Hotels often go all out to celebrate the holiday season. However, these seven properties have taken the charge one step further and created unique gingerbread masterpieces. The pastry chefs were like Santa’s elves, putting in endless hours of labor and hundreds of pounds of sugar and spices to deliver whimsical confectionary constructions guaranteed to provide a massive dose of seasonal cheer.
From life-size streetcars to lobby bars, these imaginative gingerbread displays are a festive feast for your eyes.
Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort
It’s only fitting that the most magical place on Earth should experience an extra dose of holiday enchantment. The Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star hotel’s executive pastry chef, Rabii Saber, rose to the challenge with a Candyland-inspired confection. This charming creation features a host of whimsical design elements, including an abundance of pastel icing, a snow-capped roof made of sugar, a ground covered in crushed M&Ms, chocolate doughnut detailing and a nutcracker guard dressed in pink and blue regalia.
Over-the-top gingerbread displays are par for the course at this Five-Star hotel. This year’s centerpiece honors the 2025 U.S. Senior Open golf tournament, set to take place at the Colorado Springs resort this summer. The hotel’s culinary team used an impressive amount of ingredients — 958 pounds of powdered sugar, 475 pounds of flour, 1,801 eggs and 19 pounds of holiday spices — to create a life-size, motorized gingerbread golf cart. The vehicle features Santa Claus, ready to tee off, seated alongside an elfin caddy.
Four-Star The Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans’ annual life-size gingerbread streetcar pulls into the station with Big Easy legends aboard. Look for painted cookie caricatures of singer/songwriter Jon Batiste, writer Truman Capote, chef Emeril Lagasse, musician Allen Toussaint, singer Irma Thomas and jazz artist Jeremy Davenport, who inspired the hotel’s Davenport Lounge. The hotel’s in-house pastry team utilized 445 pounds of flour, 475 pounds of sugar, 400 eggs and 80 pounds of butter to craft this incredible, edible, star-studded structure.
Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago
Experience a winter wonderland as you board this Five-Star hotel’s enchanting gingerbread elevator. Executive pastry chef Keaton Vasek and his team dedicated more than 450 hours and used more than 1,300 cookie bricks to create the whimsical interior of this working machine. As you ride, enjoy holiday music, twinkling lights and the delightful distinct aroma of the season. The joyful journey takes you to the hotel’s restaurant, Terrace 16, where even more holiday treats and breathtaking Chicago views await.
The Lodge at Turning Stone Resort Casino
This Four-Star property in Upstate New York has created a real-life holiday escape in the form of a gingerbread village inspired by holiday classics. Prepare to find the season’s spirit at every turn, including The Polar Express-inspired train station, A Christmas Story-like colonial home and Home Alone-influenced log cabin. The stunning village was constructed with 1,000 pounds of frosting, 210 pounds of yellow Starburst, 178 pounds of fondant, 100 pounds of sugar, 1,520 Andes candies, 1,360 Hershey’s Kisses, 1,008 mini candy bars, 504 red and white ribbon candies, 360 watermelon Airheads and eight pounds of black licorice.
Cruise into the holiday spirit aboard the Five-Star hotel’s eight-foot-tall gingerbread Hobie Cat sailboat. This unique creation, a tribute to Orange County’s watersports, replicates late sailing legend Hobie Alter’s revolutionary sailboat, introduced in the 1960s. Crafted by executive pastry chef Lee Smith and his crew at the Laguna Beach hotel, this exceptionally sweet ride is made from 308 pounds of gingerbread and 44 pounds of icing.
This Four-Star oceanfront getaway’s lobby lounge has never felt so festive, thanks to a seven-by-seven-foot gingerbread village and a working bar. Guests can order a holiday cocktail or a cup of hot chocolate from the dazzling space before settling into a cozy spot for live music and complimentary cookies. The Rancho Palos Verdes, California, hotel’s talented chef, Pierino Jermonti, and his group created this delightful structure using more than 1,000 pounds of housemade gingerbread.
