In search of the perfect Christmas. Three fundamental ingredients must never be lacking: atmosphere, people and good food. At the Due Torri Hotel in Verona, we find all this and much, much more. This is why we asked Giorgia Gazzuola, sales manager of this luxury 5-star establishment, to help us understand how to make the upcoming festive season special.

Lets’ start with families: Christmas is, by tradition, a holiday in which relatives gather round sumptuously laid tables. What are the advantages of spending Christmas in a hotel, and how do you make it memorable?

Celebrating at the hotel means offering everyone the opportunity to relax and enjoy the welcome, the menus and the decorations. We offer bespoke, made-to-measure menus for adults and children, all to be savoured in a unique setting, a 14th-century palazzo which glitters with lights and decorations for the occasion. We like amazing guests with plenty of attention: “Your Christmas”, for example, is a package that includes a Christmas tree in the room. Guests who wish to may bedeck it themselves with the balls and decorations we place at their disposal. In this way, even if they’re a long way from home, children can lap up the thrill of decorating the tree and waiting for Father Christmas and his presents.

Without considering that Christmas can also be transformed into a mini-stay in the city.

You can exploit the opportunity to meet halfway or in a special destination. Verona, for example, has a lot to offer anyone wishing to treat themselves to a brief holiday. The colours and magic of the illuminations transform it completely. You start breathing the Christmas spirit from December 12, when we celebrate the feast of Santa Lucia. The tradition is to go out for a stroll, wander round the stalls piled with goodies in Piazza Bra, and enjoy a hot chocolate. Until December 26, in Piazza dei Signori there are Christmas markets staged in collaboration with the Christkindlmarkt of Nuremburg. And from Christmas to the Epiphany, there’s a “market of flavours” in Piazza Bra, with lots of food to sample. I also suggest a short walk along the Lungo Adige to Piazza Arsenale, where there’s a skating rink and roundabouts.

More and more people like to celebrate Christmas with friends and colleagues. It’s a formula based on the desire to meet and exchange presents before returning to their cities of origin for the holidays. What do you suggest?

The idea that is enjoying most success is certainly our aperitif hour, which guests exploit for an exchange of gifts. It’s an increasingly popular habit, much in the spirit of the old British tradition of Boxing Day on December 26. The Lounge is perfect for the occasion with its refined but informal, friendly atmosphere. Here our barman Franco Capone, a veritable institution, serves his own creations, sophisticated cocktails such as the Romeo e Giulietta, and a selection of finger food.

How would you organize and decorate an office Christmas party? How would it differ from a family party?

These events are organised down to the finest detail, with business logos and colours and a pre-established theme. I suggest booking well in advance, especially if it’s a lavish Christmas party with a lot of guests. We lay on the event according to guests’ desires and requests, which may vary from aperitifs to a four-course sit-down dinner, from an exchange of greetings to a buffet. We like to suggest spaces to “hide” presents before giving them, to set up corners for photo shoots and selfies, and to add creative touches to make the party special. I have to say that the desire to organize this type of convivial events has emerged stronger than ever after the pandemic. They are not seen as mere formal obligations but as occasions to forge relations, feel part of a group and connect with the corporate identity. Christmas gifts have changed too. Today the preference is for branded and thematic items, especially useful gadgets such as designer cup warmers, Power Banks, external hard disks or Polaroids.