From Paul Smith stripes at Claridge’s to gingerbread houses at London Hilton on Park Lane, hotels have gone all-out for Christmas this year. Here’s a selection of the best.
As the festive season fast approaches, a whole host of luxury hotels have been busy decorating their Christmas trees. This year’s selection is as diverse as ever, with designers taking inspiration from everything ranging from birdhouses to Bavaria, as well as a life-size gingerbread house. Here’s a selection of Christmas crackers.
Kimpton Fitzroy London has unveiled a 16ft Christmas tree decorated with ornaments inspired by the hotel’s Victorian and Edwardian architecture. It will also feature ‘Never Wanted to Leave’ baubles, which were designed by the hotel to support one of the UK’s oldest children’s charities, Coram.
Park Hyatt London River Thames has partnered with luxury floral purveyor Flowerbx for its inaugural Christmas decorations, which feature gold and copper tones to complement the hotel’s interiors.
Gleneagles in Perthshire is celebrating its centenary year and has also taken its Christmas decorations very seriously. Its tree stands at the centre of the driveway and the hotel has also arranged for reindeer and Father Christmas sessions for children.
The Westin London City has taken inspiration from winter forests to design a snow-dusted Christmas tree decorated with woodland creatures. The hotel is also serving an ‘In the Woods’ afternoon tea to accompany the theme.
The Langham, London, has partnered with toy store Hamleys for its tree, which features teddy bears and red and white striped baubles.
Claridge’s in London’s Mayfair has partnered with designer and friend of the hotel Sir Paul Smith. The 20ft tree sits in a barrel featuring Paul Smith’s signature stripes and has been adorned with Paul Smith baubles, ribbon and more than 100 bespoke birdhouses. The lobby is also sprayed with Paul Smith’s ‘Merrymaker’ fragrance.
The festive decorations at the Dorchester in London were overseen by in-house designer and florist Philip Hammond. The tree is a 15ft UK-grown Nordmann fir adorned with glittery, pink pastel baubles. There is also a Christmas grotto where children can write a letter to Father Christmas.
The Connaught Christmas Tree has been designed by British artist Conrad Shawcross and is displayed on Mount Street in London’s Mayfair. The 9ft Nordmann fir has been sourced from Denmark and is bedecked with 90 hand-painted bespoke silver aluminium lanterns.
Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park has taken its inspiration from a traditional Bavarian chalet to fill its lobby with a centrepiece tree and a huge wreath decorated with baubles and fairy lights to match its ‘Winterhaus’ bar.
The Peninsula London has installed a huge tree with giant red, gold and transparent baubles at the centre of the lobby. The tree towers over the ground-floor dining area where it serves a festive afternoon tea.
W London has collaborated with London-based designer and textile artist Max Allen to create a tree inspired by folk art rosettes, symbolising love, family and home. The Christmas tree features silk flowers, metallic decorations and a 2m wreath in handmade foliage.
Sam Leatherby, head pastry chef at London Hilton on Park Lane and former winner of Bake Off: The Professionals, spent 19 hours creating a 2.5m tall gingerbread house, which sits in the lobby. It boasts a multi-coloured facade and a full-size Christmas wreath.
The ground floor of the former banking hall is now home to a 21ft British-grown Premier Nordmann Fir featuring 6,000 traditional fairy lights, over 2,000 bespoke decorations and a colour palette of burgundy, red and gold.