Aspen Grange Daydream: Christmas in Gstaad

My husband and I love, love, love to travel internationally at Christmas, when many corners of the globe are dusted with twinkly lights and good cheer. So Santa, baby, don’t slip a sable under the tree for meeee….not when we can pack up and head to one of the world’s best Christmas hotels instead. We’ve been lucky enough to take some of the world’s best Christmas trips together— to St. Barths, St. John, Rome, Iceland, and more—but now that we have a child, I have catapulted another destination to the top of our family’s lengthy holiday travel wish list: Gstaad Palace. Uttering the hotel’s name alone makes me feel like a queen…handy to save my sanity when I’m hip deep in, like, organizing the garage or waiting at the DMV or something. “Gstaad Palace! Gstaad Palace!” It’s practically a mantra.

The legendary 1913 hotel has hosted Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, and aesthetic visionary Slim Aarons, so something tells me I’ll love it. It’s undoubtedly one of the world’s best Christmas hotels, thanks to its downright magical offerings in winter. In December, creches and holly line the hallways, and champagne is offered fireside before six-course dinners are served, live orchestras playing as background music.

For kids, Gstaad Palace is one of the world’s best Christmas trips because it turns them into actual royalty, whatever their age. Horse drawn carriage rides? Check. Meet and greets with Santa’s reindeer? Check. They can even sign up to take cookie-baking classes with the palace’s own pastry chef, Emanuele Lucania. (What, you don’t have a pastry chef on speed dial? Me either.)

And as you might have guessed, the guest rooms in this world’s best Christmas hotel are just as dreamy. We love the corner suites for their woodsy exposed ceiling beams; spa-like steam baths; and private balconies that peep out on snow-dusted Gstaad. While you’re there, don’t miss stopping by the spa for a rose diamond facial and to steep in their granite stone walled hammam. Oh, and did I mention that Porsche designed the cable cars that will whirr you to the mountaintop Eggli Lounge chalet for wiener schnitzel and fondue? Le sigh. I knowwww. We’ll meet you there.