The World Behind 24 Doors: Laila Gohar’s Extraordinary Advent Calendar for The Luxury Collection
Laila Gohar x The Luxury Collection: The Art of Travelling Through Taste
An Advent calendar becomes an invitation to explore the world, as Laila Gohar brings her distinctive creative universe to The Luxury Collection, transforming 24 destinations into an extraordinary journey of flavour, art and imagination.
There is something undeniably beautiful about the anticipation of Christmas. The small rituals, the pleasure of waiting, the excitement of discovering something unexpected. For Laila Gohar, the Egyptian-born, New York-based artist celebrated for her unconventional approach to food and design, these moments offer an opportunity to transform the ordinary into something rather extraordinary. This festive season, Gohar joins forces with The Luxury Collection to reinterpret one of the most cherished holiday traditions: the Advent calendar.
The result is a limited-edition creation that feels less like a seasonal indulgence and more like a collectible work of art, bringing together 24 destinations, bespoke chocolates and the imaginative world of contemporary design. Part of The Luxury Collection’s World In Season philosophy, which celebrates destinations through their culinary traditions, cultural identities and seasonal rituals, the collaboration explores a compelling idea: that the essence of a place can sometimes be captured in something as simple as a flavour.
A World of Flavours, One Day at a Time
At first glance, the calendar resembles an enchanting grand hotel, its illustrated façade filled with whimsical architectural details and playful scenes. Created by New York-based illustrator Joana Avillez, the design has the nostalgic charm of a storybook, inviting the curious to discover what lies behind each of its 24 numbered drawers.
Inside, the journey becomes deliciously tangible.
Working alongside Rafael Prieto, founder of the cult chocolate house Casa Bosques, and the culinary teams of The Luxury Collection’s hotels, Gohar has curated a collection of 24 bespoke chocolates, each reflecting the personality of a different destination.
There is banana and sea salt, a playful nod to the sun-drenched shores of Waikiki. A delicate hazelnut praline evokes Paris, while smoky mesquite transports the palate to the dramatic landscapes of Los Cabos. These are not simply chocolates inspired by faraway places. They are small interpretations of geography, memory and local culture, where ingredients become a language of their own. What makes the collaboration particularly interesting is its refusal to approach luxury through excess. Instead, the experience is built around curiosity, craftsmanship and the pleasure of discovery. Each drawer reveals a new destination, encouraging us to imagine the landscapes, traditions and people behind its flavours. In a world increasingly accustomed to instant gratification, there is something quietly appealing about a creation that asks us to slow down and enjoy one discovery at a time.
The Art of Making the Everyday Extraordinary
Few contemporary creatives have explored the relationship between food and visual culture quite like Laila Gohar.
Known for her surrealist dining installations, sculptural tablescapes and playful reinterpretations of culinary rituals, she has developed a universe in which food becomes both an artistic medium and a form of storytelling. Her approach is sophisticated without being overly serious, often balancing humour, nostalgia and a certain theatrical sensibility. A beautifully arranged table becomes a stage. A familiar ingredient becomes an object of fascination. A simple gathering becomes a carefully considered experience.
From PARIS to SINGAPORE: A Festive Journey Beyond the Calendar
The experience extends far beyond the calendar itself.
To bring the collaboration to life, Gohar has conceived a series of immersive pop-up boutiques within selected The Luxury Collection properties around the world.
Drawing inspiration from traditional Parisian chocolateries and historic Milanese apothecaries, these intimate spaces combine nostalgic references with contemporary design. Carefully arranged drawers, theatrical displays and beautifully considered interiors create an atmosphere somewhere between a miniature boutique and an imaginary cabinet of curiosities. In Paris, the Prince de Galles offers a particularly fitting setting for the experience. Its festive window displays, imagined by artist and scenographer Alix Bortoli, transform the raw ingredients of chocolate into an imaginative seasonal landscape. The journey continues at The Joseph in Nashville, Solaz in Los Cabos and The Laurus in Singapore, with each destination offering its own interpretation of Gohar’s creative universe.
Beyond the boutiques, participating hotels will introduce seasonal experiences inspired by the collaboration, including special editions of The Luxury Collection’s signature Epicurean Moment, further exploring the relationship between hospitality, gastronomy and design.
Priced at €194, the limited-edition Advent calendar is available through selected hotel pop-ups, The Luxury Collection Boutique in the United States and Gohar World in participating international markets.
Ultimately, the beauty of this collaboration lies in its ability to make travel feel wonderfully intimate. Twenty-four destinations, twenty-four flavours, twenty-four little moments of discovery.
Because sometimes, the most extraordinary journeys do not begin with a plane ticket, but with the simple pleasure of opening a small drawer.
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