Once again, San Francisco's most fabulous hotels have dedicated hours of labor and tons of candy to put together some truly spectacular gingerbread houses for your viewing pleasure, including a two-story maison atop Nob Hill and an elaborate sugar castle overlooking Union Square.
And don't worry about getting hungry as you drool over the sweet confections, some hotels are even sharing treats with you (and your four-legged friends)!
(photo by George Nikitin)
The Gingerbread Maison at the Fairmont San Francisco
Location: 950 Mason Street, San Francisco
Viewing dates: Through January 1, 2016
Specs: More than 22 feet high, 23 feet wide, and 10.5 feet deep
Labor of love: A combined 895+ hours was spent on this maison, including 375+ hours from the pastry team and 520+ hours from the engineering team.
Candy intake: The maison includes thousands of home-baked gingerbread bricks (7,750 pieces to be exact!), more than a ton of royal icing, and over 700 pounds of candy!
Special additions: This year, the hotel incorporated mechanical action features into California's largest gingerbread structure. You'll enjoy toy skaters twirling around ice ponds, Santa's boots kicking as he enters the chimney, a reindeer rocking in a chair, revolving Christmas trees, snow falling outside a window, and the elves' new bakery where gingerbread and bags of cookies circle the ceiling.
Sweets for your pooch: Your four-legged friends can admire the pet-friendly gingerbread doghouse next to the North Pole Nook.
(photo by Emily Martin)
Enchanted Castle at the Westin St. Francis
Location: 335 Powell Street, San Francisco
Viewing dates: Through January 2, 2016
Specs: 12 feet tall
Labor of love: This fabulous castle includes intricately handcrafted candies using painstaking sugar art techniques including pulling, blowing, shaping and molding.
Special additions: The one-of-a-kind, rotating, 12-feet-tall winter wonderland features brilliantly colored ornaments, elaborate gift boxes, candies, and Christmas trees. Devoted elves can be spotted climbing all the way up to a towering all-white sugar castle.
(Photo via the Marriot Marquis)
Gingerbread House Competition at the Marriott Marquis
Location: 780 Mission Street, San Francisco
Viewing dates: Through December 15th, 2015.
Holiday competition: What's more festive than a little holiday competition! The Marriott challenged its 22 departments to each create a unique gingerbread house. Which means there are 22 various gingerbread houses for guests to enjoy.
And the winner is...: Awards will be given to the top three departments.
