The Westin St. Francis is always a sight to behold during the holidays. They take decorating for the season seriously, with beautiful decorations welcoming visitors the second you walk through the doors. The Westin’s Sugar Castle is a delectable holiday highlight for San Francisco, and it’s back for another festive year.
The 12-foot-tall hand-crafted castle was unveiled on November 22 and will remain on display through the holidays until January 2, 2024. The castle has been a yearly tradition since it was first dreamed up in 2005 by Executive Pastry Chef Jean-Francois Houdré. The castle is inspired by Houdré’s hometown and is meant to resemble a French Chateau.
The castle shows impressive attention to detail, featuring 20 circular towers and 30 rooms. Plus, a charming village straight out of a holiday storybook surrounds the castle.
For eagle-eyed visitors, try to find the hotel’s mascot, Francis, the dog roaming the castle’s rooms. You’ll receive a prize from the concierge guest if you find him. In line with San Francisco’s tech reputation, this year, you can view inside the castle with an AR experience. Just scan a QR code that will be available upon viewing, and you can take an augmented reality tour that imagines what the sweet castle would look like inside.
Holiday events at the Westin St. Francis
The Westin St. Francis always does the holidays in style, and this includes various festive events. You can sip on champagne at the POP! Lounge, have breakfast with Santa for the kids, and have a special holiday tea. A visit to the hotel just to soak in the impressive decorations is worth it to help get you in the holiday spirit.
The Westin St. Francis is located at 335 Powell Street. The Sugar Castle will be on display until January 2, 2024, inside the hotel’s lobby. If you love the sugary display, you can also check out the Fairmont’s giant, life-sized gingerbread house.