December is here, so it's officially acceptable to start drowning your home in festive decor and twinkling lights as the countdown to Christmas Day begins.
Dazzling in the early evening darkness, every which way you look, tinsel, wreaths and colourful decorations pave the way to the centrepiece of the festive installation - the almighty Christmas tree and all its glory.
Across the world, the battle of the most lavishly decorated, biggest, boldest tree has commenced and no one does it better than a fancy hotel eager to make its building feel like their guests' home away from home.
Scouring the internet for the best hotel Christmas tree, HELLO! has compiled a list of the top contenders based on creativity, decorative skills and overall festive cheer.
Claridge's Hotel - London, United Kingdom
Kicking things off close to home, the iconic Claridge's Hotel in the heart of Mayfair has really upped its game this festive season with a tree to rival the best of them.
Standing proud in the lobby, the centrepiece of the hotel's decorations is nothing short of spectacular. Draped in purple tartan and gold bows and thistle, the tree was designed by Burberry's Daniel Lee and uses discarded materials from the brand's atelier.
Open to the public, the tree is 16 feet tall and features around 600 bows as well as traditional baubles and other ornaments. Sharing the image to their Instagram account, the hotel said: "If you listen closely, you can almost hear the bells as we reveal our Claridge’s Christmas Tree 2025, imagined by Daniel Lee for @burberry.
"A woodland wonder of thistle, foliage and hand-blown baubles, crowned in shimmering gold. A little magic, a little mischief, and a whole lot of Claridge’s charm. Let the festive games begin, with love, Burberry and Claridge’s #ClaridgesChristmasTree2025."
Surrounding the masterpiece, large gold chess pieces stand to attention and a pile of purple tartan cushions sits at its base, forming a protective layer around the trunk.
Ritz - Paris, France
Channelling teddy bears, the Ritz's Christmas decor has a very clear theme this year. Scattered throughout the hotel in the 1st arrondissement of the city's centre, adorable brown bears dressed in a blue bell boy's outfit form the face of the hotel's seasonal display.
The hotel's 2025 tree stands tall at the foot of the grand staircase and is adorned with 400 teddy bellboys that are nestled in between twinkling lights and tassel ornaments and velvet red ribbons.
One of the bears holds court in the place of the traditional tree-top fairy. The hotel shared a video of its tree and wrote a message that read: "A traditional Christmas begins at the Ritz Paris.
"This year, our iconic teddy bear takes center stage, twinkling under the lights in a tree made of pure childhood magic. Welcome to the most wonderful time of the year."
Hotel Heritage - Bruges, Belgium
Hidden in the historic centre of Bruges, this five-star boutique hotel has put on quite the Christmas show for its guests and anyone wanting to wander into the lobby to have a peek at the tree.
Sitting in the corner of a grandly decorated room, next to the window, the tree shimmers and shines. Drowning in glittering yellow fairy lights, it is decorated with a plethora of brown, gold and silver baubles and floral ornaments.
Underneath the tree, a collection of beautifully wrapped gifts guards the trunk. Making a statement, the top of the tree was left bare, letting the lower branches do all the talking.
Posting a photo of the idyllic Christmas scene to their Instagram account, the hotel wrote: "Experience the magic of Christmas in a warm and cosy setting".
The Barcelona Edition - Barcelona, Spain
Adopting a more modern, avant-garde approach to the festive season this year, the hotel in the city's El Born district has chosen to wrap its tree and let the lights shine through from beneath a netted casing.
Located in the lobby, the tree is open to the public, decorated with fairylights and has been enveloped in a white sheer fabric that covers every inch of the foliage and the water bucket at its trunk. Designed by creative director Fabricio Giordano, the idea is that it was "wrapped as an act of love".
The hotel explained its artistic concept online next to pictures of the installation and revealed: "The Festive Tree transforms the familiar into something unexpected, where luxury is expressed through understated elegance, symbolism and emotion."
Fabricio added to the post when he said: "The Festive Installation is not a traditional ornament, but a living artistic object designed to remain present and evolving throughout the season. The fabric that envelops it allows a glimpse of what lies beneath, playing with warm light and the movement of the material, as if the tree itself were breathing.
