KATIE HAMMEL
As the clock ticks down to midnight, a crowd gathers in Times Square, waiting for a glittering ball to descend and launch the New Year. But this isn’t New York, it’s Hong Kong, where a ball drop has also become an annual tradition.
Around the world, locals celebrate the passing of one year to the next in similar ways: fireworks, street parties, dancing, and generous helpings of food and drinks. Still, each destination has its own cultural twists and distinctive setting. In St. Petersburg, Russia, for instance, folks bundle up to admire fireworks above the partially frozen Neva River—and send hundreds of paper lanterns up into the night sky.
Party people can stay out late in Reykjavik, Iceland, then go for a dip in the hot springs. Or they can join the massive beach bash in Valparaíso, Chile. For good luck in 2014, do as the Chileans do and wear yellow underwear, eat a dozen grapes at midnight, and put a $1,000 peso bill in your shoe.
Beachfront fireworks shows ring in the New Year in Maui, HI, which caters to couples and to families. The Bahamas offers similar warm-weather appeal along with traditional Junkanoo costumed street parades.
Whether you’d rather cozy up by the fire with a fine wine in Sonoma, CA, sing “Auld Lang Syne” on a torchlight procession through Edinburgh’s cobblestoned streets, or party until the sun comes up, there’s a destination that will start your New Year right.
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Valparaíso, Chile
Why Go: The biggest New Year’s Eve show in Latin America takes place in the Valparaíso harbor with a 20-minute fireworks show (launched from 17 different points along the coast between Valparaíso and Viña del Mar) and a dance party that lasts until the sun comes up. The festivities begin on the 28th, and by the 31st more than a million people have made their way to the city’s sandy shores for the beach party to end all beach parties. To ensure good luck in the New Year, do as the locals do and wear yellow underwear, eat a dozen grapes at midnight, and put a $1,000 peso bill in your shoe.
Where to Stay: Each of the 14 rooms at Hotel Acontraluz overlooks the beach and comes with furniture made with reclaimed materials like adobe and Oregon pinewood once brought to Valparaíso as shipping ballast. hotelacontraluz.cl
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Reykjavik, Iceland
Why Go: Iceland’s capital has an outsize nightlife that belies its small size, and on New Year’s Eve the hard-partying locals throw a citywide celebration that lasts until the wee morning hours. The party starts with community bonfires, meant to symbolize the burning away of the previous year’s troubles, and thousands of fireworks lighting up the sky from every corner of the city. For the best view, head to the Perlan, or Pearl, which offers a fantastic view of the city and hosts a New Year’s Eve party with dinner, drinks, and dancing. If you make it to 5 a.m., join the locals queuing up for hangover-helping hot dogs, or head to the hot springs for a rehydrating soak.
Where to Stay: With panoramic views over the festivities, the luxury apartment–style rooms at downtown’s Room With a View put guests close to the action but above the fray. roomwithaview.is
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The Napa and Sonoma Valleys
Why Go: While winter is the slow season in northern California wine country, it makes for a more laid-back, less crowded holiday experience. On New Year’s Eve, many larger hotels and wineries offer their own wine-fueled parties in cellars and wine caves, including the Black and White Gala at Etoile at Domaine Chandon, a candlelit multicourse dinner in the Trinitas Cellars wine cave at the Meritage Resort, and a five-course dinner and masquerade ball in the Grand Barrel Room at Castello di Amorosa winery. The Napa Valley Wine Train hosts a Blackjack Ball in its restored Pullman cars as they make their way up and down the valley. For a more low-key celebration, make reservations at one of the area’s famed restaurants, such as Redd, Bottega, or Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc or Bouchon in Yountville, and then retreat to a luxury inn for a private midnight toast by the fire.
Where to Stay: In Sonoma, the Lodge at Sonoma Renaissance Resort & Spa (marriott.com) offers an on-site restaurant and a free shuttle to the nearby Sonoma Plaza. Napa’s Hotel Yountville (hotelyountville.com) is an ultra-sexy oasis just steps from the dining options of charming Yountville, including the French Laundry.
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Bratislava, Slovakia
Why Go: New Year’s Eve in Bratislava is as unpretentious as it gets—the frat party to the black-tie balls of Vienna, just an hour away. The Slovak capital’s medieval Old Town hosts more than 10,000 people for concerts, open-air dance parties, and a fireworks show over the Danube River. It’s divided into a “concert zone” for those more interested in live local music and “party zones” for socializing. Jumbo screens broadcast the celebrations in other capital cities worldwide. Just be prepared: New Year’s Eve here is a noisy affair, as tradition dictates the use of a rehtacka, or wooden noisemaker, to chase away the negative energy of the past year.
Where to Stay: The modern two-room suites at Penzion Virgo in Bratislava’s Old Town come with double beds, kitchenettes, private terraces, Wi-Fi, and continental breakfast—for roughly $110 per night. penzionvirgo.sk
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Bahamas
Why Go: Relaxing beach days give way to wild nights as the Bahamas gets ready to ring in the New Year. Most hotels, including the Atlantis, the Grand Lucayan, and Stella Maris, offer their own parties, while locals follow the Junkanoo street parades that lead to informal beach gatherings and fireworks shows around the islands. The Bahamian version of Mardi Gras, complete with music, masquerading street performers, and colorful costumes, these parades also take place on January 1; you can check out New Year’s Day Junkanoos in downtown Freeport on Grand Bahama Island, along Bay Street in downtown Nassau, in Nicholls Town on North Andros, in Plymouth on Green Turtle Cay, and in Alice Town in North Bimini.
