Gold Coast holiday tea at a glance: four hotels in and around the Gold Coast serve holiday afternoon tea this season. The Drake opens first, on November 5. The Ritz-Carlton and the Peninsula open November 27, and the Ambassador Gold Coast November 28. Adult seats run from $49.95 to $160, and at three of the four, the day you book changes what you pay or whether you can book at all.
A harpist has been playing in the Drake's Palm Court since November 5. Three-tiered trays of tea sandwiches, house-made scones, and petit fours go out every week, and until Thanksgiving weekend the room has the season to itself.
If you're hosting family between now and early January, pick the date before you pick the room.
Until Thanksgiving, the Drake Has the Season to Itself
From November 5 until Thanksgiving weekend, the Drake is the only hotel in this cluster serving holiday tea, and its own schedule changes partway through:
- Through Saturday, November 21: Thursday through Sunday, noon to 4:30 p.m.
- Saturday, November 21: a separate Festival of Lights tea in the Christmas Room, with seatings at 3:15 and 3:45 p.m., live carolers, and views of the start of the Magnificent Mile parade. Adults pay $89 and children ages 3 to 12 pay $39.
- From Sunday, November 22: daily, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., through January 10. Carolers begin on weekends that day.
The November 22 switch matters for anyone in the neighborhood. Thanksgiving week is when out-of-town guests usually arrive, and the Drake is the only one of the four serving tea every afternoon that week.
The same week brings one more reason to be on North Michigan Avenue. The llluminate 900 tree lighting at 900 North Michigan Shops takes place Thursday, November 19, from 6 to 8 p.m., with performances, family activities, and the lighting of a 50-foot tree. The event benefits Make-A-Wish Illinois. Check the organizer's event page for tickets and availability.
Thanksgiving Weekend Opens the Other Three
Within two days of Thanksgiving, the choice goes from one tea to four. Here is how they compare for the 2026 season.
The Drake, Palm Court
- Runs: November 5 to January 10
- Days: Thursday to Sunday through November 21, then daily
- Hours: noon to 4:30 p.m., then 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Price: adults $87, or $89 when carolers perform; children 3 to 12, $39
The Ritz-Carlton, the Café
- Runs: November 27 to January 10, 2027
- Days: daily
- Seatings: first at 11 a.m., last at 3 p.m.
- Price: adults $125; children 12 and under, $70
The Peninsula, The Lobby
- Runs: November 27 to January 3, 2027
- Days: daily
- Seatings: 2:30 and 4:30 p.m. on weekdays; 12:30, 2:30, and 4:30 p.m. on weekends
- Price: adults $145 Monday to Thursday, $160 Friday to Sunday; children 5 to 12, $85 or $95
The Ambassador Gold Coast, Champagne Room
- Runs: November 28 to December 27
- Days: Saturdays and Sundays only
- Hours: noon to 4 p.m.
- Price: $49.95 per person, prepaid
Prices at the Drake, the Ritz-Carlton, and the Peninsula exclude tax and gratuity. Only the Ritz-Carlton charges the same price every day.
The Day You Book Sets Most of the Bill
The Peninsula Charges for the Weekend
An adult seat in The Lobby costs $145 Monday through Thursday and $160 Friday through Sunday, and both include champagne. Children 5 to 12 pay $85 on weekdays and $95 on weekends. Weekends also add an earlier 12:30 p.m. seating. The menu includes finger sandwiches, scones with preserves and Devonshire clotted cream, and seasonal pastries, with vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and children's menus. For two adults and two children, a Thursday instead of a Saturday saves $50 before tax and gratuity, with the same room and the same tiers.
The Drake Charges for the Carolers
The Palm Court charges adults $89 when carolers perform and $87 when they don't. Children pay $39 either way. Carolers sing on weekends starting November 22, then every day from December 13 through December 31, and a harpist plays throughout every service. The $2 won't decide much on its own, but it tells you what you're choosing: a weekday in early December gets you the harp without the singing.
