For the past 3 years Palm Beach’s The Royal at Poinciana Plaza has commissioned different artists to design Surfboard Christmas Trees in their own style after the hotel’s Surfboard Christmas Tree was first introduced in 2017 by the hotel itself.
Surfboard Christmas Trees
The Royal, 2017: The initial installation, created by the hotel itself, was 20 feet tall, weighed more than 4,000 pounds and was built to withstand up to 110 mile-per-hour winds. The tree’s retro-pastel color scheme was inspired by the plaza’s mid-20th century roots.
Donald Robertson, 2018:
The following year, the hotel commissioned artist Donald Robertson to add his personal touch to the surfboard tree. Now the tree has grown to 30-feet and is made out of 52 surfboards. Robertson says his colorful tree with Lip embellished surfboards was inspired by family friend designer Lisa Perry.

Gray Malin 2019:
In 2019, The hotel commissioned art photographer Gray Malin to design the surfboard tree. The artist used his aerial photographic beach images to give the tree a Coastal look and feel.

Ashley Longshore, 2020:
Pop Artist Ashley Longshore was this year’s designer of the 30 foot tall, 52 custom surfboard tree. Embellished with her colorful graphics of gemstones, the tree is topped off with a 3D diamond in lieu of a star.
See the 2021 Surfboard Christmas Tree by Jonathan Hartig here!
images courtesy of The Royal Poinciana Plaza, Donald Robertson and Gray Malin