Dining At The Dorchester. Credit: The Dorchester
If you haven’t made plans for New Year’s Eve yet, you’re in luck. Hotels around the world are planning lavish soirees, many with celebrity chefs and musical acts, to provide once-in-a-lifetime ways to ring in 2018.
The Dorchester
Embrace the holiday spirit at London’s grand Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star stunner. For a royal occasion, dine at all-star chef Alain Ducasse’s signature restaurant on a specialty menu that includes dishes like Scottish langoustine caviar, seared foie gras with white truffle and lobster with wild mushrooms.
If you’ve overdone it, feel free to stay the night. The luxurious property has a Festive Season package that includes breakfast the next morning, if you aren’t still too full after you wake.
The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore. Credit: The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore
The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore
You may have used the expression “drowning in champagne” before, but we’re confident you haven’t seen anything quite like this. With this Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star treasure’s Celebrate New Beginnings promotion, you can say so long to 2017 with a butler-drawn bath filled with Möet & Chandon champagne.
After the sultry splashing, partake in the hotel’s celebratory Super Night with fabulous bites, a jam-packed dance floor, live DJ and great views of the Marina Bay fireworks at midnight.
Once you wake on January 1, the fun only continues at the spa. While your earlier champagne plunge may have done some gentle exfoliating, a relaxing package consisting of a back rub, skin treatment, full-body massage and a hydrotherapy session will get you fully prepared to tackle anything the new year throws your way.
The Inn at Spanish Bay. Credit: The Inn at Spanish Bay
The Inn at Spanish Bay
Embrace the glamour of the Gilded Age at Pebble Beach Resorts’ Puttin’ on the Ritz party held at this Four-Star inn. The celebration will feature a live band, casino and arcade games, caricature artists and more. Dress in your finest 1920s apparel for professional photos and eat your fill with the bountiful buffet, open bar and full late-night breakfast.
Ocean House. Credit: Ocean House
Ocean House
Dress to impress at this Five-Star Rhode Island resort’s James Bond-themed New Year’s Eve gala, a gathering filled with live entertainment, food stations and complimentary cocktails that come shaken or stirred as you desire.
The Victorian hotel is fresh from a 2017 remodel, and while the sleepy town of Watch Hill doesn’t offer much in the way of winter entertainment for about-town secret agents, there is a wide-open beach for long leisurely walks.
The 12,000-square-foot Five-Star OH! Spa, with its magnificent indoor pool, is just the setting for New Year’s Day massages and a swim to beat the inevitable champagne hangover.
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The Cove
The Cove at Atlantis, a picturesque spot on Paradise Island in the Bahamas, debuted a stylish update of its rooms and public spaces earlier this fall. But if you need even better excuses to jet to warmer climates, we have those, too: Atlantis will host two nights of extra-special holiday concerts this New Year’s Eve, beginning with funk legends Kool and the Gang on December 30 and capping off with the one and only Sting on the 31st.
Baur Au Lac. Credit: Baur Au Lac
Baur Au Lac
No place puts you in the holiday spirit quite like the winter wonderland of the Swiss Alps. Begin your trip in style at this iconic Four-Star Zurich hotel, family owned for more than 100 years.
Throughout December, the hotel will host an elegant, mountain-inspired pop-up dubbed Chalet au Lac, where you’ll get a taste of classic Swiss fare. For New Year’s Eve, the Alpine-inspired cabin will feature a special menu that includes cheese fondue, mulled wine and traditional fire tongs punch (served in a fireproof bowl).
After dinner, the celebration continues with pyrotechnics over the lake and champagne, followed by a DJ and more revelry inside the hotel.
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The Balmoral
Centuries of history and contemporary glamour merge effortlessly in the heart of Edinburgh, Scotland, at The Balmoral. The resort’s annual Hogmanay celebration (a Scottish term for New Year’s Eve parties) is a mix of traditions both old and new.
From the pipe-and-drum sounds of the Royal Burgh of Stirling that welcome you to the gala to a black-tie champagne-and-canape reception followed by an indulgent four-course dinner, the event is first class from start to finish.
After the meal, dance to the ceilidh band; moves will come with instructions for those less versed on the dance floor.
