With thousands of visitors passing through Chattanooga’s hotels and shopping malls during the holiday season, these signature properties roll out an extra measure of ambiance to set a festive mood. Swags of garland, bowers of greenery and thousands of twinkling lights provide coziness in wide open spaces and selfie backdrops for social media.
Decking the halls to create that outsized ambiance is not unlike the burst of activity that happens at the North Pole this time of year.
“Installing mallwide holiday decor is a time-consuming task, especially when it’s on top of the other daily responsibilities of the mall team, so we start installation in late October to ensure that’s ready well before Santa arrives in November,” says Stacey Keating, vice president of corporate communications for CBL Properties, which owns and manages Hamilton Place in East Brainerd and Northgate Mall in Hixson.
At two-story Hamilton Place, the centerpiece is a 22-foot Christmas tree that beckons visitors toward Santa’s Village at Center Court, Keating says. Visitors also will notice that Santa has an oversized chair that can accommodate multiple people, “especially if parents have little ones a bit shy or fearful of Santa,” she says.