Shimmer this Christmas
The festive season brings all that shimmers, from decorative baubles to candles, crackers, and colourful lights. But as December approaches, what makes you shimmer? Let’s look at ways you can bring a twinkle to your eye and warmth to your heart in the run up to the holidays.
1) Time with the people you love
From festive drinks with your colleagues, to the traditional annual get-togethers with your extended family, Christmas is perfect for spending time with your nearest and dearest. We travel far and wide to share thoughtful gifts and sumptuous turkey dinners and get some shimmer from the ones we love.
If you’re looking for a place to meet up with your loved ones this Christmas, look no further. From family-friendly suites to sleep your whole Christmas crew to party nights that’ll have you hitting the dancefloor, we’ve got Christmas get-togethers covered!
Discover a hotel for your next festive event.
2. Reconnecting with friends
Let’s face it, life’s busy and it can be hard to find time to nurture those precious friendships. Luckily, the festive season is a great opportunity to catch up and reconnect. Whether it’s sharing a festive meal or Christmas afternoon tea together, or perhaps even taking time out from the festive preparations to spend a relaxing day in the spa, spending quality time with friends is guaranteed to warm your heart.
3. Creativity at Christmas
Making your own baubles and wreaths, hand-painting wrapping paper, baking Christmas cookies – the festive season offers lots of chances to flex those creative muscles and to experience all the pleasure that comes with making something yourself. And it’s even more fun if you can share a Christmas crafting or baking session with friends and family.
4. Shared Christmas adventures
You get more shimmer when you share, so why not take the family on a festive adventure this Christmas? From festive fun at London Zoo to sparkling illuminated light trails in the grounds of some of the country’s loveliest stately homes, there’s so much you can do together to make you feel Christmassy. If you want to, you can even make a mini-break of it - we know just the places you could stay!
5. Christmas markets and Christmas shopping
Who doesn’t love a spot of Christmas shopping? And choosing gifts and food is even better when you do it at a traditional Christmas market. There are plenty up and down Great Britain, each with their own unique identity and special selection of stocking fillers. A wander round the stalls and a tasty bratwurst will soon have you feeling full of festive sparkle.
-
Discover 2 new ways for 2026
6. Festive feasts
What would Christmas be without sugar and spice? Christmas cake, mince pies, mulled wine, hot cocoa, and more – every mouthful makes you sparkle! We bet you’re looking forward to sampling sweet festive treats at the Christmas table, not to mention savoury favourites like roast turkey, potatoes, peas and honey-glazed gammon with gravy. Now that’s heart-warming food at its finest.
If you want to enjoy all the trimmings without the work this Christmas, why not let our chefs take care of the chopping, peeling and prepping?
Take a look at our Christmas lunches and Christmas Breaks.
7. Old and new Christmas traditions
Hanging stockings, making a gingerbread house, decorating the tree, putting out milk and cookies for Santa and opening presents by the fireplace might all be Christmas traditions that you do each year. And these are so precious, so keep them up!
But if you want to get creative with your family this season, try adding a few new traditions to your itinerary, like festive scrapbooking and cracker making. You might find the extra activities make you extra shimmery on Christmas Day.
