The atrium lobby of the Hyatt Regency lighted for the holidays.

Like visiting Santa at Macy’s, viewing the tree at Union Square or catching a matinee of the  Nutcracker at the Opera House, a trip to the Hyatt Regency San Francisco has become a must-do during the holiday season in San Francisco.

For starters, there is the dramatic 17-story atrium lobby, awe-inspiring any time of year and recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest hotel lobby  (not to mention a great place to wow kids by riding the glass elevators that rise and plummet above it).

During the holidays the atrium is strung with cascading strands of 300,000 (energy-efficient) white lights. Add to that, a towering 45-foot Christmas tree and a massive geodesic sphere suspended above a reflecting pool. It’s pretty spectacular.

But the Snow Village, a display of more than 3,000 handcrafted winter-themed collectibles, some movable, is the highlight. A private collection of ceramic pieces — mini ice skating rinks, chalets, trains, snowmen, ski gondolas — is the largest of its kind in the United States.

The Snow Village features 3,000 collectibles.

To entice visitors to come and stay, the Hyatt is offering a holiday sale package that includes a guest room for two, $25 credit toward food and beverages at the Eclipse restaurant and Christmas tree seeds to take home and plant. The holiday package runs from Nov. 22 – Jan. 1. Room rates start at $159.

Two big lighting ceremonies take place here on Friday, Nov. 21. The exterior building lighting ceremony (which illuminates the silhouttes of the five Embarcadero buildings at the foot of Market St.) and the lighting of interior of the atrium lobby. The events are held concurrently, starting at 6 p.m. outside at the ice rink, then moving inside to the lobby at 7 p.m. The hotel will be the scene of much revelry with Dickensian-style characters and carolers roaming about and cookies and punch served.