Hotels near Hyde Park Winter Wonderland

Throughout late November and December a large area of Hyde Park near Hyde Park Corner is transformed into a Winter Wonderland, complete with fairground rides, giant wheel, circus, Christmas market, food and drink stalls, Santa's grotto and, of course, an ice rink. Now in its eighth year, Winter Wonderland has become a favourite in many Londoners' calendars. There's a huge choice of things to do from the ice rink to the Magical Ice Kingdom. Other popular features are the 53-metre-high Observational Wheel, Zippos Circus - always a hit, especially when temperatures plummet and its heated big top entertains and warms the crowd. The traditional Christmas Market with wooden chalets and various Bavarian-style bars and cafes is a hoot, as is the Spiegel Saloon, a large, festive and fully covered restaurant. Don't go with an empty wallet because while the whole thing is not cheap, it's such fun you'll want to get into the spirit and spend. (Remember: advanced booking on the main attractions is advised while you'll need to buy tokens from kiosks dotted around the fair for the many rides.) Free entry to the site means you can just walk around and absorb the festive ambiance - but it will take a strong will not to succumb to the smells and fun on offer.