The holiday season is a time of traveling: journeying back to your childhood home, flying to a family reunion across the country, or driving to your family cottage with skis strapped to the top of your car.
As happy and festive greeting card-ish as this may sound, something a little less Norman Rockwell-esque may be what you truly desire this holiday season. For those readers—the ones that save their vacation days for a December getaway, rather than a sun holiday in March—we’ve toured around Europe in pursuit of the ultimate winter retreats and discovered a diversity of hotels suited for every vacationer.
Be you a couple in dire need of R&R, with the added gift of romance come the strike of midnight on New Year’s Eve; friends that would rather have an urban adventure abroad than deck the halls with cousin Larry another year in a row; or a young family that would never utter the words “Great Wolf Lodge” in conjunction with Christmas vacation plans, we’ve got the lowdown on the places to rest your weary heads when journeying across the pond this winter. Bonus: Can’t make it in December? Save your vacation for a romantic Valentine’s retreat…the dreaminess will still be there.
Exclusivity embraces guests as they enter through the doors of the Dylan Hotel. With an address that couples the convenience of a city centre location with the charm of a residential neighbourhood in the posh Dublin 4 district, the boutique hotel is a haven for those in the know. The travellers you’ll meet in the elevator here will likely be dressed in black, with heels showcasing the iconic red soles fashion mavens the world around flaunt as calling cards.
If style and luxury are the benchmark of your ideal vacation, than the Dylan Hotel is the perfect complement to your matching Louis Vuitton luggage set, which of course includes the brand’s latest Epi Pégase 45 suitcase in black Taiga leather.
And like your suitcase, booking one of the 44 rooms at this 5-star hotel is a “get.” From the hand-carved Italian made beds you’ll find in a Dylan Signature suite (the gothic romance of laying your head to rest here would be enough to make any Tim Burton fan swoon) to the sheer size of the cushy digs offered by the Dylan Experience suites, right down to the hotel’s private line of bath amenities designed by England’s renowned “nose,” Mark Buxton, the creative genius behind scents by fashion houses including Givenchy and Comme des Garcons, guests of the hotel are afforded singular style and comforts exclusive to the Dylan.
While stretched out on your Seventh heaven bed with memory foam, enjoying each morsel of the decadent brownie that you found awaiting you upon check-in, you might just swear that this stay was bespoked.
Downstairs, chic cocktails are the order of the day at the Dylan Bar, a favourite amongst trendy locals and hotel guests alike. If you’re lucky enough to visit during this holiday season, be sure to sample one of the hotel’s 12 Cocktails of Christmas. Eggnog pails beside a delicious concoction of Jameson Irish whiskey, Baileys, Frangelico fresh cream, chocolate bitters and mint bitters. As tempted as we are by the sounds of this? Ask for the 2 Turtle Doves…but you may want to make that two 2 Turtle Doves.
Other holiday specials include a “naughty or nice list” inspired Christmas afternoon tea service, available for booking between November 28th and January 6th. A choice between rich chocolate coals from the naughty list and cherry trifle from the nice list, are both ranked high on our delicious list!
The fashionable flock to the Dylan come New Year’s, and this year, guests can treat themselves to a New Year’s Eve tasting menu that proudly showcases local Irish produce across 7-courses.
With the Dylan’s impressive list of holiday offerings, all we can say is: Santa baby, book us a stay at the Dylan Hotel this December, why don’t you?
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