"To wrap is to embrace, to contain, to turn inward, and a loving gesture. This year’s festive tree stands as a manifesto to embrace who we are and what we live, through abstract beauty."
One Aldwych - London, United Kingdom
Nestled in the heart of the buzzy Covent Garden, One Aldwych does not disappoint when it comes to Christmas decor that'll get you in the festive mood.
Its tree stands in the ostentatious, low-lit lobby bar and exudes lavish luxury with its fairy light arrangement and ode to Jane Austen.
Adorned with open books, floral wreaths and baubles featuring portraits of the author, the tree is a breathtaking sight that should be seen by as many people as possible. The author's likeness is included in the decorations as 2025 marks 250 years since her birth.
On its Instagram account, the hotel explained this year's installation and penned: "In the glow of the Lobby Bar, our Christmas tree takes its place. A towering tribute to Jane Austen’s London, dressed in books, silhouettes, dried orange garlands and a dash of festive glamour. A place to gather, sip, celebrate and soak up the sparkle of the season."
Shangri-La - Paris, France
Rivalling bear bell-boys in the French capital, the hotel on 10 Avenue d'Iéna in the chic 16th arrondissement has wrapped its Christmas decor up in a nice red velvet bow.
Perfectly shaped in a triangle, the tree stands alone in an alcove. Decorated with white fairy lights and red baubles, the main attraction is a larger-than-life red velvet bow that acts as the tree-top fairy. Its fabric trails down the front of the tree and hits the pile of presents sitting at its base which are also wrapped in red paper.
Online, the hotel commented: "Embrace the magic of this festive season at Shangri-La Paris, and let the fairy tale unfold.
"Experience unforgettable moments filled with wonder and delight: from a captivating seasonal escape to enchanting festive experiences, explore every twinkling corner, savour exquisite culinary creations, and celebrate with us joyous moments that will stay in your heart forever."
Hotels aren't the only ones having all the fun this Christmas however, as many members clubs and luxury restaurants are also throwing their hats into the competition to be crowned Christmas tree of the moment.
If you're not planning a hotel visit over the festive season, there are plenty of other places that offer a festive feast for your eyes just as good as the lobby trees, if not better.
The Dome - Edinburgh, Scotland
A resident of George's Street, The Dome bar and restaurant is famed for its Christmas decorations as thousands of tourists flock to catch a glimpse of its huge nutcrackers at the entrance and its glittering tree inside the dining room.
I visited Edinburgh last year and saw the tree for myself. I can confirm it is just as pretty in person as it is in the pictures and really made me feel like Christmas was on its way. Standing on top of the central bar, it reaches just shy of the ceiling and dazzles in red, silver and green.
The tree is entirely covered with baubles and features a blinding silver star on its crown. On Instagram, the eatery said: "It's officially 6 weeks until Christmas. That means… cozy nights, festive drinks, twinkling lights and all the holiday feels have arrived."
The Ned - London, United Kingdom
A members' club with a public restaurant and bar, The Ned is located in central London's Bank and provides a cosy, snug haven from the hustle and bustle of the city. This year, the club has collaborated with floral design atelier Grandirosa and Scottish whisky brand The Macallan to create its perfect piece of festive cheer.
Draped in red velvet bows, fairy lights and gold baubles, the tree is the epitome of traditional elegance with a sprinkle of Christmas magic.
The Ned explained: "Christmas is here. The Ned and @the_macallan have come together with @grandirosa this festive season for our first collaborative Christmas tree - a standout symbol of heritage, craftsmanship and Speyside spirit in the grand Banking Hall."
Isabel Mayfair - London, United Kingdom
Dubbed "one of the most glamorous places to eat out in the capital" by The Evening Standard, Isabel does not compromise when it comes to opulent elegance and its approach to Christmas is no different.
Greeting guests as they enter the dark, moody dining room, the tree is partially hidden off to the side and features huge gold glitter balls and smaller baubles in the same colour.
The green colour of the tree has been allowed to shine through and on Instagram, the restaurant explained they were "opening the door to the festive season".