A Season of Double Celebrations: Anantara Unveils the 2026 Festive Programme Across Europe

Like fireworks marking a grand finale, December is set to become the defining moment of Anantara’s 25th‑anniversary celebrations, with its European portfolio applying the finishing touches to its double‑festive programme, blending a quarter‑century of hospitality heritage with traditions of Europe’s most iconic destinations.

A season of light in an Amalfi convent

Deep stillness wraps guests of Anantara Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel as they arrive at the former Capuchin convent for the season’s festivities. In the 13th‑century cloisters, a Christmas market gathers local artisans and makers, leading into the annual candlelight experience, where locals and visitors mingle by the firepit, listen to live music and enjoy hot chocolate. This year, the convent’s charming church hosts a Christmas concert by the Minori Band, the town’s beloved community ensemble, while Anantara Spa offers its own take on seasonal warmth with a signature Christmas candlelight ritual using natural candle wax that melts into a nourishing massage oil. At Ristorante Dei Cappuccini, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve dinners showcase the flavours of the Amalfi Coast.

Amsterdam’s festive living room

Opening its inner world to the final night of the year for the first time, Dam Square landmark Anantara Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky Amsterdam steps fully into its role as the city’s living room with a new countdown experience. As Amsterdam comes together to welcome 2027, the hotel extends its New Year’s Eve celebrations beyond the dining rooms, with its grand lobby and public spaces becoming a social stage with live DJs and elegant bars. For Christmas, the hotel is leaning into tradition with The Cake Room offering a whimsical collection of handcrafted advent calendars and chocolate ornaments from November onwards. High gastronomy remains central, with Michelin-starred experiences at The White Room and traditional Christmas Brunches served beneath the soaring 19th-century glass roof of the Wintergarden.

Imperial immersion in Vienna

From horse‑drawn carriages to twinkling Christmas markets, Vienna offers one of Europe’s most enchanting winter experiences. Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna, the city’s first urban retreat, captures the best of both worlds: a central Ringstrasse address paired with the hushed seclusion of its palatial suites. This festive season, the hotel is bringing together its signature experiences in three overnight packages for an all‑encompassing Vienna celebration. With the Festive Midweek Escape, a tour of the city’s Christmas markets ends back at the hotel with Theo’s Tea Time, complete with seasonal treats such as mulled wine, eggnog and Champagne. Guests choosing the Christmas Package will celebrate with a six‑course dinner at Brasserie Sophie, starring goose, duck and beef Wellington. And for New Year’s Eve, the hotel offers a choice between a classic gala dinner or an eight‑course tasting journey at Michelin‑starred EDVARD.

Mediterranean warmth in Marbella

On Spain’s Costa del Sol, where snow‑dusted squares give way to sun-bathed fairways, Anantara Villa Padierna Palace Benahavís Marbella Resort brings the breezy spirit of the Mediterranean into the season’s celebrations. Guests can mark Anantara’s anniversary with the exclusive Silver Glow Ritual, a restorative spa journey drawing on both Asian and European wellness traditions; connect with the artisans behind the handcrafted ceramics featured throughout the resort’s restaurants; and attend seasonal workshops such as a festive sweet‑making masterclass, perfect for families curious about some of Spain’s most cherished seasonal treats. Festive dining at the resort ranges from a lavish Christmas Day Brunch at La Pérgola to an Asian‑inflected New Year’s Eve experience at 99 Sushi Bar.

Theatre and wonder in Rome

In an exclusive partnership with Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, one of Italy’s most revered cultural institutions, Anantara Palazzo Naiadi Rome draws inspiration from The Nutcracker for its festive programme and scenography. As guests move through the hotel’s public spaces, they engage with select elements from the opera house’s treasured and rarely seen creative spaces, brought into view specially for the occasion. For children, the immersion continues with a Nutcracker‑inspired culinary workshop where edible ornaments are crafted, signed and hung on the hotel’s first‑floor Christmas tree, becoming part of a collective installation. A Christmas treasure hunt leads families through the hotel’s gardens in search of small surprises hidden among the winter blooms. For the ultimate New Year’s Eve countdown, all roads lead to SEEN by Olivier for a rooftop celebration with panoramic fireworks views over Piazza della Repubblica.

Seasonal indulgence in Budapest

Guests stepping into the soaring atrium of Anantara New York Palace Budapest are greeted by a majestic Christmas tree before settling for hot chocolate and traditional seasonal treats such as Flódni, a pastry layered with apple, walnuts, poppy seeds and plum jam; and Beigli, the classic sweetbread roll with its instantly recognisable poppy‑seed swirl. More festive delights await at the city’s celebrated Vörösmarty Square Christmas Market, known for its mulled wine, chimney cakes and stage performances, with complimentary limousine transfers included in the stay package. Back at the hotel, the refined brasserie White Salon hosts a New Year’s Eve gala dinner, followed by a restorative New Year’s Day at the palatial New York Café.

Sparkling season on the French Riviera

Glamorous and sun‑kissed even in winter, the French Riviera is an effortless place to celebrate in a mild Mediterranean climate. At Anantara Plaza Nice Hotel, dressed in Champagne gold and pearlescent beige for the occasion, rooftop restaurant SEEN by Olivier elevates its panoramic views over the Bay of Angels with high gastronomy for New Year’s Eve celebrations. Equally decadent is Les Colonnades’ refined afternoon tea crafted by Côte d’Azur pastry virtuoso Philippe Tayac. To ensure the festive glow endures through the season, Anantara Spa pairs its wellness area’s sauna and hammam with a 45‑minute personalised massage using nourishing oils from the spa’s oil bar, plus a Monika Heiligmann lip balm and a Thalion travel kit to extend the benefits at home.

Modern spirit in Dublin’s docklands

In Ireland, Anantara The Marker Dublin Hotel mirrors the dynamic energy of the city’s Silicon Docks with a sophisticated festive programme. Forbes Street by Gareth Mullins remains the social hub, serving modern Irish cuisine through tasting menus over Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Relaxation awaits at Anantara Spa and at the Marker Bar & Lounge, where festive afternoon tea featuring seasonal favourites is offered alongside the popular Poetry & Places afternoon tea, a literary‑inspired tasting journey paying homage to Dublin’s poets, neighbourhoods and iconic landmarks. Celebrations culminate in a rooftop countdown with panoramic views of the Dublin skyline.

For more information about Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations at Anantara hotels and resorts in Europe, please visit the festive hub here: https://www.anantara.com/en/festive-celebrations

A luxury hospitality brand for modern travellers, Anantara Hotels & Resorts connects guests to genuine places, people and stories in some of the world’s most extraordinary destinations. Each Anantara embraces the surroundings and culture of its destination, creating unforgettable memories for every guest since 2001. From city to sea and desert to jungle, Anantara delivers heartfelt, Thai-inspired hospitality at its over 50 hotels and resorts across Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the Indian Ocean.

Anantara Hotels & Resorts is a Minor Hotels brand and recognises its guests through one unified loyalty programme, Minor DISCOVERY, part of GHA DISCOVERY.

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