The Fairmont’s two-story gingerbread Victorian sweetens the holidays

The historic Fairmont San Francisco boasts one of the Bay Area’s chicest hotel lobbies. Many a Baghdad by the Bay denizen is known to traverse Nob Hill simply to hang out and soak in the space’s unbridled Beaux-Arts opulence. A lobby this elegant deserves a Chirstmas-themed gingerbread house worthy of its surroundings—especially one with Santa Clause stuck in the chimney.

Constructed with a completely edible exterior, the Fairmont’s engineering team uses around 700 pounds of royal icing and candy decor, using upward of 500 hours worth of time. The pastry team, led by Executive Pastry Chef Kimberly Tighe, puts in 300 more hours to make the gingerbread facade that reaches two levels.

While visitors can’t climb to the second floor, you can see what’s happening inside via the expansive windows. The attention to San Francisco-tinged details is also a delight. Get a load of those bay windows.

This sweet pied-a-terre alone could fetch $3,000/month. Easily.

Be on the look out for miscreant nibblers, too. You can spot their tracks from the ground up to three feet on the edible house, or whatever the average hight is for hungry five year olds. For example:

Can you blame them?

And don’t miss Santa trying to shimmy down the chimney. His dangling upended legs are both a delight and shock to behold.

Here are some scenes of the Fairmont Hotel’s gingerbread Victorian, inside and out, on display until January 1, 2017.