Christmas in Hollywood Sets Up Shop in Tinseltown

It's Christmas in Hollywood's time to shine.

Whether you need to pick up some last-minute presents or add the finishing touches to your Christmas tree, consider this Hollywood & Highland specialty store if you're looking for unique holiday decorations.

The year-round store, which opened in the fall, is located on the second level of the mall near the entrance of the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel. Packed wall-to-wall with ornaments and decorations, the store would seem the perfect place to be this time of year, but store manager Michael Borden hopes the momentum continues even after the holiday.

“We go by the motto that it’s always Christmas in Hollywood,” Borden said.

With rows and rows of hanging ornaments, shoppers will find sections representing sports themes, music and various occupations.

Diane Herzog made her third trip to the store this week. She stopped to admire some of the ornaments bearing firefighters.

“What I love about it is everything is so unique,” Herzog said. “It’s one of a kind.”

There is also a section focusing on baby ornaments, a section for couples who are engaged, married or celebrating an anniversary, and even a section with pet ornaments. Throughout the store are elaborate trees with their own themes, including a silver tree and one featuring ballerinas.

“It’s a huge selection,” said Zsolt Horvath, a tourist from Budapest, Hungary. “I like the decorations.”

The store also has a Nutcracker collection and even a “gift fit for a king,” a specially designed decoration in honor of Prince William’s marriage to Kate Middleton, Borden said.

While most ornaments range from $10 to $60, there are more expensive, handcrafted ones to choose from, including those by European-based Christopher Radko.

Another draw is that customers may place orders for personalized, custom ornaments.

Borden said being located at Hollywood & Highland has its perks.

“We get a lot of tourists, which always makes it interesting that you encounter people from all over the world,” Borden said.

The store also sprinkles in merchandise related to other holidays, depending on the time of year, including Valentine’s Day and Easter.

Christmas in Hollywood is part of a chain of stores on the East Coast that includes stores in New York and Boston. The Hollywood & Highland store is the first on the West Coast, Borden said.

Whether or not customers purchase anything, the goal of the store is to make them all feel welcome, he said.

“Part of being a Christmas shop, you have to keep that Christmas attitude,” Borden said. “I personally can be polite in about 20 languages. A Christmas attitude to me means people should remember it as a pleasant experience. They should feel better for having stopped by.”

Christmas in Hollywood, at Hollywood & Highland, is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. most weekdays and will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve.