As winter descends, there is something deeply satisfying about gathering family or friends for a festive break in Europe. From the bustle of Christmas shopping and wandering around markets to the warmth and magic of a sumptuous private dinner, this season calls for togetherness. It’s why our welcoming family hotels are also dog friendly hotels, so that that all the family is welcome.
Park Plaza’s hotels in Europe offer the perfect combination of warmth, service and style, each with its own unique ambience and renowned destination restaurant serving some of the city’s most popular dishes. If you’re planning a festive getaway, you’ll find a warm welcome with Park Plaza in London, Croatia, Berlin, Budapest and Amsterdam.
London
Riverbank | Westminster Bridge | County Hall | Waterloo | Victoria | Park Royal
Nowhere does Christmas quite like London, with its glittering streets, fireside pub lunches and sweeping, frosty royal parks.
Try a local delicacy or two
London’s Christmas markets are ideal for sampling the festive treats of the UK. Think mulled wine mingling with roasted chestnuts, mince pies, sticky toffee pudding stalls and steaming sausages. Head to Borough Market, Covent Garden and the Christmas by the River at London Bridge to find artisan food vendors with cheeses, pies and custard-topped crumbles.
Festive events for family and friends
Every Park Plaza hotel in London is ready and waiting to welcome you for a private dinner, a family gathering or a grand multi-generational reunion. Westminster Bridge offers an expansive ballroom for up to 1,000 guests, while Riverbank’s destination restaurant, Chino Latino, is perfect for group meals with a riverside view. County Hall and Victoria offer elegant dining spaces and bars ideal for corporate or cultural events, or just an intimate festive family dinner for a few chosen loved ones.
Christmas shopping
Beyond Oxford Street or Regent Street, you’ll find smaller, local gems: artisan shops in Marylebone, vintage fairs in Notting Hill, independent bookshops around Bloomsbury, or specialty food boutiques in Borough. It’s also a joy to explore markets of Christmas carollers near St Martin-in-the-Fields or small ateliers in Camden for unexpected finds for gifts that feel truly personal.
Croatia
Histria Pula | Verudela Pula | Arena Pula
For a milder, more scenic festive escape, Adriatic coastal towns offer a whole new way to experience the season – ideal for those combining winter city breaks in Europe with effortless relaxation.
Try a local delicacy or two
In towns like Pula, festive markets are smaller than those in London but no less charming, with stalls selling fritule (Croatian fried dough), roast chestnuts, mulled wine spiced with honey and the unmissable glazirana jabuka (candied apple). There’s also plenty of fresh seafood, thanks to Croatia’s coastal bounty.
Festive events for family and friends
In Croatia, Park Plaza resorts offer event spaces with sea views, along with everything you’d expect from a family hotel. Whether a private dinner for your family, a reunion of grandparents and grandchildren, or a gathering of friends, there’s room for all, with resort-style amenities, indoor and outdoor spaces, often with the option of private use of our destination restaurants’ venues and terraces in a beautifully mild winter coastal setting.
Christmas shopping
Skip the large malls and explore artisan craft shops in Istria, brimming with hand-made ceramics, lacework, local olive oils, Istrian truffles or honey in small boutique stores. Visit Pula’s old town shops for unique gifts such as antiquarian finds, vintage glass and local textiles not sold elsewhere.
Berlin
Park Plaza Berlin
Berlin’s rich history, artistic energy and thriving Christmas market culture makes it the ideal option for those combining cultural events with festive breaks in Europe.
Try a local delicacy or two
The food at Berlin’s Christmas markets is legendary: bratwurst, currywurst, schnitzel, potato pancakes, lebkuchen, stollen, glühwein and more. At Gendarmenmarkt, Charlottenburg Palace or Potsdamer Platz Winterwelt you’ll find arts and crafts for gifting, as well as sweet and savoury traditional dishes.
Festive events for family and friends
Our events team at Park Plaza Berlin is ready and waiting to make your festive event unforgettable, whether you’re celebrating with family, friends or colleagues. We can offer destination restaurant settings, stylish meeting spaces, elegant décor and menus that draw on German winter delicacies. With multi-generation gatherings in mind, we also offer accessible rooms, dog friendly hotel policies and flexible dining.
Christmas shopping
Go beyond Kurfürstendamm and KaDeWe by seeking out boutiques in Mitte, Prenzlauer Berg and Kreuzberg for independent fashion, design objects and ceramics. Vintage bookstores, galleries with local crafts and map shops or specialty food shops in Hackescher Markt offer unusual gifts. You may also come across galleries that host pop-ups with local designers or makers during the festive season.
Budapest
Park Plaza Budapest
Budapest glows in winter, with its grand boulevards dusted in snow, thermal baths steaming in the cold air and festive lights reflecting off the Danube.
Try a local delicacy or two
Budapest excels at winter comfort food, so be sure to try the chimney cake (kürtős kalács) dusted with cinnamon and sugar, or spicy sausages in hearty bread rolls, with steaming vats of mulled wine scenting the air. The market at Vörösmarty tér and around St Stephen’s Basilica are especially alive with food artisans and seasonal fare.
Festive events for family and friends
Park Plaza Budapest, perfectly placed on the banks of the Danube, provides elegant spaces for private dinners and group meals in its art bistrobar. Offering everything you’d expect from a welcoming family hotel, we have the space and expertise to grand events such as reunions or balls, as well as more intimate gatherings for a well chosen few.
Christmas shopping
Besides the major shopping streets, you’ll discover antique markets, local artisan fairs and independent jewellers around Buda Castle. Ceramics and porcelain from Hungarian masters, embroidered textiles, artisan chocolates and small leather goods in hidden courtyards make excellent gifts.
Amsterdam
Victoria Amsterdam | Amsterdam Airport | Vondelpark
Amsterdam shines in winter, with canals twinkling under fairy lights and cosy cafés welcoming visitors from the chill.
Try a local delicacy or two
Holland’s winter markets are as much about food as lights and atmosphere. Sweet treats include oliebollen (fried dough balls), poffertjes (piles of mini pancakes), stroopwafel and hot chocolate, as well as warm pea soup, herring in rolls and speculaas. Amsterdam’s markets around Museumplein, De Dam, or smaller neighbourhoods are an unmissable gourmet experience.
Festive events for family and friends
In Amsterdam, our Park Plaza hotels are ready to host your festive private dinner or gathering, with private dining rooms in our destination restaurants, accessible rooms for multi-generational guest lists, dog-friendly hotel options and an expert team to take care of every detail.
Christmas shopping
Move beyond the main streets of Kalverstraat and Leidsestraat to discover smaller boutiques in Jordaan, De Pijp or Negen Straatjes. Local ceramics, specialty cheese shops, artisan gin, hand-printed scarves, canal-side art shops and vintage leather goods are often the most memorable gifts of the year.
Festive breaks in Europe – endless options for friends and family
Festive breaks in Europe are at their best in places that feel both welcoming and luxurious. Park Plaza offers exactly that: luxury hotels in Europe with destination restaurant dining, versatile spaces for multi-generational gatherings, and a warmth that makes winter city breaks in Europe shine. From markets in Berlin or Budapest to shopping in London or Amsterdam, or coastal escapes in Croatia, every stay promises a refined gourmet experience enriched by good company and memorable cultural events.
