1. Where Food Fuels Love
Bvlgari Resort, Dubai
Bringing the best of Italy to Dubai shores, Bvlgari Resort Dubai lights up this season with exquisite festivities centred around food. At La Casa di Pan di Zenzero, children can live out their dreams amid a cookery masterclass in which they’ll learn to cook gourmet treats, complete with their own apron and chef’s uniform. For adults, take a more gastronomic turn, with a lavish Brunch di Natale buffet at Il Ristorante - Niko Romito on Christmas Day, or the Degustazione di Capodanno Al Ristorante - Niko Romito for New Year, at which caviar, lobster, white truffle and mature Australian beef tenderloin are the protagonists of a menu that exemplifies the beauty of rich Mediterranean cooking, all played out against a black-tie dress code and stunning sea views.
2. Desert-filled Fantasies
Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara, Abu Dhabi
For those truly wishing to escape the humdrum of city life, settle in for a season of sparkling celebrations married with Arabian splendour, right in the heart of the Empty Quarter - as far from the revelling crowds as it’s possible to get. For Christmas, the focus is on delivering a joyful family celebration with all the trimmings, courtesy of Christmas dinner at Al Waha, followed by a night of festivities under the stars in the courtyard with DJ, live music and fireworks in the dunes. An escape like no other.
3. Family Comes First
Palazzo Versace, Dubai
Renowned for their love of children, family comes first for Italians, and so Palazzo Versace’s Christmas Day Festive Brunch with Santa is essential attendance for kids. Set in the beautiful Giardino restaurant, with its walls peppered with glorious palm tree frond wallpaper, it’s the terrace that will bring the al fresco festive feels. The vibrant setting plays backdrop to a beautiful Christmas buffet, accompanied by Prosecco for those who are celebrating, and complimentary pool access in order to spend the rest of your day swimming, sunbathing or in horizontal recline. The perfect all-encompassing family experience, Palazzo Versace fuses Italy with Arabia in typical Versace style.
4. Dancing In The Moonlight
Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach, Dubai
Few places have the pulling power of Four Seasons at Jumeirah Beach in attracting the great and the good from Dubai’s glamorous crowd. The jewel in the hotel’s crown come party season is Mercury Lounge, a rooftop bar with sprawling vistas of the city and quite possibly the best viewing platform for Burj Khalifa and its famous New Year’s Eve fireworks. To ring in 2020 in iconic style, you can choose from a beautiful gala dinner or a lighter tapas serving, sip on bubbles under the stars, and dance the night away to the smooth grooves of a live band.
5. Star-studded Celebrations
Waldorf Astoria, Ras Al Khaimah
From Christmas Carols at Peacock Alley, sung by the student choir from GEMS Westminster School RAK and a ‘Diamonds in December’ draw, in which guests can win a glistening diamond ring from Dhamani, to a ‘Vegas Baby’ epic end of year party or a New Year’s Eve Kids’ Club celebration, complete with movies and games, Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah literally has every festive corner covered. One of our favourite ways to eke out the holiday season is sipping on sundowners at Siddharta Lounge, where you can indulge in an à la carte menu whilst relaxing to music from a live saxophonist under the Arabian sky.