Regular visitors to the Lodore Falls Hotel & Spa know Christmas is fast approaching when they see the magnificent gingerbread hotel on display in the Lodore Falls lobby. The gingerbread hotel is a replica of the Lodore Falls and a strong tradition which has been firmly embedded into their 3-day New Year package, which sees the house being smashed to pieces by the children who are staying in the hotel.
For the last 16 years Head Chef Shane Hamilton, has produced this fabulous towering gingerbread hotel, and each year it gets bigger and better. Last year Shane spent 7 days building his house, and this year it’s taken a further 2 days, as Shane has added a surprise addition to the house.
Shane commented, “We’ve seen some impressive changes over the last 18 months, and it seemed only right to include our latest addition to the gingerbread hotel, but can you guess what the surprise addition is?”
For Shane, the design and build started in September, where he spends hours piping all the trees, garlands, pot plants and more. Next comes the baking of the gingerbread, which needs to be overbaked to unsure its crisp and won’t sag. The hotel features stained sugar windows and real working lights, all of which are edible (apart from the lights).
The Lodore Falls Hotel & Spa has just undergone a £10m development, which saw the ground floor of the hotel receive a full refurbishment, a brand-new pan-Asian restaurant, Mizu opened in May and October saw 18 new suites and The Falls Spa open.
Shanes masterpiece will be on show from 12th November, ready in time for the launch of the hotels festive menu’s, which are available right through till the 2nd January 2019.
For further information on the festivities at the Lodore Falls Hotel, visit www.lakedistricthotels.net/lodorefalls/christmas