The Ritz-Carlton Charges One Price Every Day
"Santa Claus is Comin' to Tea" runs daily from November 27 through January 10. Adults pay $125 and children 12 and under pay $70 for a children's menu. Each adult gets a flute of G.H. Mumm Grand Cordon Rosé alongside pastries, tea sandwiches, savory bites, scones, and Palais des Thés teas. Online reservations take parties of one to six; groups of seven or more call the Torali host stand at (312) 573-5160. Because the price never changes, the Ritz is the easiest of the four to plan around a houseguest's flights.
The Ambassador Pours Only on Weekends
The Holiday Champagne Afternoon Tea in the Champagne Room runs Saturdays and Sundays from November 28 through December 27, at $49.95 per person, prepaid. Trays hold finger sandwiches, warm scones, and petit fours, with Moët & Chandon by the glass and live holiday jazz. It costs about a third of a weekend seat at the Peninsula, and it's the only one of the four inside the Gold Coast's residential blocks, at 1301 N. State Parkway. The tradeoff is the calendar: ten weekend days and no weekday seatings.
The Least Expensive Tea Closes First
- December 27: last day at the Ambassador
- January 3, 2027: last day at the Peninsula
- January 10, 2027: last day at the Drake and the Ritz-Carlton
Guests who arrive for New Year's have three options left, all at $87 or more per adult. The $49.95 State Parkway tea works only for visitors who come by the last weekend of December.
Here is how the timing plays out. A guest staying Thursday through Sunday on the first weekend of December can have tea at the Peninsula at its weekday price on Thursday and at the Ambassador on Saturday, for $194.95 per adult before tax and gratuity. A guest who arrives December 28 has three teas to choose from, and none costs less than $87.
More of the Drake's Holiday Season
- Holiday train display: a miniature holiday railway through a winter scene, free to visit.
- Letters to Santa: an official mailbox near the registration desk takes letters to the North Pole from November 21 through December 25.
- Lavazza holiday specials: seasonal drinks, cocoa, and holiday cookies daily from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., extended to 7 p.m. on November 21.
- Thanksgiving at Coq d'Or: Thursday, November 26, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., $60 per person before tax and gratuity.
- Merry Martinis at Coq d'Or: a different holiday martini each day from December 12 through December 24.
- Live music: Thursdays from 7 to 10 p.m. starting November 12, and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 p.m. to midnight all season.
On State Parkway, the Ambassador's holiday calendar also lists a Thanksgiving Dinner Buffet on November 26, with seatings at noon, 2, 4, and 6 p.m.; Winter Wonderland at the Sky Lounge on December 5; a Holiday Champagne Soirée on December 12; a Winter Party at the Sky Lounge on December 19; and two New Year's Eve events on December 31.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Gold Coast hotel serves holiday tea first?
The Drake, whose Palm Court holiday tea began November 5. The Ritz-Carlton and the Peninsula start November 27, and the Ambassador Gold Coast November 28.
What is the least expensive holiday tea in the Gold Coast?
The Ambassador Gold Coast's Holiday Champagne Afternoon Tea, at $49.95 per person, prepaid. It runs on Saturdays and Sundays only, from November 28 through December 27.
Which holiday tea is open the week of Thanksgiving?
Only the Drake. From November 22, the Palm Court serves daily from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Which holiday teas run into January?
The Peninsula through January 3, 2027, and the Drake and the Ritz-Carlton through January 10, 2027.
Living in the Gold Coast?
Part of the pleasure of living here is having all four of these rooms a short walk away. If you own a Gold Coast condo and are thinking about the year ahead, I can show you what similar condos in your building have sold for and what yours could sell for. Request your condo selling strategy: what your condo could sell for, what's worth fixing first, and how it compares with others in your building.
About Larissa Brodsky
Larissa Brodsky is a Chicago real estate broker affiliated with Compass and has been in Chicago real estate since 2008. She specializes in downtown Chicago condominiums, including the Gold Coast, Lakeshore East, Streeterville, and River North. A Certified International Property Specialist with a Master's in Computer Science from DePaul, she brings a data-driven approach to pricing, preparation, negotiation, and closing.
Dates, prices, and schedules are from each hotel's published holiday information for the 2026 season and may change. Confirm details and availability with each hotel before booking.