When the clock strikes midnight, join in a singing of “Auld Lang Syne” and watch a spectacular fireworks display over Edinburgh Castle.
Banyan Tree Mayakoba. Credit: Banyan Tree Mayakoba
Banyan Tree Mayakoba
You may be expecting a Mexican getaway at this Four-Star Riviera Maya resort, but on December 31, the hotel will honor its brand’s heritage with a New Year’s Royal Thai dinner. Get a taste of traditional Thai cuisine followed by an exclusive Carnival-themed all-white beach party featuring live music, frozen vodka drinks, face painting and more.
On December 30, families can be a part of a movie night, visit the pop-up taco truck and participate in a host of kid’s club activities, including Spanish lessons, piñata decorating and Frozen-themed partying.
XV Beacon’s Rooftop Deck. Credit: XV Beacon
XV Beacon
Ring in the New Year in one of American’s most historic cities. Book this Four-Star Boston hotel’s NYE @ XVB package to enjoy a chilled bottle of champagne upon arrival, fireworks on the Beacon’s exclusive rooftop deck and a guaranteed late checkout at 2 p.m. so you can rest up in the boutique hotel’s sumptuous beds after blowing the noisemakers all night.
Manzanita. Credit: Don Riddle
The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe
This rustic-chic Four-Star escape offers the ideal mid-mountain perch for ski and snowboard fans, along with a cornucopia of outdoor pursuits for the whole family. But on New Year’s Eve, the Ritz-Carlton brings the party indoors with the grande dame of champagne, Dom Pérignon.
To bid farewell to 2017, the property’s Four-Star restaurant Manzanita will transform into a lounge with music, dancing and a menu of Dom Pérignon cocktails and bottles for purchase. The Tahoe eatery will also serve a holiday-themed dinner and offer a champagne bar and a variety of sparkling sips by the glass in the hotel’s Living Room.
Angama Mara. Credit: Angama Mara
Angama Mara
For a bucket-list start to 2018, head to this Kenyan safari lodge floating 1,000 feet above the gorgeous Great Rift Valley. On December 31 (and most every other day), hot air balloons will lazily drift past the floor-to-ceiling glass fronts of each of the resort’s 30 tented suites, setting the tone for the wonderful day of adventure ahead.
After spending the morning in the clouds, relaxing by the pool, on a safari in the Mara triangle or with a spa treatment, complete your special New Year’s Eve with an 8 p.m. procession led by singing Maasai children to the pavilion in the center of the resort.
Staff will then present you with authentic local gifts, champagne cocktails and small bites before you have an elegant dinner back at camp. A special midnight surprise is planned as well.
EAST, Miami’s Quinto La Huella. Credit: EAST, Miami
EAST, Miami
This trendy Brickell hotel has thought of everything to make your New Year’s Eve memorable. Book the Miami property’s festive package for general admission to the Midnight Masquerade party (complete with open bar) in the secret 40th-floor Tea Room. Of course, you’ll also receive plush Urban King accommodations just a few floors below the bash to crash after the countdown.
And don’t worry about rushing out the door the next morning. You’ll also enjoy an impressive New Year’s Day brunch for two at Uruguayan-inspired Quinto La Huella and a 4 p.m. checkout.
The Knickerbocker Hotel. Credit: The Knickerbocker Hotel
The Knickerbocker Hotel
The most over-the-top celebration on this list is actually more of a private soiree for you and up to 299 of your besties. New York City’s historic Knickerbocker Hotel, ideally situated just 150 feet below the Times Square ball at 42nd and Broadway, is offering five lavish ways to ring in 2018 in style.
For an experience you’ll likely tell your grandchildren about, book the Neiman Marcus collaboration package, which features 150 rooms for two nights, a private party with a DJ and a unique rooftop locale to watch the ball drop. Though the party of a lifetime will set you back a cool $1.6 million, an $80,000 donation to charity is included in the total.
If you prefer something a bit less extravagant, choose from bronze, silver, gold and platinum options that all provide access to the St. Cloud rooftop. All packages include a premium open bar and bites from celebrity chef Charlie Palmer, as well as overnight accommodations. And depending on the package you choose, you can expect anything from standing-room-only access to private reserved seating with personal heaters, blankets and bottle service.
