19 November 2025
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Christmas in Paris is far from understated. As the city slips into its twinkling lights like a sequined coat and the spiced scent of vin chaud (mulled wine) drifts through the boulevards, Paris’ luxury hotels in The MICHELIN Guide are going all in — not with a polite sprig of holly, but with full-scale holiday theater. Expect raclette chalets and ice rinks tucked in hotel courtyards, New Year’s Eve tasting menus by renowned chefs and bûches (yule logs) crafted by pastry chefs at the very top of their game.
For travelers planning where to stay in Paris for Christmas — and locals staying put — here are the most festive holiday hotel experiences in the city this winter.
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1. Sweet Tooth Galore at the Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris
Each December, the Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris becomes a living artwork as Jeff Leatham’s floral installations transform its halls into ethereal winter gardens. Pastry Chef Michael Bartocetti leads the season with a sculptural bûche de Noël, which is featured in the hotel’s Christmas tea in La Galerie, alongside foie gras and truffle pie, spiced pear tart and chestnut-blackcurrant petit gâteau. At the Bar du George V, Thibaut Mequignon mixes elegant holiday cocktails, while the chefs at the MICHELIN-Starred restaurants present festive menus that celebrate winter’s finest flavors. Add a gospel choir on Christmas Day and live music on New Year’s Eve, and the George V’s holiday magic feels complete.
2. A Glamorous Goodbye to 2025 at the Ritz Paris
Each winter, Place Vendôme shimmers beneath the glow of the Ritz Paris Christmas trees, their golden lights casting an unmistakable holiday spell over the square. Inside, the hotel celebrates the season in pure Ritz style — with festive teas by the open fire, Champagne toasts and glamorous dinners that feel lifted from another era. At Bar Vendôme, a seven-course New Year’s Eve dinner unfolds beneath twinkling garlands and soft jazz, while upstairs, Espadon — the hotel’s One-MICHELIN-Star restaurant — hosts an equally refined tasting menu. In the Salon Proust, vintage Champagnes accompany delicate pastries and an ethereal bûche, each sweet creation dressed for the season. On New Year’s Eve, as midnight nears, the Salon Marie-Louise will become a ballroom of light and mirrors — an ode to the hotel’s legendary soirées.
3. Skating and Cheese Fondue at Hôtel Plaza Athénée
If you’re looking for the ultimate Paris winter hotel experience, Hôtel Plaza Athénée’s courtyard transforms into a snow-dusted dreamscape with an alpine chalet serving raclette, fondue, Champagne and other French mountainside treats. Guests can also glide underneath the stars on the hotel’s ice rink, settle in for a festive holiday afternoon tea or indulge in Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve dinners — all framed by the hotel’s iconic red awnings.
4. Candlelit Magic at La Réserve Paris
One of the best hotels in Paris for Christmas dinner, La Réserve Paris celebrates the season through its acclaimed restaurants — the Three-MICHELIN-Starred Le Gabriel and La Pagode de Cos — both serving festive menus leading up to Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Pastry Chef Jordan Talbot marks the hotel’s 10th anniversary with a North Star-inspired bûche and his signature hot chocolate, while the bar hosts live bands and performers. Elegant, intimate and illuminated by the glow of its dining rooms, La Réserve captures the art of Parisian celebration at its most refined.
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5. Alpine Chalet Magic at Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme
The luxury hotel’s courtyard transforms into a snowy lodge lined with twinkling lights and a pop-up raclette chalet — making the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme one of the most atmospheric places to celebrate Christmas in Paris without leaving the city.
6. Holiday Cocktails and Dinner at Shangri-La Paris
Christmas at Shangri-La Paris unfolds beneath the grand glass dome of La Bauhinia restaurant, where gilded tradition meets modern grace. The Parisian Festive Escape offer pairs a stay with a sumptuous holiday dinner — or afternoon tea, should you wish to linger longer in the glow of the chandeliers. Chefs Simon Havage and Timothy Lam elevate the season with festive menus that blend French elegance and Asian warmth, while at Shang Palace, Chef Tony Xu’s holiday dishes bring refined Chinese artistry to the table. The sweetest magic comes from Pastry Chef Timothy Lam, in his Vanilla Flower Yule Log. For seasonal cocktails, head to Le Bar Botaniste, where winter botanicals and candlelit ambiance frame one of the most elegant holiday cocktail experiences in Paris.
