The Dorchester is about to launch its new Vesper Bar ahead of the first phase completion of the hotel’s most comprehensive transformation for more than 30 years. Designed by Martin Brudnizki, the space (which formerly housed legendary cocktail institution The Bar at The Dorchester) now delivers a bar with movie-star looks and a supporting cast of talented bartenders. The cocktail menu will showcase both timeless and signature cocktails inspired by The Dorchester, curated by award-winning drinks connoisseur and head bartender Lucia Montanelli.

The new layout allows for a dedicated Park Lane entrance and an outside terrace with views towards Hyde Park. Ornate design runs throughout the bar, including a 1930s Palladium leaf ceiling and cosy ‘snug’ providing privacy without compromising on atmosphere. A series of Cecil Beaton pieces will adorn the bar walls to honour a long-standing connection between the celebrated photographer/designer and the hotel, and will be enhanced by work from contemporary artists, such as Rosie Emmerson.

The bar’s name honours The Dorchester’s many connections with James Bond throughout the years. Bond author, Ian Fleming, who invented the Vesper Martini, stayed and dined at The Dorchester in the 1940s and throughout his life. And when William Boyd continued the Bond series with the novel Solo, Bond wakes up in a suite at The Dorchester on his 45th birthday. During the 1960s and 1970s, the production company for the James Bond films, Eon, had an office at the hotel, and throughout the decades The Dorchester has hosted many press junkets for the films and welcomed all six James Bonds, 14 Bond girls, four Ms and nine Bond villains as guests of the hotel.

Hotel Bel-Air has been getting ready for the holidays with a range of perfect Christmas gifts. “We have everything our guests need to spoil their loved ones this season,” says Nichole Hester, director of spa and boutique at the hotel.

“Our woven knit throw blanket, which is made in the US and features a carefully embroidered Hotel Bel-Air logo, is one of our most popular items and makes for the perfect gift! Another favourite item of mine is our Swan Song Tea by Art of Tea. It’s a lightly caffeinated fruit tea crafted specifically for the hotel.”

The day after Thanksgiving, The Beverly Hills Hotel was transformed into a winter wonderland, counting down the days until Christmas with special food and beverage offerings for guests.

Jonathan Fisher, executive pastry chef, says: “It’s really a special time at the hotel and we want to be sure everything we create sparks that same sense of comfort and nostalgia for our guests. This year, we are again offering 12 days of holiday-flavoured soufflés. Our guests look forward to it every year!”

Hotel Principe di Savoia is offering guests a once in lifetime experience – a private viewing of Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece The Last Supper, one of the most famous murals in the world. A local art expert will accompany guests to view the painting, which resides on the walls of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, when closed to the public.

“It’s always a pleasure to create interesting and unusual experiences for our guests to rediscover Milan and the Lombardy region,” says Francesca De Sario, communications manager at Hotel Principe di Savoia. “We always try to find different angles and hidden gems within the city to promote our beloved hotel and the city itself.”

The exclusive experience starts from €3,800 for two guests and includes an English-speaking guide as well as transfers to the location, which is a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Employees at Hotel Eden in Rome have this year been working with leading Italian charity Salvamamme to help underprivileged families by providing crucial equipment for schoolchildren.

“We have supported Salvamamme, a charity that helps mothers and others in need at times of crisis, for many years and are proud to take part in its ‘Back to School’ initiative,” says Stefania Sciarrotta, people and culture supervisor at Hotel Eden.

Hotel Eden employees collected much needed supplies, including colouring sets, pencil cases, backpacks, pens and pencils, erasers, sharpeners, scissors, glue and 500 notebooks. “I am so proud of how our people responded to this,” adds Stefania. “School and education are the pillars of children’s lives and helping them with the tools for coming back to school was really important to us.”

Le Meurice offers a series of bespoke guided walking tours of Paris for guests to follow in the footsteps of legendary artists who have called the city home. Guests, either one-to-one or in small groups, will be taken to see the sites that inspired some of the greatest artworks in history, with tours celebrating Picasso and Monet as the first of the series.

“These trails take our love of art out on to the historic cobbled streets of Paris,” says Franka Holtmann, general manager of Le Meurice. “As the hotel of artists and thinkers, it’s a wonderfully fitting tribute to follow in the footsteps of these legendary figures.”

Following the success of the trails with guests and the media alike, the series will next year be expanded to include Rodin.