With Christmas fast approaching, visitors to any luxury hotel will be sure to see at least one Christmas tree, if not several. Indeed, a number of establishments will pride themselves on providing a spectacular display with their trees. This characteristic was noted by the Daily Telegraph when it observed how putting up a large and fabulously decorated tree can provide a top hotel with a spectacular centrepiece to its festive decor. What was perhaps most notable was the sheer variety of trees on offer.
To some, a Christmas tree is simply a pine tree with a lot of baubles, tinsel and fairy lights, but while that may be true in the average household, many a hotel goes the extra mile. The Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, for example, has a red and white theme with a range of custom ornaments. At an imposing 18ft, this is a stunning centrepiece to the hotel and a great theme-setter for the rest of the decorations. Gold is the dominant colour for the New York Palace Hotel’s tree, but its own twist is to have the tree outside, standing in the courtyard with a backdrop of St Patrick’s Cathedral. However, perhaps the best of all is a multicoloured affair.
The Intercontinental Paris Le Grand is, for the second year running, displaying a 14 ft high tree with a remarkable display of over 8,000 brightly-coloured Macaroons. resembling Venice Carnival Harlequins. Indeed, the tree itself is topped with a ruff collar. The effect has been designed by French patissier Laduree, who have complemented the big tree with 27 smaller ones dotted around the hotel, all of which come in pastel shades.
While many a hotel will go for a different theme each year and others will stick with something year after year – particularly if it matches the hotel or chain’s livery – the Intercontinental has done something many would regard as unusual by having a particularly innovative design one year and retaining it for the next, even if the level of novelty is inevitably diminished this year. However, that could mean that the management has decided the sheer excellence of what was on display 12 months ago has warranted bringing it back.
