream sundae straight to your bed. Steeped in the prestige of its Fifth Avenue address, right on Central Park South, the hotel, with its iconic, decadently adorned Palm Court and glitzy Champagne Bar, is perfectly situated to experience the city’s festivities.
Gleneagles Townhouse, Edinburgh
The little city sister property of the grand, mononymous Scottish Highlands estate, Gleneagles Townhouse matches the enchantment of the surrounding twinkling lights and cobbled streets of historic Edinburgh. Beautiful and boutique, with just 33 plush bedrooms across the Georgian property, the style is envelopingly opulent, with nods to Scottish folklore woven throughout during the festive season. Perfect for the period of feasting, traditional, hearty menus are served across its timeless restaurant, The Spence, and a glorious array of private dining spaces; while rooftop bar The Lamplighters is an atmospheric place to raise a celebratory toast.
Rosewood Hong Kong
Celebrating high-shine and ultra-luxe modernity in its design, and with a scenic front-row view of Victoria Harbour, Rosewood Hong Kong towers above the city skyline, a vast and striking 65-storey property glinting on the Kowloon waterfront. Designed by Tony Chi, the hotel has no fewer than 11 restaurants and bars – championing a diverse array of cuisines, including Michelin-starred Cantonese and Indian, as well as French, Spanish and Italian – and the award-winning, jazz-soundtracked cocktail parlor DarkSide. The best panoramas are appreciated from the steamy, stunning, outdoor infinity pool, overlooking the water, while the impressive Asaya spa serves as a wonderfully rejuvenating sanctuary to unwind from all the seasonal revelries.