Favourite festive playgrounds of the rich and famous

Sitting on the sofa next to your nan, raising a glass of sherry and watching yet another Christmas TV special may be as glamourous as it gets for most of us over the festive season. But for the less financially challenged, December presents a veritable pick and mix of pine-clad cosy ski resorts and delectable desert islands.

Here we discover 2017’s favourite festive playgrounds of the rich and famous.

Chamonix, Mont-Blanc

Hosting the first ever Winter Olympics back in 1924, Chamonix Mont-Blanc has been revered as the home of alpinism. With its superb mix of nursery, intermediate and advanced runs it is a recurrent favourite with families and serious ski enthusiasts alike, and now a hot spot for celebrities including Kylie Minogue, Penelope Cruz and even various royal families.

Martin Bromley is General Manager of Les Rives d’Argentière – a 5-star hamlet of Chamonix chalets – a firm favourite for those looking for ultimate exclusivity and luxury on the slopes, said:

“Chamonix is the go-to destination for anyone from royalty to Russian oligarchs and celebrities requiring a super luxurious location offering superb ski facilities alongside outstanding accommodation and unrivalled gastronomic delights.”

Visit www.lesrivesdargentiere.com to learn more about this show-stopping hamlet of chalets for exclusive hire.

South Beach, Miami

These days South Beach is as well known for its celeb spotting as it is for Art Deco architecture, but it wasn’t always that way – before the construction boom of the 1980s, and hit television programme Miami Vice, the area was poor and suffered from high rates of crime.

Now a firm favourite with stars such as Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bieber and the Kardashians, South Beach’s night life scene is notorious as the place to be seen to ring in the New Year.

Feel like a star and stay in the opulent mansion hotel, and former home of Gianni Versace, The Villa Casa Casaurina www.vmmiamibeach.com.

Kakslauttanen, Finland

If it’s good enough for world-famous fashion label Ralph Lauren it’s good enough for us!  From the sartorial to the seasonal, this enchanting Arctic resort is the ideal hideaway for immersing yourself in a smorgasbord of wintry delights including aurora hunting, ice fishing and husky safaris.

Sleep under the stars in a delightful glass igloo-style cabin whilst sipping on hot chocolate and watching the Northern Lights glide by.  Visit www.kakslauttanen.fi to find out more.

Aspen, Colorado

With the gloriously picturesque Rocky Mountains for a backdrop, Aspen boasts the most expensive real estate prices in the United States, and has a list of designer boutiques that would rival Rodeo Drive.

Kate Hudson, Mariah Carey and Gigi Hadid all count it on their lists of seasonal stays.

Try Colorado’s crown jewel – the world-class Hotel Jerome – for a taste of the high life www.hoteljerome.aubergeresorts.com.

Barbados, Caribbean

A holiday hideaway for the likes of Simon Cowell and the Rooneys, the Caribbean island of Barbados is a billionaire’s sun soaked paradise of plush mansions and smart restaurants.

Luxury beach-front resort Sandy Lane is the place to be – and be seen.  Snap up a stay in a five-bedroom villa for $16,000 per night www.sandylane.com

The Maldives, Indian Ocean

Boasting one of the most expensive Michelin-starred restaurants in the world, The Maldives is also home to more than 1,000 coral islands, extensive reefs and beautiful blue lagoons.

For a once in a lifetime Christmas dinner with a difference, dine out at the magical Ithaa Undersea Restaurant surrounded by an array of stunning sea life.