Dreaming of a Pink Christmas at The Savoy

Posted on 05/12/2016 by Milly

How could I resist an invite to be involved with the Savoy Christmas transformation? This beautiful art deco hotel is one of the most iconic accommodations in the city and this year they teamed up with Boodles to present a pretty in pink Christmas fantasia.

The Savoy

I arrived early in the afternoon for a tour of some of the hotels most special features. We visited the top suites, taking in the gorgeous views, the grand bedrooms and the impressive amenities. I could only imagine the long list of celebrities and royalty who had rested their heads in these luxurious rooms.

The Savoy

Then we headed to the renowned American Bar (consistently voted in the world top ten bars) and enjoyed saccarine sweet pink hot chocolate, topped with creamy and shards of chocolate. Before cocktails and dinner I had time to check out our bedroom which was filled with a stack of festive gifts. Savoy themed Christmas decorations, a Boodles writing set and champagne truffles were some of the treats I discovered wrapped up in my room. But best of all was the beautiful handmade gingerbread house, decorated with cherries, icing and even some candyfloss chimney smoke!

After a round of innovate cocktails in the American bar we headed to Kaspars for dinner. This popular grill restaurant offers premium seafood and steaks in a relaxed and stylish setting. During the Christmas season Kaspar’s is serving special festive menus including Christmas pudding and mulled wine.

The Savoy

As most of the Savoy guests were retiring to bed, we were sitting excitedly in the lobby waiting for the huge tree to arrive. Dressed in pink with a Boodles post office (for Christmas correspondence!) the beautiful tree lights up the entrance to the Savoy. The next morning it was wonderful to watch the expressions on peoples’ faces as they realised the tree had magically appeared overnight.

The Savoy

Our room-service breakfast was as lavish and delicious as it looks. Surely there is nothing better than sitting in a super comfortable Savoy bed, wrapped up in a beautiful duvet, enjoying fresh orange juice and waffles with berries?

Christmas is such a special time in London, and this year the Savoy have exceeded all expectations with their fantastic pink extravaganza, head to this historic hotel to experience the best of the festive season.

More information about Christmas experiences at the Savoy here.

Swan Lake, Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg

Posted on 17/12/2014 by Milly

Attending a performance of the English National Ballet’s Nutcracker is a Christmas tradition for me, so when I had the chance to experience Swan Lake in St Petersburg I was thrilled.

Russia has a wonderful theatre and dance culture and Tchaikovsky is the most beloved of all Russian composers, proudly upholding the country’s musical heritage. Tchaikovsky’s most familiar compositions today are his ballets, the Nutcracker and Swan Lake, which attract huge audiences, especially over the festive season.

For grand musical performances in St Petersburg head to the Mariinsky Theatre, where the talented company produce a plethora of shows every season. There are now several buildings which house the shows in order to keep up with the audience demand, this also allows the company to show ballet and opera simultaneously. The old Mariinsky Theatre is without doubt more prestigious and glorious in its design, but the modern Mariinsky II is also very striking and luxurious.

When I visited Swan Lake was performed on the Mariinsky II stage and was a triumph. The music soared from the orchestra pit filling the auditorium and the dancers moved across the stage with precision and grace. This ballet premiered in Moscow in 1877 and still captures the hearts of viewers, young and old.

This fantasy ballet is split into four scenes and follows the love story of Prince Siegfried and his Odette, who is cursed under the spell of the evil magician Rothbart, so that she is a swan by day, a human by night. The spell will only break with the power of devoted love. The dancers in this production were focused throughout dancing with an effortless charm. It was particularly moving to watch the Song of the Swans dance which was a flutter of white feathers and tutus. The only thing that distracted was the constant (forbidden) photography from the certain members of the audience, this seems to be a bit of a trend with the Russian audiences.

A visit to a Mariinsky show is essential when visiting St Petersburg, seeing this beautiful production of Swan Lake was a highlight of my trip.

More information on Swan Lake at the Mariinsky Theatre here.