Christmas takes shape! 1,000 eggs, 425kg of dough and six chefs... inside the making of an enormous gingerbread house

Published: 11:28 EST, 10 November 2026 | Updated: 11:31 EST, 10 November 2026 Six pastry chefs and three engineers are joining forces to build a life-size gingerbread house at a Swiss hotel this Christmas.The team will transform 425kg of dough into 360 handmade gingerbread bricks, each decorated with tiny trees, stars and festive figures.The recipe calls for 50kg of honey, 1,000 eggs and 10kg of cinnamon, with the finished creation set to take pride of place at the Royal Savoy Hotel & Spa Lausanne, overlooking Lake Geneva.After more than 100 hours of preparation and decoration, the team will assemble the house overnight ahead of Advent, fitting the gingerbread bricks around a bespoke wooden frame.A snow-white chimney will rise approximately 3.3m above the lobby floor, while the structure itself will measure 2m wide, 1.5m deep and 2.5m high.The finished installation is due to be unveiled on November 28, 2026, where it will remain on display throughout the festive season. Royal Savoy Hotel & Spa Lausanne is set to construct a giant gingerbread house Last year, it took pride of place in the lobby - and is set to be the same this yearThe finished house will take pride of place throughout December with icing-sugar-covered windows and doors creating a fairytale setting.It will be constructed on a custom plywood framework before being covered with handmade gingerbread elements.Beyond the gingerbread house, the hotel is partnering with Lausanne’s Bô Noël Christmas festival, bringing back its immersive Secret Room.Located in the heart of Lausanne’s Historical Museum Garden, this is a one-of-a-kind, intimate pop-up suite designed for two. It's not the first hotel to build a gingerbread house for Christmas.Until recently, Walt Disney World's Grand Floridian Resort has featured a giant gingerbread house inside its lobby, a 25-year-old tradition that has reportedly been scrapped for 2026, according to People. A total of 425 kg of dough will be made into 360 handmade gingerbread bricksThe St Regis Istanbul has also constructed a similarly elaborate display in recent years.Elsewhere, the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge in London had a 10-foot tall gingerbread house back in 2024.It was built from 3,500 individually baked gingerbread bricks placed around a specially engineered frame to create a 129-square-foot gingerbread house that reached right up to the ceiling of the lobby.It was so big visitors could even sit inside it.