Ring In The New Year In Style With HIP Hotels
Discover
As we count down the days to 2023, we might be thinking about how we want to ring in the new year. For many, the first of January symbolizes a fresh start; the first page of a whole new book, that is as yet, still unwritten. The opportunity to start as we mean to go on, paving the way to a happier, and more peaceful year ahead. Did you know that celebrating the new year is actually the oldest of all holidays, and was first observed in Babylon around 4000 years ago? Although back then the new year began on the first day of spring, given it’s the season of rebirth. But if you’re still unsure of the best place to kick off the year ahead, some of our HIP Hotels are inviting guests to join in the celebrations with them. Here’s our pick of the best!
Hotel Heureka
How would you like all the magic of Venice, with none of the stress? Set within an oasis of calm, in the lively north-western sestiere of Cannaregio, Hotel Heureka a hidden jewel far from the madding crowds, and also the venue for a very special New Year’s Eve celebration. This 16th-century bothole, is offering the exclusive use of their spectacular property for two nights, this New Year’s Eve. Arriving on December 30th, and checking out on the first, lucky guests can get to experience living like nobility in this magical home away from home. Come midnight, Piazza San Marco will be illuminated by a spectacular pyrotechnic display, so where better to watch than from your very own Venetian palazzo? Celebrate with family and friends as the magic of Venice comes to life, with exclusive use of the hotel’s glorious noble floor and secret garden. Enjoy a welcome cocktail reception on arrival, along with dedicated waiters and bar staff on hand to ensure your stay is a resplendent fusion of time-honoured tradition, alongside the finest in comfort and design. Make use of the enchanted royal table and upon request, why not include live piano music or a DJ to play the ambient beats as you welcome in the new year. With a waterfront entrance, accessible to water taxis and private boats, you have direct access to one of the most incredible cities in the world. Need we say more.
Hotel de Russie
Widely regarded as the best place to stay in Rome, the magnificent 19th-century palazzo that is Hotel de Russie, is getting ready to ring in the new year with their very own night of celebrations. The hotel’s award-winning Stravinski Bar, and local watering hole for Rome’s glitterati, will come alive for the year’s most anticipated evening. Enjoy a light dinner menu of regional delicacies, accompanied by a flute of chilled Champagne, as the DJ plays the soundtrack of the night. Enjoy flat oysters, blue crab and more as well as the traditional Italian New Year’s Eve dish of lentils and pork sausage, just before the clock strikes midnight. It is believed that lentils symbolize future prosperity, so be sure to partake in this time-honoured tradition – well, why take the risk? For anyone not yet familiar with this iconic institution, famously dubbed “paradise on earth” by the French poet Jean Cocteau, Hotel de Russie is also home to one of the most romantic secret garden restaurants in the whole city, Le Jardin de Russie. If you’re lucky enough to spend New Year’s Eve here, be sure to take a peek. Felice anno nuovo!
Lake House
Peace, Love, Joy, Friendship, Good Health, Good Times. This is what Australia’s iconic Lake House is promising its guests for the new year. Widely recognized as one of Australia’s finest retreats, and the place responsible for putting Daylesford on the map, this highly celebrated property, sits on 70,000 hectares of Wombat State Forest, and will be the setting for one of the most incredible New Year’s Eve celebrations in the southern hemisphere. This award-winning venue is planning a truly splendid candlelit dinner featuring some of the country’s best produce, including summer harvest from their regenerative organic farm, and sister venue, Dairy Flat Farm. There will also be fine wines from their famed Lake House Cellar. Watch as the dinner room is transformed into an elegant supper club with Champagne and Amaro bar. There will be a cheese table, incredible hospitality and of course, much dancing, to the tunes of a four-piece band. Claiming to be “Elegant, extravagant, and just a little over the top”, be sure you dress to impress!
A three-night escape is also on offer with scrumptious breakfast daily, a four-course à la carte lunch or dinner in the Lake House Restaurant on one of the days and then all of the incredible NYE celebrations included. For those who really want to push the boat out, why not opt for the exclusive hire of the new Lodge at Dairy Flat Farm, for a private knees up. Surrounded by crystal clear lakes, waterfalls and volcanic plains, as well as Australia’s largest array of mineral springs, guests will be immersed in nature whilst enjoying the finest home comforts. As owner Larissa puts it, Lake House is “a destination for people who love good food and wine.” We’ll cheers to that.
