Get a taste of the sweet life as hotel foyers become go-to destinations for world-class patisserie.
Dessert lovers rejoice, as a growing number of luxury hotels are making chef-celeb sweet treats an all-day affair, with in-house pastry and chocolate shops housed in elegant lobbies and shopping arcades. Here are seven of the finest spots to grab a sugar-coated snack all day long.
1. Niko Romito at Bulgari Tokyo
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Combine exquisite surrounds with one-of-a-kind edible works of art and you get the Bulgari Dolci boutique, set within the brand’s Tokyo property. It’s also the only place in Japan you can snag a pastry created by Michelin-starred chef Niko Romito. The collection is inspired by sweet snacks from across Italy, such as the cannolo Siciliano or an almond-chocolate cake from Capri, the miniature versions of which are served in the hotel's afternoon tea service alongside savoury bites.
2. The Peninsula Boutique, Hong Kong
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The marble-clad entrance at The Peninusla Boutique and Café, Hong KongThe delicate, beautifully baked morsels created at The Peninsula Hong Kong have been a prime USP since the hotel opened nearly a century ago. What was first known as The Grocery Store in the early 20th century, later became The Cake Shop, serving locals with everything from salads and sausages to bread and cake. In 1988, the shop rebranded to become The Peninsula Boutique and Café, touting gorgeous, specialty sweets, with The Peninsula egg custard mooncakes among its most iconic bakes. If you're departing from Hong Kong airport, make a stop at the airside outlet for a spread of edible souvenirs.
3. Matthieu Carlin at Rosewood Hôtel de Crillon, Paris
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Butterfly Patisserie at Hôtel de Crillon, which came in at No.15 in The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2024, is the chef Matthieu Carlin’s sugar-dusted wonderland, where classic French pastry meets sheer, audacious artistry. Alongside classics like eclairs, millefeuilles, flans and tartes tatin, look out for the apple, caramel and sour cream finger or swirled marbled flan with chocolate and hazelnuts, for a taste of Carlin's skill.
4. Nicolas Rouzaud at The Connaught Hotel, London
@nicolasrouzaud
With a CV that roll calls The Lanesborough and Le Bristol, chef Nicolas Rouzaud's personal brand of pastry magic is the draw at The Connaught Patisserie, set neatly at the side of the award-winning hotel. Don't miss signatures such as the limited-edition Trio au Chocolat – a decadent marriage of dark, white and gianduja Valrhona chocolate – and the hotel-branded chocolate hazelnut cake, topped with The Connaught’s distinctive emblem.
5. Christophe Rull at Hotel Bel-Air, Los Angeles
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Christophe Rull's The Patisserie at Hotel Bel-Air (No.35 in The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2024) encourages guests to slow down and take a beat. Expect golden, flaky almond croissants, gooey chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies, plus a signature sourdough loaf made from a 10-year-old mother levain starter. Known for his mastery of chocolate, Rull delivers a sweeping range of specialties including a sensational gelato trolley.
6. Tom Coll at Jumeirah Burj Al Arab, Dubai
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When Les Desserts opened in 2024, another gilded string was added to the Jumeirah Burj Al Arab’s already gleaming bow. Formerly of Plaza Athénée, pastry chef Tom Coll was brought on to run the show, which features a collection of eight signature pastries, including the decadent Pistachio Religieuse, made with choux, pistachio crémeux, and pistachio praline. While production and technique are uequivocally French, many flavours are Middle Eastern, with notes of rosewater, orange blossom, and date sugar woven through.
7. Thomas Keller at The Venetian, Las Vegas
@bouchon_bakery
Thomas Keller needs no introduction, but in case you do, he’s the man behind The French Laundry in Napa and New York’s Per Se. At The Venetian's Bouchon Bakery, Keller’s team creates an eye-popping spread of French chocolate pastries and sweets, ranging from chocolate chunk and oatmeal raisin cookies to rich, cheese-laden Danishes. Keller’s classic pain au chocolat has achieved near cult status alongside his French macarons, each enhanced with deliciously delicate flavour combinations.
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