Four Seasons Hotel Milano Unveils “Unwrapping Christmas” in Collaboration with Acqua di Parma

Every year, the city of Milan looks to Four Seasons Hotel Milano to delight and inspire with its holiday decorations.  This year the Hotel has a new surprise in store:  “Unwrapping Christmas,” a festive celebration in partnership with Acqua di Parma.

The creative concept for 2023 is focused on the “gift” of the holidays, discovering the magic of the season, layer by layer, in the same way one might unwrap a present. With creative direction by Vincenzo Dascanio, the Hotel has been festooned with all elements of gift-wrapping.  From boxes to bows, ribbons and wrapping paper, in hues of dark green, red, shimmering gold and punctuated with an occasional touch of the iconic Acqua di Parma yellow, Four Seasons Hotel Milano has been transformed into a true celebration of the senses.

The visual bounty of the Hotel’s decorations is complemented by a festive menu of cocktails and desserts inspired by Acqua di Parma’s scents.

Bar Manager Nikos Tachmazis has created a special cocktail menu, inspired by Acqua di Parma’s seasonal scents:

• Porta Fortuna Cocktail – White rum (infused with burnt cream), Sandalwood and Patchouli, Soda Water
• Neve Fresca Cocktail - Stilla Gin (infused with pine scent), Birch Vanilla and Patchouli, fresh Lime, Soda Water, Long lime twist to garnish
• Bosco Cocktail - Stilla Gin, Martini Bianco, Dry Vermouth

Pastry Chef Daniele Bonzi has created three desserts served in iconic yellow Acqua di Parma vessels and inspired by the same scents:

• Porta Fortuna - Dessert with a layer of crumble, Italian Chantilly cream, cinnamon powder, cocoa syrup, Norhoy vanilla
• Neve Fresca - Dessert with a layer of crumble, Italian Chantilly cream, bergamot jelly, edible flowers, candied kumquat
• Bosco - Dessert with a layer of crumble, Italian Chantilly cream, caramelized pine nuts, eucalyptus sauce, smoked cedar

Part of the festivities will also be live demonstrations where both Acqua di Parma and Four Seasons Milano will showcase their craftsmanship.  While an Acqua di Parma artisan either decorates hatboxes or engraves fragrance bottes, the Four Seasons team will demonstrate how its cocktails and desserts are made.

Dates for the live demonstrations are as follows:

• Acqua di Parma Hatbox Décor - November 30 and December 2, 6, 9, 16 and 23, 2023
• Acqua di Parma Fragrance Bottle Engraving - December 13 and 20, 2023

The holiday season would not be complete without the Hotel’s traditional Panettone created by Daniele Bonzi. The fruit of more than 36 hours of work and made with meticulously selected incredients including Grand Cru vanilla from Tahiti, acacia honey, Italian candied fruits and raisins, the Panettone is sold in an ultra stylish package and makes for the perfect gift.

The Hotel’s restaurant Zelo, helmed by Executive Chef Fabrizio Borraccino, is also decked out for the holidays and has a special menu on offer for Christmas Eve, Day and New Year’s.

For more details on Four Seasons Hotel Milano’s festive program see here.

For reservations: +39 02 77 081477

About Acqua di Parma

Created out of love for Italy in 1916 by the visionary and secretive baron Carlo Magnani, Acqua di Parma is renowned as a global icon of excellence, craftsmanship, and Italian style. We create fragrances and objects that combine vibrancy and sophistication, steeped in history and stories, and designed as a discreet and private luxury for oneself and those with whom one chooses to share beautiful things. A celebration of uniqueness, masterful imperfection and joyful beauty, Acqua di Parma is an ode to the Italian “Arte di Vivere” rooted in nature, culture and art.

The brand has chosen to collaborate with Four Seasons Hotel Milano, the city’s most popular festive season destination, to create a new holiday experience. A focal point of the installation is the iconic Christmas tree situated in the Hotel’s patio decorated with Acqua di Parma’s unmistakable hatboxes.