Deck the Halls With Hilton: Decoration Inspiration From Some of the World’s Most Luxurious Hotels
For many households, the festive season begins with decorating the Christmas tree, adorning windows with fairy lights and hanging an oversized wreath on the front door. From extra-large bows to sustainable paper decorations, Hilton has enlisted an illustrator to sketch how some of the world's most luxurious hotels are decorating their trees, providing festive inspiration with a style to suit every household.
Traditional tartan inspired by Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian
Adding tartan bows to a Christmas tree is a quick and easy way to add festive flair. At Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh - The Caledonian, the ribbons are made especially by Kinloch Anderson in Royal Stewart tartan.
For a playful touch, the hotel is adding a North Pole train to look like it is driving through the tree's branches. This idea can be recreated at home by positioning a toy train around the base of the tree.
Christmas is also a time for indulging in sweet treats. So much so, the pastry chef at Waldorf Astoria Edinburgh is baking an entire gingerbread village, complete with a house, church, windmill and trees to add unforgettable fairy-tale magic to the final spectacle.
Contemporary luxury inspired by The Biltmore Mayfair, LXR Hotels & Resorts
All-white fairy lights and baubles will give any tree an instantly sleek and sophisticated yuletide look, reminiscent of the Norwegian "winter wonderland"-themed tree at The Biltmore Mayfair.
Pinecones sprayed white will perfectly complement delicate ornaments made from glass and make striking natural decorations.
The festive forest theme can be continued with the careful use of artificial snow and even fire logs positioned under the tree.
Italian vintage meets sustainability by Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Hotel
Achieve a classic Continental look by trimming the tree with velvet lace and opting for vintage-style decorations in sumptuous green, red and gold colourways.
The traditionally Italian tree at Rome Cavalieri will be adorned with candy canes, which add to the vintage look when hung from individual branches.
Working in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund Italia, the hotel has also created sustainable paper decorations for its show-stopping tree. Made from seed paper, which can be planted, guests will be invited to take these decorations home with them when they leave.
Wildflower seed paper is now widely available online and can be used to make decorations that double as unique and thoughtful gifts for festive visitors to take home.
Playful opulence inspired by the Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Centre
For those with young ones in their lives, incorporating playful touches is a recipe for decoration success. Children will love discovering miniature toys and festive figurines hanging from the tree, inspired by the two-metre-tall nutcracker figures that greet visitors at Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Centre.
Playing with textures is also an easy way to add decorative drama. Gold baubles in a mix of textures, from matte to shiny, give any tree an unforgettably glamourous and opulent look.
Teddy bear heaven, inspired by Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah
For a truly spectacular tree that children will adore, it does not get better than the "teddy bear heaven" tree at Waldorf Astoria Dubai Palm Jumeirah's Peacock Alley.
As part of the hotel's "Give a Bear a Home" initiative, guests can purchase a set of two Waldorf Astoria teddy bears — one to take home and one to donate to the Rashid Center for People of Determination*.
Recreate this look at home by perching full-sized teddy bears in the branches of a tree, accompanied by coloured lights and baubles to bring this fun, festive look to life.
Hilton's Christmas trees are on show across its portfolio of luxury brands, including Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts and LXR Hotels & Resorts.
ILLUSTRATIONS
Illustrations by Masha Karpushina
RECIPE FOR GINGERBREAD HOUSE FROM THE PASTRY CHEF AT WALDORF ASTORIA EDINBURGH -THE CALEDONIAN:
For the Gingerbread:
- 500grs Plain Flour
- 1tsp Salt
- 2tsp Ground Ginger
- 2tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1tsp Nutmeg
- 200grs Unsalted Butter
- 100grs Caster Sugar
- 100grs Light Soft Brown Sugar
- 250grs Golden Syrup
- 2 Whole Eggs
Mix the dry ingredients, then add butter until the mix crumbles. Mix the eggs and golden syrup together without overbeating. Add the egg mixture to the dry mix, then rest the dough wrapped in clingfilm for 1 hour.
Create a gingerbread house pattern by cutting out a stencil from pieces of stiff paper or cardboard, and preheat the oven to 170°C.
Divide the dough in two, and roll out to an even thickness of 1/4 inch, with a dusting of flour to avoid sticking.
Place the pattern pieces on the flattened dough and cut with a small sharp knife, then transfer the dough to a greased, flat cookie sheet.
Bake in the oven until the edges just begin to darken (11-15 minutes for large pieces or 6-8 minutes for small pieces). Rotate halfway through for an even bake.
Once the baked dough comes out of the oven, place on a rack to cool and trim the pieces while they're still warm, adding windows and doors to your design.
For the Royal Icing:
- 2 large egg whites
- 2 2/3 cup powdered sugar
Whisk together the egg whites and half of the sugar together until smooth. Then add more powdered sugar gradually and beat until it forms stiff peaks. Place a dampened clean towel over the bowl to avoid it drying out.
This is where it really helps to have more than two hands working on a house, and why making a gingerbread house is so much more fun with company than alone. If you are working on this alone, it may help to grab some canned goods from the pantry and use the cans to help prop up the pieces while the icing mortar is drying.
Pipe the icing onto the gingerbread pieces to construct the sides of the house using a pastry bag or cut freezer bag — just cut off the tip of one of the corners. Mortar each piece with royal icing, holding in place until the icing is partially set.
Pipe icing along the seams inside and outside the house to fill in any gaps and add extra stability. Leave the structure for at least an hour to set before adding the roof.
If any of the gingerbread house pattern pieces break, as can happen easily when working with what are essentially cookies, most likely you can repair them. Let repairs harden completely before using the piece for the house construction. When it comes time to decorate, you can pipe icing right over the broken seam, and no one will be the wiser. Let the house stand for a few hours before decorating.
Decorations
This step requires a trip to the candy section of your local grocery store. You can decorate your house with whatever types of candy you like best. Red hots are really practical, as are small gumdrops and candy canes. Chocolate truffles can be used to create a stone wall around the house, and waffle-patterned cookies can be used for roof tiles.
Pipe royal icing to make decorative designs around the walls of the house and roof. Use royal icing to "glue" pieces of candy to the house.
About Hilton
Hilton (NYSE: HLT) is a leading global hospitality company with a portfolio of 18 world-class brands comprising more than 6,800 properties and more than 1 million rooms, in 122 countries and territories. Dedicated to fulfilling its founding vision to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality, Hilton has welcomed more than 3 billion guests in its more than 100-year history, earned a top spot on the 2021 World's Best Workplaces list and been recognized as a global leader on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for five consecutive years. In 2021, in addition to opening more than one hotel a day, Hilton introduced several industry-leading technology enhancements to improve the guest experience, including Digital Key Share, automated complimentary room upgrades and the ability to book confirmed connecting rooms. Through the award-winning guest loyalty program Hilton Honors, the nearly 128 million members who book directly with Hilton can earn Points for hotel stays and experiences money can't buy. With the free Hilton Honors app, guests can book their stay, select their room, check in, unlock their door with a Digital Key and check out, all from their smartphone. Visit newsroom.hilton.com for more information, and connect with Hilton on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
