Exclusive | 5 festive hotels in NYC where you can get into the holiday spirit

Saks Fifth Avenue may have gone dark on its traditional luxury holiday light show this year, but these Manhattan hotels have gone beyond the glitz to light up the holiday season.

Here’s where you can get into the holiday spirit with festive trees, magical decor and even miniature gingerbread houses.

Lotte New York Palace

455 Madison Ave.

  • The Gingerbread Palace took 200 hours to collect, with 53 pounds of sugar, 40 pounds of flour, 16 pounds of butter, six jars of molasses and a few spoons of ginger.
Lotte New York Palace’s 30-meter Christmas tree is decorated with around 4,500 lights and over 1,000 ornaments. Lotte New York Palace
The hotel used over 1,000 feet of glittering crown molding – spanning about 2.8 football fields – throughout the property. Lotte New York Palace
Confetti pancakes at the holiday brunch. Lotte New York Palace
“It was a lot to install, but the decorations looked like magic,” director of sales David Shenman told The Post. Lotte New York Palace
“We like to set them up as soon as practical so guests can get into the festive mood,” Shenman said. Lotte New York Palace
Inside the Balsam Hill Vacation Suite. Lotte New York Palace
Every year, the hotel makes a special Gingerbread Palace, a mini version of the hotel that takes Lotte’s pastry team more than 200 hours to put together. Lotte New York Palace
Lotte Palace’s winter bar has hot chocolate and holiday treats by the tree. Lotte New York Palace

There’s a lot to take in at Lotte Palace New York (455 Madison Ave.), from lights to gingerbread houses—and even more if you stay in the special Balsam Hill Holiday Suite.

Decorators wove more than 1,000 feet of glittering garland — spanning about 2.8 football fields — and more than 30,000 twinkling lights around this former enclave of late 19th-century Italian Renaissance townhouses.

The 30-meter courtyard Christmas tree alone is decorated with around 4,500 lights and over 1,000 ornaments.

“It was a lot to install, but the decorations looked like magic,” director of sales David Shenman told The Post. “We like to set them up as soon as practical so guests can get into the festive mood.”

After Thanksgiving comes the Gingerbread Palace, a miniature replica of the hotel – with about 53 kilograms of sugar, 40 kilograms of flour, 16 kilograms of butter, six jars of molasses and a few spoonfuls of ginger.

This takes more than 200 hours to put together for the Lotte pastry team.

“Guests love seeing the final installation hanging in the lobby,” said executive chef Cedric Tovar. “And it smells really good too.”

“The look we want is ‘Best Christmas Ever,'” Shenman added, “but also classic and traditional.”

New York Peninsula

700 Fifth Ave.

  • on 38,000 baubles and 58,000 LED lights were used.
The Peninsula New York Hotel used 38,000 dazzling chandeliers and 58,000 LED lights. Stefano Giovannini for the NYPost
Peninsula guests walk through a winter wonderland. Stefano Giovannini for the NYPost
The iconic closing of the famous Fifth Avenue hotel welcomes guests with holiday cheer. Stefano Giovannini for the NYPost
The magnificent Christmas trees in the lobby and Palm Court are elegantly decorated with garlands, ribbons and large sparkling bows. Stefano Giovannini for the NYPost

Earlier this week, guests at the Peninsula New York (700 Fifth Ave.) were welcomed to a festive lobby that even Scrooge wouldn’t scoff at.

The hotel said around 38,000 dazzling chandeliers and 58,000 LED lights shine throughout the indoor and outdoor spaces.

The magnificent Christmas trees in the lobby and Palm Court are elegantly decorated with garlands, ribbons and large glittering bows; and there are hundreds of decorations hanging throughout the Gotham Lounge and Clement restaurant to continue the festive look.

Park Terrace Hotel

18 W. 40th St.

  • “Guests say they can sit and look at this tree all day,” professional holiday decorator Jesse Cooper told The Post.
The Park Terrace Hotel has a 12-foot “real touch” Elizabeth Pine tree with 6,026 evergreen tops. Molly Hawkins
The final touch is two distinctive ornaments ingeniously marked Park and Terrace, which decorator Jesse Cooper hand-plated in 24-karat gold. Molly Hawkins
Decorator Jesse Cooper told The Post that he prefers pre-tied trees. Molly Hawkins
“I’ve heard guests say they could sit and look at this tree all day,” Cooper said. Molly Hawkins

At the Park Terrace Hotel (18 W. 40th St.), guests are welcome to cozy up at the hotel bar to get into the festive spirit.

“I’ve heard guests say they could sit and look at this tree all day: it glows like a chimney. Not to be bored,” professional holiday decorator Jesse Cooper told The Post, accidentally adding a pun on the tree, “but I put my heart into it.”

By mid-November, the spectacular Christmas tree and holiday wreaths were fully installed in the hotel – and toasted with champagne.

“Putting things in place early gives more bang for your buck,” Cooper said.

Cooper installed a 12-foot artificial “real touch” Elizabeth Pine tree with 6,026 evergreen tips — meaning the tree is nice and bushy, not scruffy looking.

First, it combines the tree’s 1,800 regular warm white lights (Cooper prefers trees with built-in lights) with another 1,000 twinkling lights and 1,000 feet of hanging fairy lights. Next comes 130 yards of ribbon and 750 ornaments.

“I love working with companies that are willing to do an epic installation and get hot on Christmas. This is the Park Terrace.”

Savage, but tasteful, that is. The final touch is two distinctive ornaments ingeniously marked Park and Terrace, which Cooper has hand-plated in 24-karat gold. The combination of lighting and gold ornaments creates an effect that makes the tree look all gold, and the hotel staff named it the 24-karat gold tree.

Baccarat Hotel New York

28 W. 53rd St.

  • The Baccarat Hotel created a three-tiered Baccarat Chandelier Christmas Tree from two styles of Baccarat Le Roi Soleil crystal chandeliers.
The Baccarat Hotel created a three-tiered Baccarat Chandelier Christmas Tree from two styles of Baccarat Le Roi Soleil crystal chandeliers. Baccarat
Elsewhere in the hotel, there are merry garlands and lights. Baccarat

Look for the cheeriest addition at Baccarat Hotel New York (28 W. 53rd St.). The luxury hotel went non-traditional and this season added a new and individual modernist spin on the glitz with a 16 meter tall “tree” honoring the famous Baccarat chandelier.

The three-tiered Baccarat Chandelier Christmas Tree is created from two styles of Baccarat Le Roi Soleil (which translates as King of the Sun) crystal chandeliers and uses 108 crystal tiles.

These two sparklers are topped with Baccarat’s signature red rose ball on the third level, all strategically lit for maximum dazzle.

Carlyle

35 E. 76th St.

  • The Carlyle has a troupe of traditional singers at the hotel.
The Carlyle told The Post that this year’s decor consisted of thousands of lights. David Andrako
The hotel also used over 100 feet of garland and hundreds of ornaments and tassels. David Andrako
The hotel also provided numerous golden willow balloons. David Andrako

When it comes to a nostalgic holiday vibe, The Carlyle (35 E. 76th St.) calls for an abundance of seasonal cheer, with twinkling wreaths and wreaths strung across its halls and trees twinkling with lights and glittery tassels.

It’s designed to match Carlyle’s classical and classic style, and the finishing touch to the festivities is a troupe of tra-la-la-ing traditional carolers.

#Exclusive #festive #hotels #NYC #holiday #spirit
Image Source : nypost.com

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