Deck the halls with boughs of holly and, if you’re a five-star hotel, a magnificent Christmas tree. From a high-fashion collaboration at Claridge’s to a sustainable reimagination at Pan Pacific London, these are the most impressive Christmas trees in London to scout out this winter…

Claridge’s, Mayfair

Claridge’s can always be relied upon to pull out all the stops for the festive season and this year it’s called on Paul Smith for a little help. The fashion house unveiled its creation for the hotel lobby on 20 November, showcasing a traditional 20-foot Christmas tree sitting in a striped barrel and decorated with colourful Paul Smith baubles, ribbons and over 100 bespoke birdhouses. Smith has collaborated with two friends of the house on the decorations, British artist Nik Ramage – who has made a series of mechanical birdhouses with roofs decorated in playing cards, postage stamps and dice – while design studio Studiomama has created a series of whimsical creatures to sit around the base of the tree.

Adding to the festive design, Paul Smith’s Merrymaker fragrance will scent the lobby, and a chorus of birdsong is projected from the tree throughout the day to welcome guests. Smith has even transformed the hotel lobby into his living room, with a geometric Paul Smith x Rug Company design and reupholstered fabric pieces to surround the fireplace. Finally, Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without a little playfulness – and the Paul’s Pick ‘n’ Mix trolley will be wheeled into the lobby daily to delight hotel visitors.

Brook Street, W1J, visit claridges.co.uk

The London Edition, Soho

This festive season, The London Edition has collaborated with renowned fashion designer Ashish Gupta to create a tree teaming with his signature vibrant and culturally rich creations. Drawing inspiration from his childhood memories of India, where he would assemble an old tinsel tree inherited from his aunt, Gupta incorporates a playful nod to the ubiquitous use of tinsel in India, where it adorns everything from tea stalls to trucks, resulting in a kaleidoscope of colours and textures at The London Edition, using tinsel he has collected over the years.

10 Berners Street, W1T 3NP, visit editionhotels.com

The Dorchester, Mayfair

The Dorchester’s resident florist Phillip Hammond is behind the five-star hotel’s festive decorations this year, including Christmas trees in the Promenade, rose-gold furnishings in The Grill by Tom Booton and a resplendent arrangement in the forecourt and fireplaces festooned with baubles and stockings. The entrance centrepiece is a towering 15-foot Nordmann fir beautifully adorned with pink and gold baubles. The arrangements are accompanied by a whole host of festive events, including a Santa’s grotto where children can write their own letter to Father Christmas and send it via The Dorchester’s post-box to the North Pole.

53 Park Lane, W1K 1QA, visit dorchestercollection.com

The Connaught, Mayfair

While Mayfair's Connaught hotel promises to be wonderfully seasonal inside, the festive magic starts on the street thanks to this magnificent Christmas tree designed by influential British artist and sculptor Dame Rachel Whiteread. Whiteread regularly uses circular forms in her art and this tree is no exception, highlighting a symbol of hope this Christmas. The 31-foot Nordmann Fir has been decorated with 102 circular neon white hoops to encourage Londoners to celebrate a feeling of togetherness and brightness throughout the festive season. This is the eighth consecutive year an artist has been called upon to design The Connaught tree, with alumni including Damien Hirst, Antony Gormley, Tracey Emin and Idris Khan.

Carlos Place, W1K 2AL, visit the-connaught.co.uk

The Londoner, Leicester Square

Uber-hip West End hotel The Londoner called on a British fashion icon, Kate Halfpenny, to marry her signature bridal aesthetic with the joy of the holiday season. Oversized bows crafted from repurposed bridal fabric offcuts adorn the tree, embodying both The Londoner’s commitment to sustainability and Halfpenny's dedication to conscious design, while Halfpenny has replaced conventional baubles with chic monochrome disks inspired by gold coins — a clever nod to her own name. These hand-drawn paper renderings add an artful edge to the overall design, perfectly complementing The Londoner's curated eclectic style.

38 Leicester Square, WC2H 7DX, visit thelondoner.com

St Pancras, King’s Cross

Experience the magic of the season at King’s Cross station with its much-loved Christmas tree, which this year sees it partner with Universal Pictures UK to celebrate one of the most highly anticipated films of the 2024: Wicked. An ode to the Emerald City, the tree has been designed to complement St Pancras’s architecture and towers across two floors of the station, standing at 11 metres high. A beacon of striking green and opulent gold, it is a visual spectacle, with immersive Ozian photobooths at the base.

Euston Road, N1C 4QP, visit stpancras.com

Pan Pacific London, Liverpool Street

A towering 67-foot Christmas tree – the tallest in London – has been unveiled as the latest addition to the City skyline at One Bishopsgate Plaza, in partnership with Pan Pacific London and the Eastern City Business Improvement District. Adorned with 65,000 sparkling lights and more than 800 red and gold baubles, this festive spectacle was unveiled by Dame Joan Collins earlier this month.

80 Houndsditch, EC3A 7AB, visit panpacific.com

The Ritz, Piccadilly

If you find yourself around Piccadilly before Christmas, it’s worth popping into one of London’s finest Grand Dames, The Ritz, to take in its spectacular decorations. Adorning the exterior and each room within the hotel, the centrepiece is a whopping 26-foot tree which is assembled overnight on the last Saturday of November. The overnight job, starting at 11pm with a deadline of 7.30am, requires a 30-strong team to carry and install the tree in the hotel. This year, it's themed around the classical ballet The Nutcracker, with characterful figurines placed throughout and beautifully-wrapped presents underneath.

150 Piccadilly, W1J 9BR, visit theritzlondon.com

Park Hyatt London River Thames, Nine Elms

Park Hyatt on the River Thames has revealed the Christmas decorations for its inaugural festive season, created in collaboration with luxury floral purveyor Flowerbx. Transforming all of the hotel’s public spaces in metallic gold and copper tones, the reveal coincides with the launch of the year-round Nine Elms Florist and Patisserie situated in the hotel’s elegant lobby, offering guests and visitors alike access to London’s most coveted bouquets. 

7 Nine Elms Lane, SW8 5PH, visit hyatt.com

Sea Containers, Southwark

Tis’ the season for chocolate lovers. Hotel Chocolat has teamed up with Sea Containers to create the capital’s most indulgent Christmas tree as part of the brand's chocolate takeover for the festive season. The 14-foot Christmas tree takes centre stage in the lobby, inspired by Hotel Chocolat’s Chocolate Imaginarium, and is adorned with velvet bows, glistening cacao pods, and vintage-style luggage with copper touches inspired by the hotel’s copper hull. Linger a little longer to discover more chocolate-centric experiences, from drinking chocolate served in the hotel’s cosy Den (including Hotel Chocolat's exclusive mince pie flavour) and chocolate masterclasses. 

20 Upper Ground, SE1 9PD, visit seacontainerslondon.com

Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, Mayfair

For its debut festive season, Mandarin Oriental Mayfair has decorated two showstopping trees. First up in the lobby, a golden pine wishing tree by floral partner Lavender Green has been adorned with pine cones and origami fans in gold, green and burgundy. The tree is inspired by the hotel’s signature fan, created with the House of Vivienne Westwood. 

Over at the Akira Back restaurant, meanwhile, a striking tree sculpture named Millennium Pine Tree has been created by renowned Korean artist Lee Gil Rae. Crafted from copper tubing, this sculpture reflects the beauty and resilience of nature and is presented in collaboration with Opera Art Gallery. 

22 Hanover Square, W1S 1JP, visit mandarinoriental.com

Read more: 2024’s most stylish Christmas decorations