Las Alamandas Resort
As one of Mexico’s most exclusive hotels, Las Alamandas Resort, will be the setting for one of the chicest New Year’s celebrations in the country. Located on an exceptional 1500-acre nature reserve, between Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo, expect this paradise hotel to pull out all the stops. From a Mexican Fiesta, with traditional Mexican dishes and dancing on December 29th, through to a special gourmet dinner, with Mariachi and Fireworks on the 31st! Designed by Isabel Goldsmith-Patiño, this luxury retreat is already a colourful explosion of fuchsia and burnt orange, set against the most perfect backdrop of azure; The celebrations will only serve to enhance the existing vibrancy of this secluded Mexican resort. Explore pristine white beaches, rocky islands and Mexican hospitality like no other. The children are also taken care of with their fun Kids Club with extra special events, plus drawing and cookery classes. For those that haven’t already explored this breathtaking property, the hotel will also be organising a Morning Guided Nature Hike, to discover all that Alamandas has to offer. Often named as one of the most romantic hotels in the world, who knows what magic could happen during this special time of the year. Close your eyes and make a wish. One word - paradise.
Venissa Wine Resort
Love Venice? Adore wine? The Venissa Wine Resort is the ultimate Michelin-starred wine retreat, set on the island of Mazzorbo, and could be the setting for your New Year’s Eve celebration. Considered one of the best-kept secrets in Venice, Mazzorbo is about as far as you can get off the tourist track, rich in natural beauty, and just a boat ride away from all the action… should you want it. Set within its own walled vineyard, Venissa is hosting a very special dinner created by Michelin-Starred chefs Chiara Pavan and Francesco Brutto, that promises an intimate and exclusive celebration like no other. The menu will be “a triumph of flavours inspired by the Venice lagoon”, with the final menu to be revealed closer to the date, given only seasonal ingredients are used. It doesn’t get fresher, or more exquisite than this. Rooms at both Venissa and its sister retreat, Casa Burano, will be ready to welcome guests looking to explore the wonder of Native Venice. This very special property is also home to the only vineyard in the world to produce the indigenous dorona di Venezia grape variety, which now thrives in the local area. Wine lovers will rejoice at this most resplendent celebration in the Northern Lagoon. Happy new year to one and all.
Hotel Savoy
Hotel Savoy is hosting a very special New Year’s Day Brunch to start the year as you mean to go on. A celebratory feast for all the family, this Renaissance hotel is serving up live music and children's entertainment alongside the most tantalizing menu designed by renowned chef Fulvio Pierangelini. Known for his two Michelin-starred restaurant, Gambero Rosso, in San Vincenzo, expect to savour the finest Tuscan dishes, that celebrate not only Christmas, but also tradition and wellness. Using only ingredients from local markets, or artisanal suppliers in the region, you can expect a menu that will be fresh, authentic and nothing short of a heavenly taste explosion. Come for the food, and stay for the ambience. This 5-star jewel in Florence’s crown promises a stunning setting for the first day of your new year, styled by The Rocco Forte’s design queen, Olga Polizzi, alongside the house of Pucci’s, Laudomia Pucci, with signature prints and Renaissance antiques perfectly offset by the city’s winter wonderland. Watch as Piazza della Repubblica, in which the hotel is set, dazzles under a canopy of twinkling lights. And parents hoping for a well-deserved night off, can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that their little ones can enjoy a dedicated play area under the supervision of the hotel’s very capable babysitters. Now what more could you ask for?
Boutique Hotel Villa Sostaga
A New Year’s Eve with... a view! That’s what the the utterly romantic Boutique Hotel Villa Sostaga is promising its guests as they celebrate the arrival of 2023. Set amongst 99 acres of beautifully manicured gardens, the former stately summer residence of Count Giuseppe Feltrinelli, perched hilltop, is just a few miles from Gargnano, one of Lake Garda’s most enchanting locations. This aristocratic property plays host to the year’s most exciting event, which will include a sumptuous New Year’s menu featuring exquisite meat or fish specialties, and the traditional “Cotechino” sausage and lentils to conclude the celebrations. Marvel as the skies are set alight with a magnificent fireworks display, as you watch from the most privileged viewpoint on the lake. There will be feasting, there will be toasting, there will be the most exclusive celebration of the night with incredible views that will remain etched in your memory for a lifetime. This exclusive offer is for a minimum of night nights in any one of their elegant and unmistakably Italian accommodation, served with a very hearty breakfast, and extended breakfast hours for the first day of the new year. Boutique Hotel Villa Sostaga also boasts an incredible wine cellar that is home to over 400 Italian and international vintages. For those that choose, wine tasting will also be on offer. If that’s not something to drink you, we don’t know what is. Cin cin!
