Christmas is arriving early this year in Bethlehem, as it will for Historic Hotel Bethlehem. The hotel is expected to be completely decorated for Christmas before Thanksgiving this year to accommodate guests coming in early for the Christmas season. The hotel felt it was necessary to kick off the holiday season early as ArtsQuest and Downtown Bethlehem have done with their Christmas markets.

The Hotel is professionally decorated by designers Gary Berger and Robert Averill, who have decorated the hotel lobby, restaurants, grand ballroom, meeting spaces and exterior of the hotel for the last 15 years. This year will be no different for them, except they have to start early and at “super-elf” speed to finish this enormous job by mid-November. Together they design the elaborate displays that highlight the hotel’s ornate architectural features, and organize their set-up along with the hotel’s engineering staff.

“We have always sought to make Christmas at the hotel a truly magical experience for visitors to Bethlehem,” says Bruce Haines, managing partner. “This year will be more challenging to manage this annual experience.”

All guests will be required to have a reservation before entering the hotel. This will help the staff and the management team manage the crowds coming into the hotel during its busiest season. In years past, the hotel would have opened its doors to thousands of guests per day to view the decorations, dine with them or enjoy cocktails in their grand ole’ lobby. Unfortunately, that will not be the case for the 2020 Christmas Season.

Guests are encouraged to make dining reservations in advance on OpenTable for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Overnight accommodations at the hotel can be made directly by calling 610-625-5000. The hotel is offering some great packages for those looking for a one-night stay or weekend get-away! If locals or guests visiting Bethlehem are looking to view the breath-taking decorations throughout the hotel, they must make a reservation in advance on EventBrite for a self-guided tour. Tours are limited, so reserving early is strongly encouraged.

“The primary purpose for reservations this year is to ensure the safety of our staff and guests,” says Dennis Costello, the hotel’s general manager. “This means taking a proactive role to better control the flow of visitors in our lobby and throughout the hotel. It is not our intention to preclude from experiencing our decorations but this action is a necessary one this Christmas season.”

Visit www.HotelBethlehem.com

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Hotel Bethlehem Fun Facts

• More than 35,000 Christmas lights are used

• Over 1,000 hours of labor are needed to complete the decorations

• 20 sparkling Christmas trees throughout the hotel

• Two 16-foot trees in the lobby

• 36 wreaths

• Six 7-foot toy soldiers

• Nativity scene by St. Joseph’s Studio

• Every tree is recreated every year

• The Mural Ballroom is designed with a gold and silver classic Christmas theme

• A handcrafted gingerbread replica of Hotel Bethlehem is on display in the lobby