5 scintillating Christmas trees and displays are up at these five-star luxury hotels

These luxury hotels across five cities go above and beyond with their Christmas decorations

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and it is especially so at these opulent five-star hotels in five cities across continents.

Not only do they offer guests the best personalised concierge and in-room services while staying at the sophisticated accommodations, but they also impress patrons during the festive season with Christmas trees and displays that are guaranteed to stomp out The Grinch in the heart and instil within the Christmas spirit.

Check out these Christmas decorations with artistic and decor inspirations that derive from each establishment’s rich heritage and collaborations with contemporary creatives that give Christmas a renewed twist in design and style.

1. The Plaza Hotel, New York City

It’s all about the glitz and glamour at the Plaza Hotel in New York City since 1907 when it opened its doors into the 18-storey, French Renaissance-inspired château style building on Fifth Avenue. The prestigious hotel has welcomed world leaders, society A-listers, and Hollywood royalty; it has hosted many conferences, weddings, and balls, even lending its discernible space for shoot locations in movies.

But, none had gone down in history at the Plaza as significantly as the Black and White Ball in 1966, a masquerade ball hosted by author Truman Capote, then riding on the recent fame of his bestselling non-fiction, In Cold Blood. The who’s who of the era were invited to the party and instructed to wear black and white with masks on–an inspiration drawn from the women in the racecourse scene of My Fair Lady, who were all dressed in black and white.

Much like how the Plaza had inspired Capote to set the opening scene of Summer Crossing, his attempted first novel that was published posthumously in 2005, The Plaza relived the pzazz of his party that happened on that fateful night almost 60 years ago—even went out of its way to start the tree lighting ceremony a few minutes late, like Capote once did with the Black and White Ball.

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2. Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris

Every year, Four Seasons artistic director Jeff Leatham would deck the luxury Art Deco hotel halls in the 8th arrondissement that overlooks the Eiffel Tower and Hôtel de Ville.

His vitrine de Noël for 2023 is themed Christmas Bear, featuring a geometrically shaped bear as the centrepiece in the hotel lobby. Its mirror bodice reflects the vibrant hues of the oversized golden and silver baubles around it and the hanging fairy lights and chandelier overhead.

The Christmas decorations for Four Seasons Hotel George V don’t end there. Outside in the Marble Courtyard, a hexagonal dome is erected. Guests are invited for photo ops in the magical and awe-inspiring atmosphere evocative of a snow globe with encompassing twinkling lights before wandering off to the quaint Parisian streets of the historic Champs-Elysees.

The floral designer has also worked his magic in the Four Seasons Hotel in Philadelphia, where he reawakened the reindeer installation from the equally enchanting Christmas display at Four Seasons Hotel George V for 2019. This time, in an all-gold guise akin to the surrounding baubles and Christmas tree that is nothing short of magnifique.

3. Nimb Hotel, Copenhagen

The five-star boutique hotel has an unprecedented view of the prominent Tivoli Gardens, the third-oldest operating amusement park in the world, and at the fountain square right in front of the Moorish-Historicist building is the setup of its colourful Christmas tree display.

The year’s Christmas tree recalls the decorative paper cutouts from Christmas past, the set design of the Tivoli’s Pantomimeteatret, an open-air pantomime theatre distinguishable by its toy-like Chinese style, and a front curtain that takes five men to operate its mechanics of unfolding like a peacock’s tail.

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Besides the fairytale presentation in the square, featured in Nimb bar is paper sculpture artist Veronica Hodges’ Christmas installation: The Birds Nest. The continuity of the paper cutout theme is translated into more than 350 paper swallows, an artistic rendition of the migratory birds that represent the freedom of movement that humans can aspire to.

In a play of light and shadow, Hodges’ installation casts ethereal silhouettes on the ceiling and walls that showcase lithographic murals by Danish artist Cathrine Raben Davidsen as guests and patrons sip on Christmas gløgg (mulled wine) and fairytale-themed cocktails during the year-end festivities.

4. Claridge's, London

Claridge’s in the Mayfair district of London has seen its fair share of lustrous Christmas tree displays in collaboration with fashion designers and houses in the past 15 years. This year, the hotel collaborated with Louis Vuitton to celebrate their shared history in the Art of Travel since both were founded in 1854.

Two of the French fashion maison’s iconic Malle Vestiaire (‘Wardrobe Trunk’), at 5.2 metres in height, lie open in the hotel’s black-and-white marbled lobby. The sculpted hard-sided cases are adorned with vintage Claridge’s travel stickers and an oversized Louis Vuitton luggage tag. Inside the emblematic trunks are 15 chrome trunks of varying heights, placed strategically to form the silhouette of a traditional Christmas tree, with 21 Louis Vuitton Vivienne mascots atop each chrome trunk.

Past Christmas trees that graced Claridge’s hotel lobby include Christopher Bailey’s 2015 creation that featured over 100 umbrellas with bespoke gold and silver metallic finishings and motion-sensor light trimmings; the 16-foot inverted spruce tree centrepiece of 2017 by Karl Lagerfeld reminiscent of a silver stalactite and decorated with silver gilded roots; and McQueens Flowers’ frozen dreamscape of a white frosted tree in 2020, adorned with over 10,000 crystal garlands and pendants—each reflect the 170-year-old hotel’s art deco architecture and design, affluent British heritage, and treasured Christmas spirit.

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5. Hotel Pulitzer, Amsterdam

For the quintessential Dutch hotel located on the Amsterdam canals of Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht, it has chosen to work with London-based fashion designer Roksanda Ilinčić for a bold all-pink Christmas tree inspired by the city’s vibrant spirit and its modern creative community.

Within the inner Pulitzer Garden, the pink tulle-covered Christmas tree is 10 metres tall and a reflection of Ilinčić’s signature colour blocking style from her wearable collections, with each tulle fabric piece in different shades of pink cut and crafted by the Roksanda team in London.

“I used this very particular bright pink tulle for one of my previous collections,” says Ilinčić on the Christmas tree design for the hotel that was named after Herbert Pulitzer, grandson of Joseph Pulitzer of the eponymous publishing prize. “I wanted to incorporate my design language–like my signature colour-blocking–in a conceptual way that isn’t usually seen on a Christmas tree.”

The textile choice also exhibits Norwegian textile artist Hanne Friis’ own use of silk and latex materials for her work. Both design elements came together to create a never-before-seen Christmas tree with sophisticated charm.

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Topics

Christmas Christmas tree Hotel Claridge's Art deco Louis Vuitton The Plaza Hotel New York City French Renaissance Fifth Avenue Hotel Pulitzer Amsterdam Four Seasons Hotel Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris Nimb Hotel Copenhagen five-star

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