INSIDE THE PRISMATIC GLASS WALLS OF BACCARAT’S GLOBAL FLAGSHIP PROPERTY IN MANHATTAN, HOLIDAY SPIRIT SPARKLES LIKE A CUT-CRYSTAL CHANDELIER

BY AMANDA McCOY

Every November, as the last crimson leaves fall from the trees of Central Park, festive season sweeps over the island of Manhattan in a procession of holly, tinsel, and shimmer. Impeccably decorated Christmas trees, some the height of pre-war brownstones, crop up in plazas, squares, and lobbies, while storefronts transform into storybook scenes from wintry wonderscapes or North Pole lore. Many of the city’s five-star hotels get in on the action, dressing their facades or common spaces with nutcrackers, massive wreath displays, or planet-sized ornaments. But few capture the season’s sparkle quite like the Baccarat Hotel in Midtown, the flagship property for the 260-year-old French crystal house.

The Baccarat Hotel celebrated its grand opening in 2015, housed in a 50-story glass-sided tower across from the famed Museum of Modern Art on 53rd Street. Perhaps it’s the translucent glass fins along the tower’s podium that glimmer like a Zénith chandelier, or the thoughtful pops of Baccarat’s signature red throughout the guest suites and public spaces, or the champagne and platinum palette of the double-height Grand Salon, but the hotel feels fated for holiday glamour no matter the time of year. A wall crafted from 2,000 Harcourt glasses behind the main entrance flickers and flashes throughout the day, and no fewer than 17 custom-produced chandeliers shimmer a la tinsel on a pine. But come festive season, the hotel dials up the dazzle, unveiling all-new bespoke trimmings and displays each year, along with seasonal tea and dinner menus, VIP packages and experiences, designer trunk shows, and more. This year, Baccarat is teaming up with Upper East Vintage, a treasure chest vintage shop with rare finds from the 1930s-1990s, for a trunk show in the hotel’s intimate Petit Salon on December 13.

The décor is fresh and novel each year, but expect the house’s namesake crystal to be a focal point. In 2024, a 16-foot-tall, three-tiered sculpture made from Le Roi Soleil crystal chandeliers served as the grand centerpiece, a modernist spin on the hallowed tree. At its crown rested a ball of red roses. Along the lobby walls and entryways, long, flowing garlands by Winston Flowers featured crystals, frosted ornaments, and festive red berries.

The hotel’s signature afternoon tea service, hosted under the 35-foot ceiling of the Grand Salon, offers a special menu for the season, helmed by the Michelin-starred and James Beard-award winning chef Gabriel Kreuther. While adults nibble sophisticated canapés, house-made scones, and petit fours along with f lutes of Krug Champagne and Mariage Frères tea blends, little ones are treated to elevated renditions of comfort classics like chicken and waffles, linzer cookies, and hot chocolate. (Pro tip: the experience is by-reservation only, and spots fill up quickly.)

The Grand Salon also hosts special occasion feasts on Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day with chef-curated prix fixe menus anchored by the flavors of the season. The scene is exquisite dozens of crystal surfaces reflecting the warm glow of flickering candles as are the plates, with former highlights including seared scallops with celery root and black truffle, roasted duck breast with cranberry and turnips, and American Wagyu beef with crushed fingerling potatoes and roasted cauliflower. On Thanksgiving, expect a magnificent turkey display, along with seafood, canapes, and decadent desserts. Again, reservations are key, and be sure to don your festive finery as a celebratory dinner in the salon is a see-and-be-seen affair.

The 114 guestrooms and suites are all outfitted in classic French tradition: modern, sumptuous, and effortlessly glamorous. The white marble bathrooms are stocked with soft Italian robes and Maison Francis Kurkdjian Paris amenities, while four-poster beds are wrapped in Mascioni jacquard linens and topped with cashmere throws. A red lacquer minibar is filled with Baccarat crystal stemware, and even the wall sconces are crafted from crystal. Upgrade to a suite for extra luxuries like expansive sitting areas, deep soaking tubs, salon-like living rooms, and dedicated dining rooms, plus suite perks that include priority seating at the Grand Salon and complimentary mini bar snacks (the top two suite types sweeten the pot even more with a 60-minute Four Hand Massage at the on-site Spa De La Mer, daily American breakfast for two, roundtrip airport transfer, and more).

“Be sure to don your festive finery as a celebratory dinner in the salon is a see-and-be seen affair.”

Baccarat Hotel New York

28 W 53rd Street, New York / baccarathotels.com