If you’ve ever doubted that hotels still know how to put on a show, Four Seasons has come along this year with a raised eyebrow and a quiet “watch this.” While most of us are still wrestling with decorations that mysteriously tangle themselves over winter, the luxury brand has rolled out a festive season so elaborate you half-expect the baubles to come with their own concierge.
And unlike the usual December fluff, this year’s program has some genuine heart stitched through it. Instead of leaning on the tired “global glittering wonderland” line, Four Seasons seems intent on reminding guests that traditions matter and that even in a world where the year vanishes faster than a Boxing Day flight sale, there’s room for a moment that actually means something.
Where dessert becomes a passport stamp
The pastry chefs, a tribe known for their patience and precision, appear to have taken the brief and sprinted with it.
In Tamarindo, México, guests head straight to the source: Rancho Lola, the resort’s own sustainable farm. There’s nothing manufactured about the experience you’re gathering honey, eggs and carrots before turning them into rustic carrot cakes that feel more like a family ritual than a hotel activity.
Meanwhile, in Jakarta, La Patisserie has chosen to worship a national treasure: honey. Rare Indonesian honeys take centre stage in an afternoon tea that manages to be both indulgent and oddly grounding. No gimmicks, no sparkles — just craftsmanship and flavour, which is refreshing in a festive season that usually encourages the opposite.
And in Seoul, Chef Ivan Spadaro digs into something more personal than any imported trend. His Sicilian panettone isn’t just a recipe, it’s a nod to his father, to kitchen benches dusted in flour, to a childhood that still shapes his craft. That sort of thing doesn’t need marketing spin; it stands on its own.
A festive season with altitude, charm and just a hint of madness
Of course, Four Seasons knows how to go big when it wants to.
The most theatrical offering sits in Whistler, where guests are flown by helicopter to dine on a glacier. Yes, literally. Champagne on ice — on actual ice. There’s caviar, glowing ice caves, and the sort of alpine view that makes you forget you once promised to “do something simple this Christmas.”
On the opposite end of the temperature scale, Koh Samui embraces its cheekier side with a celebration inspired by the island’s monkey folklore. Lanterns, beach feasts, tropical nonsense the whole scene has a sort of joyful chaos that feels entirely appropriate for a place that refuses to take itself too seriously.
London, of course, goes the other way. A chauffeur-led tour of the city’s Christmas lights is more refined, more polished, more “yes, I will have another mince pie, thank you.” And in Prague, the old world does what it does best: markets, music and the lamplighter bringing the Charles Bridge to life like it’s the 1800s again.
A quieter kind of celebration
Not everyone wants to roar into the new year with sparklers in hand. Some travellers quite sensibly prefer the soft edges of December.
In Dubai’s DIFC, Four Seasons offers a rooftop couples’ massage under the night sky. No fanfare. No theatrics. Just quiet serenity above the city’s shimmering skyline.
And in Westlake Village, the resort leans into a whimsical “Nutcracker Season” complete with snowfall and ballet workshops. It somehow avoids feeling kitschy, landing instead in that sweet spot between nostalgia and wellness that guests increasingly look for.
Tables worth travelling for
One thing Four Seasons rarely gets wrong is dining, and this season is no exception.
At Beverly Hills, the Lounge turns into a speakeasy dressed in velvet and low lighting, the kind of place where no one rushes you, and the “Press for Caviar” button is treated with the seriousness of a national duty.
In Napa Valley, Chef Rogelio Garcia serves a nine-course tasting menu from inside private dining globes overlooking the cabernet vineyards. If you’re the sort who likes your festive meals with scenery that borders on smug, this one has your name on it.
Fresh from a major renovation, Mauritius at Anahita introduces rotating pop-up breakfasts featuring Asian, Indian and Italian flavours. It’s a simple idea, executed with warmth, and frankly, more resorts should follow suit.
Florence contributes a Tuscan spin on afternoon tea, complete with champagne and house-made panettone, while Chiang Mai turns its lantern-lit “Taste of Siam” dinners into a cultural showcase. Up in the Golden Triangle, the Tented Camp offers a riverside jungle breakfast that feels delightfully unpolished, live cooking, mist rolling in, the whole cinematic scene.
Where families rediscover each other
The most charming part of the Four Seasons program might be the emphasis on shared experiences over spectacle.
In Maui, Mahjong meets Mai Tais, a pairing no one asked for but everyone seems to love. Geneva’s Hotel des Bergues runs traditional craft workshops: wreaths, stockings, nutcrackers, the sorts of things that remind you the festive season used to be slower, and maybe better for it.
Singapore turns its celebrations into a “Five Act” production spanning concerts, dining and city exploration. In the Maldives, the new Kuda Estate offers multi-generational escapes that feel tailor-made for families craving time together without the cramped, chaotic feel of a single hotel room.
And in Anguilla, children create handmade decorations at the festive pop-up, a gentle reminder that some keepsakes aren’t meant to come from gift shops.
A festive home that travels with you
For those who prefer a more private escape, Four Seasons Villa & Residence Rentals offer the comfort of a luxury holiday home with the backing of a full-service resort. Festive décor set up before arrival, chef-prepared meals, personalised touches, nothing revolutionary, but everything done properly.
And if you’re casting around for a gift that doesn’t involve frantic shopping centre sprints, the Four Seasons Gift Card remains an elegant solution: instant delivery, global flexibility, minimal effort.
A final note from a year that sprinted by
The festive season often arrives in a blur, but Four Seasons seems determined to slow it down not with extravagance for its own sake, but with experiences that draw on culture, place and memory. In a travel world increasingly addicted to immediacy, it’s oddly reassuring to see a global brand lean back into craftsmanship and genuine hospitality.
Sometimes the best luxury is simply the chance to appreciate the moment, ideally with a good panettone, a quiet drink, and someone you love beside you.
By Prae Lee – (c) 2025
ReadTime: ~6 minutes
About the Writer
You can tell a lot about a person by how they handle a busy Bangkok morning. Prae Lee doesn’t rush; she glides through it. There’s a calm certainty about her, the sort that comes from knowing where you come from and where you’re going.
Educated at Chulalongkorn University, she took her business degree with the quiet pride of someone who believes in doing things correctly. Her travels for further study in Singapore and Australia didn’t change her; they polished what was already there: curiosity, discipline, and grace.
She returned to her family business in Bangkok, breathing a little modern life into it. She handled social media with the intuition of someone who listens and sells with the gentle persistence the Thais do so well.
Prae doesn’t make a fuss, but everything she touches shines brighter.
Now part of the Global Travel Media family, Prae brings authenticity and quiet confidence to her writing, drawing from a life steeped in culture, travel, and connection.
