It took seven chefs two weeks to build and needed 572lb of gingerbread, 540 eggs and 40lb of icing sugar.

But yesterday the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club unveiled a larger-than-life Gingerbread House, complete with candied accents, icing and a Christmas scent.

John Hauser, the hotel’s pastry chef, said: “Following a successful two-year run of our Gingerbread MoonGate, we thought we would go back to a traditional Gingerbread House.

“It was a fun, structural idea to create and our maintenance colleagues really supported our vision to execute.

“The hotel looks and smells like Christmas and we hope that everyone has the opportunity to see the Gingerbread House and holiday decorations at Hamilton Princess.”