The Queens Hotel at Clarence Parade has opened its Apres Ski Lodge and Bar, which will be open until December 23.

Adorned with decorations of reindeer and Christmas trees, the new marquee bar offers a range of festive drinks ranging from mulled wine to white Russian gingerbread, as well as ‘alpine hot dogs’ and sets of Cheese Fondue.

Opening night saw the 200-seat venue packed to capacity, with guests taking advantage of the ski clothing on offer for the perfect Instagram shot.

Among those having drinks with friends was Katie Cosgrove, a resident of Lovedean, who said the new space was “much more comfortable than visiting a German Christmas market”.

The 32-year-old said: She said: “It’s really a lot of fun. It’s like a winter wonderland – it has that feeling.

“What’s really good is that it’s cozier than a German Christmas market.

“We would come back. “

The venue would like to offer live music, according to hotel general manager Catherine Austen, but performances at the hotel’s summer garden parties led to a noise reduction advisory.

The general manager said: “We have a noise limiter installed on the audio system, so no one can turn up the volume.”

But the lack of live music hasn’t altered the mood, according to guests.

Andrea Newman of Chandlers Ford said, “It’s a great place to party. It’s a great place to come and have a drink with friends. ‘

The hotel has permission for the venue to be open until its last day next month – but Catherine hopes to hold similar events throughout the next year.

She said: “If it is successful, we would like to put it in place next year. We would like to continue, we have lots of ideas.

“And next year is the World Cup. We would love to organize an event around this.

A £ 25 ticket grants a three-hour slot, including food and two drinks, while a £ 15 ticket grants three hours and a drink.

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