7. Fairy-Tale Festivities at Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel
The Hôtel de Crillon transforms into a winter dreamscape overlooking the Place de la Concorde. Expect Pastry Chef Matthieu Carlin’s inventive bûche, an outdoor winter chalet with waffles, and hot chocolate to enjoy steps from the city’s twinkling lights. Inside, a Christmas market showcases chic brands, and food-lovers will want to book delectable treats such as the candlelit tea time, MICHELIN-Starred L’Écrin’s seven-course holiday menu, Paul Pairet’s celebratory feasts at Nonos par Paul Pairet and holiday brunches. For New Year’s Eve, there will be a cocktail dinner framed by gilded mirrors and Parisian skyline views, and as the clock strikes midnight, guests will gather at Bar Les Ambassadeurs for a DJ-led celebration — a sparkling and spirited farewell to the old year in one of the city’s most storied rooms.
8. A Winter Garden of Wonder at Le Bristol Paris
This season, Le Bristol Paris’ courtyard becomes an enchanted grove of twinkling Christmas trees that bring magic to guests young and old. Beneath the glow of fairy lights, children can wander through this winter tableau while parents linger over mulled wine and other treats. Inside, the celebration continues with MICHELIN-Starred feasts at the Three-Star Epicure, as well as at the One-Star 114 Faubourg, which will both unveil divine holiday menus that turn Christmas and New Year’s Eve into true gastronomic events, while Café Antonia will be serving a more intimate New Year’s dinner. Last but not least, master pastry chef and visionary Maxence Barbot crowns the season with his first bûche de Noël, a limited-edition creation marrying Madagascar chocolate, roasted Tahitian vanilla and fresh cacao pulp, sheathed in a delicate milk chocolate shell that’s sure to be memorable.
9. A Foodie Getaway at Le Burgundy Paris
For a more intimate holiday escape, Le Burgundy Paris pairs a One MICHELIN Star four-course festive dinner at Le Baudelaire with a Champagne aperitif and breakfast in its Gastronomic Getaway offer — a celebration of quiet luxury and refined dining. This season, Pastry Chef Léandre Vivier unveils Feuille à Feuille, a Christmas collection exploring the art of layering — textures, flavors and forms built in sculptural harmony. His signature bûche, inspired by cacao plantations in Belize, marries Tulakalum 75% chocolate with smoked vanilla, macadamia praline and a whisper of grilled soy for a toasted, saline finish. And at the Bar Le Charles, taste seven of the chef’s creations during a festive goûter (afternoon tea).
10. A Kid's Dream Come True at Hôtel Barrière Fouquet’s Paris
This holiday season, the Hôtel Barrière Fouquet’s Paris has lots in store for children. For starters, Pastry Chef Christophe Adam brings festive magic with an advent calendar of 24 treats — from mini cookies to marshmallow bears — and young guests can send their letters to Santa at the Barrière Santa’s workshop, with 10 lucky wishes granted. The hotel also celebrates with gourmet Christmas dinners, festive tea times and luxurious winter stays complete with cozy fireplaces, piano-bar melodies and indoor pools.
11. Christmas Teatime at The Peninsula Paris
At The Peninsula Paris, Pastry Chef Anne Coruble turns afternoon tea into a Christmas reverie. Her new winter menu unfolds like a story told in spices and citrus — cinnamon rolls glazed with cassia, orange marmalade-filled spiced cakes, pine nut mochi and a speculoos-praline bar that recalls childhood indulgence. But her pièce de résistance is Joyau des Pins, this year’s bûche de Noël: a sculptural 13-layer ode to the Provençal tradition of thirteen desserts. With notes of pine, rice, honey and wood, it tastes like a walk through a winter forest — refined, nostalgic and perfect for the season.
12. Bringing New York Holiday Magic to Paris at the Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris
This winter, Le Royal Monceau – Raffles Paris transforms into a scene straight out of Manhattan. Beneath chandeliers that glimmer like Times Square, guests can linger over jazz soirées in the Ray Charles Suite, indulge in festive feasts or sip cocktails at Le Bar Long, now recast as a New York stopover. The hotel’s pastry chefs, Yazid Ichemrahen and Alexandre Favre, conjure nostalgia in the form of a sculptural chocolate fir tree bûche. There are also bespoke spa rituals, a private ice rink with Eiffel Tower views, a Champagne-dinner New Year’s Eve countdown, and, because it’s just a few minutes’ walk from the Champs Elysées, you get front-row seats to the lights and fireworks.
Hero Image: The Alpine chalet at Plaza Athénée Hotel in Paris, serves Savoyard dinners of raclette and fondue throughout the holidays. © Plaza Athénée
