 |
| Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco |
The Fairmont Hotel is an elegant hotel in San Francisco.
 |
| Fairmont - One of America's historic hotels |
The hotel was almost completed before the 1906 earthquake. But due to heavy damages caused by the fire, the hotel opening was delayed until 1907.
The hotel has been registered as one of the Historic Hotels of America.
Constructed with marble columns, walls and floors, the hotel appeared in films numerous times, the most famous being the movie, The Rock and the 1980's TV series, Hotel.
 |
| Lobby of the historic Fairmont Hotel, San Francisco, USA |
 |
| Reception area of the Fairmont Hotel |
The Fairmont Hotel played host to international statesmen who met there in 1945 and led to the creation of the United Nations.
There is a plaque in the hotel to commemorate this event.
It was also the first hotel in America offering concierge services starting in 1974.
Upon entering the hotel, the first impression we had was as if we had stepped into a well preserved grand European palace.
With piano music playing in the background, it was welcoming, festive and classy.
Looking for Christmas festivities and celebrations to attend while vacationing in S.F., I was captured by one of the events reported in the local newspaper while enjoying breakfast at our bed and breakfast inn.
 |
| Gingerbread house display at Fairmont |
The event:
A gigantic gingerbread house display which led us to visit the Fairmont Hotel!
This gingerbread house was the biggest gingerbread house we had ever seen!
It brought out the kid in me.
Smiling and watching me with bemusement, my husband sat and relaxed as I was trying to explore every detail of this beautiful fairy tale gingerbread house.
Measuring at 25 feet high by 35 wide feet, people could walk under the door of the house.
There was a snow covered front yard with numerous pots of real poinsettias, pine trees decorated with Christmas lights.
Children squealed with delight when they saw trains passing by the miniature train station, along with Victorian houses, trees, pedestrians and moving figures a little distance outside the window.
A little further from the train station was a skating pond with miniature people skating, playing hockey and skaters twirling around.
A two story building, the gingerbread house could accommodate carolers caroling on the second floor balcony.
We also saw Santa almost getting into the gingerbread house with his feet just hanging outside the chimney.
Looking through the windows, we could peek inside the rooms of the gingerbread house.
We saw a kitchen bustling with holiday decorations and activities.
The tired cook was taking a break resting on a chair in the busy kitchen.
This spectacular gingerbread house was a masterpiece created out of labour of love by the pastry and engineering department of the Fairmont Hotel.
 |
| The trims around the windows looked delicious! |
The staff involved have spent almost 1000 hours in designing and putting the whole thing together. To complete this edible house, the pastry department used:
6000 bricks of gingerbread ( the hotel's largest to date)
3300 pounds of royal icing
1650 pounds of candies
With free admission, the gingerbread house at the Fairmont Hotel is a great place to take your kids to visit during the Christmas holiday!
 |
| In front of the gingerbread house at the Fairmont Hotel, S.F. |
R.T.
Gingerbread House Display
Fairmont Hotel
San Francisco, USA
No comments:
Post a Comment