The Hamilton Princess & Beach Club is set to kick-start the festive season this week with a fairytale-scale gingerbread house.

The 15ft house, constructed by the hotels team of pastry chefs and an engineering team of carpenters, is intended to double as the Princess Gingerbread Shop, offering holiday treats such as chocolate, cakes and gift baskets.

“The house is made of 900lb of gingerbread, 533 eggs and 160 pounds of icing sugar,” a spokeswoman said.

“Two weeks were spent whipping up the gingerbread mixture and a final two days to affix the gingerbread to the 15-foot installation.”

The gingerbread house will be formally unveiled today as part of the hotel’s Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.

Holiday decorations will be spread across the hotel property, including the popular and “Instagram-worthy Tunnel of Lights” in the courtyard.

The Princess Gingerbread Shop will be open 11am to 6pm, seven days a week beginning tomorrow, although it will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

The spokeswoman added: “Throughout the holiday season, the hotel has scheduled a range of festive events available to hotel guests and the public.”

A seasonal brochure of events and offers is available online.