I’ve only been in Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire for two minutes and I’ve already spotted six sparkling Christmas trees. The grand staircase is swathed in baubles and giant pine cones, stockings are being prepped and everyone is ready for Santa to fly in by helicopter on 25 December. I quickly realise this restored Georgian manor house is the ideal spot for those seeking a county escape this Christmas. 

My seventh tree comes in cake form, courtesy of the festive afternoon tea, sitting alongside a mini fruit baba with chocolate reindeer antlers. After filling up on scones and sandwiches in the Library (which is a masterclass in elegant festive decorating) guests can wander down to the hotel’s temporary GliceRink, created using synthetic ice and available until 3 January. 

I visit just as the afternoon light disappears, and as I spin around the rink, with the backdrop of twinkling fairy lights and the beautiful illuminated historic building, my festive levels hit a new high. 

Guests can warm up rinkside with a hot drink: recommend the delicious mulled wine – which includes apricot brandy – and the Tipsy Snowman hot chocolate. The latter is based on Four Seasons Whistler’s recipe of milk and dark chocolate and cream, with a Hampshire twist courtesy of added Kirsch liqueur.

Guests can learn how to make these festive concoctions at a cocktail workshop on 21 and 28 December, where the resident mixologists will share tips, including how they create fragrant thyme, rosemary and pear and butter syrups. 

Food and drink is a key selling point for the hotel, with the main restaurant Wild Carrot led by executive chef Talha Barkin. It serves an impressive breakfast buffet, featuring a heaving pastry table, an on-trend bagel station and a mimosa trolley. The private dining room Fox Hollow is ideal for a large Christmas family get-together, and I spend an evening there sampling the hotel’s five-course Christmas Day menu (£125 per adult). The deliciously succulent organic turkey ballotine steals the show, but diners should leave room for the pretty chestnut Mont Blanc, which like all of Barkin’s dishes is presented immaculately. 

A special menu and choir service is planned for Christmas Eve, with a family-style roast dinner on Boxing Day, an Aegean-themed buffet on December 27 and an Indian menu on December 29.    

From 15 December until 3 January the hotel will also host the pop up festive fondue restaurant, Off Piste. It will be set inside a cosy teepee with oak tables, a rustic bark bar and a fire, and ahead of its opening I try the meat and vegetable charcuterie boards and classic cheese fondue with melted Emmental, Comte and Gruyere. It’s served inside a hollowed out loaf and finished with truffle shavings, and is utterly scrumptious.

The concept was spearheaded by general manager Andrew Harrison, who drew on his time spent working and skiing in Switzerland to bring a taste of the Alps to Hampshire. 

Harrison is a Four Seasons veteran, having been with the brand for 27 years, and is aware of the need to continually innovate to delight guests. Next up is a pop-up Japanese concept for the hotel’s spa restaurant Cafe Sante, and he explains: “It’s important to be creative and always have new things for guests to do at the hotel, as we want them to come and be wowed.” 

Harrison has seen an increase in families and multi-generational groups from the UK staying at the property since the pandemic, and the hotel has plenty to tempt them this Christmas. Guests can admire the 500-acres of grounds during a traditional horse-drawn carriage ride, watch the two Christmas panto shows and marvel at a vintage car display. Staff will also take a photo of families in the Drawing Room and turn it into a personalised postcard. Festive crafts are planned for the Kids for All Seasons club, alongside an underwater treasure hunt in the family pool, Sharkie’s Reef.

Don’t miss the chance to meet and groom the absurdly cute resident Shetland ponies Milo and Dougal at the equestrian centre, or stroke alpacas from the visiting farmyard zoo. 

Direct adults to The Spa, where they can take a dip in the pool or unwind with a range of massages and facials, using products from wellbeing brands Amra and Neom Organics.

The hotel offers 134 rooms, including 22 suites, all of which were refurbished in May 2021. My 485-square-foot Garden Room overlooks the estate grounds and features a calming green colour scheme, stylish artwork, a huge 65” wall-mounted TV and a high, plush bed that clients will struggle to rouse themselves from come Christmas morning. Toiletries are currently being changed from Asprey products to Floris London (a favourite of the late Queen), which will come in large dispensers. 

Four Seasons has perfected the art of luxury country living, with porters wearing Barbour jackets and tweed caps, inviting plush chairs nestled next to toasty fireplaces and subtle festive fragrances throughout. I check out feeling pampered, relaxed and full of good food, with another festive stay now top of my Christmas wish list.