Where to Stay: The Atlantis has the whole family covered with special New Year’s Eve events for kids, a masquerade ball for adults, and prime viewing of the Marina Village fireworks.
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Edinburgh
Why Go: No city does New Year’s with as much enthusiasm as Edinburgh. The Hogmanay celebration lasts four days and includes a torchlight parade through the city, concerts, and a massive street party on Princes Street. “Auld Lang Syne” was written by Scotsman Robert Burns, and the song takes on special significance when sung in the streets of Edinburgh as glowing torchlights illuminate the happy revelers. The Scots practice the tradition of “first-footing,” in which the first guest of the New Year should bring gifts; popular offerings include whisky or Scottish shortbread. On January 1, spectators gather at the River Forth to watch a group of brave souls splash into the freezing water in the annual Queensferry Loony Dook charity event.
Where to Stay: The 13 rooms at Castleview Guest House offer the charm of traditional styling with all the modern amenities. The family-owned guesthouse provides visitors a sanctuary from the surrounding festivities but is just steps from Edinburgh Castle. castleviewgh.com
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Vienna
Why Go: New Year’s Eve in Vienna is more than galas and storied balls, although there are plenty of those to be found. Revelers crowd the Silvesterpfad, or New Year’s Path, in the city center. The party, fueled by hot mulled wine and toffee apples, lasts from 2 p.m. to well after midnight, when the chimes of the Pummerin bell ring out from the tower of St. Stephen’s Cathedral and a fireworks show dazzles over the Prater park. The Majestic Imperator train, a “palace on rails,” takes guests into the New Year in luxurious style with a black-tie dinner and a stop on a Danube bridge at midnight for an incredible view of the city’s fireworks. For a more casual party, head to the Rathaus (City Hall) to watch the New Year’s Concert projected on a big screen. Be sure to eat some Glücksschwein, or good-luck pigs, which you’ll find in every form, from suckling pig to pig-shaped marzipan treats.
Where to Stay: Offering 26 rooms in a 19th-century house right by St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the Hollmann Beletage mixes contemporary with old-world elegance. Its eight-seat cinema screens Austrian films nightly.
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Sydney
Why Go: Sydney beats everyone else to the punch as the first major city to celebrate the New Year. It also hosts one of the largest parties; more than 1 million people attend the waterfront show, with more than a billion people watching it televised around the world. Sydney’s celebration lasts all day and into the night and is fun for the whole family, with an air and water show featuring thrilling aerial acrobatics and a fire tug water display, a Harbour of Light Parade (an illuminated flotilla of more than 50 vessels), and two fireworks shows—one at 9 p.m. and again at midnight.
Where to Stay: You can’t sleep closer to Sydney Harbour than the Sebel Pier One hotel, which is built over the water. The hotel promises guests reserved pier space for viewing the Sydney Harbour Bridge fireworks. sebelpierone.com.au
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St. Petersburg, Russia
Why Go: The grand boulevards and bridges of St. Petersburg are at their most beautiful covered with a layer of snow and illuminated by holiday lights. The lavish Hermitage Museum is particularly striking on December 31, when it’s surrounded by crowds waiting for the fireworks show over the partially frozen Neva River. As the clock ticks down, they drink champagne and send hundreds of paper lanterns up into the night sky. Russians celebrate both Catholic Christmas on December 25 and Orthodox Christmas on January 7, so visiting now means coming smack in the middle of the holiday season, when the city’s main drag, Nevsky Prospect, is decorated in Christmas lights and images of Father Frost (the Russian version of Santa) are everywhere. And Russians turn out yet again on January 13 to celebrate Old New Year, a remnant of the Julian calendar used prior to the Revolution.
Where to Stay: It won’t come cheap, but a New Year’s at the Grand Hotel Europe will be a night to remember. The opulent hotel, built in 1875, was the first in Europe to have electric lights and was Dostoyevsky’s preferred place to stay.
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Hong Kong
Why Go: Hong Kong’s New Year’s Eve celebration features one of the world’s best pyrotechnic shows, a sensory extravaganza of light and sound that includes an eight-minute fireworks show over Victoria Harbour and a Times Square countdown, complete with a replica ball drop at midnight. The show actually starts much earlier, with the Symphony of Lights display that illuminates 45 buildings in the Hong Kong skyline every night at 8 p.m. all year round. The best views of the Victoria Harbour fireworks can be seen from a boat; on dry land, head to the Avenue of Stars in Tsim Sha Tsui in Kowloon, or party in one of the many bars in the Lan Kwai Fong district.
Where to Stay: The 93 rooms at Butterfly on Morrison are decked out in bright colors and floor-to-ceiling windows, many with harbor views. The hotel is just a few minutes’ walk from Times Square and offers free Wi-Fi. butterflyhk.com
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Maui, HI
Why Go: New Year’s Eve in Maui offers options for any taste: a lively hotel party; a romantic dinner for two on the beach; fireworks seen from a catamaran cruise or with the kids at a traditional Hawaiian luau. The real show happens the next day for those who rise early and head to the summit of Haleakala to start the New Year with one of the most spectacular sunrises in the world. Hawaii’s melting-pot culture means New Year’s traditions vary widely; among people of Japanese descent, it’s customary to eat ozoni, a mochi soup, to ensure prosperity. Throughout the islands, if you want to wish someone a happy New Year, try your hand at saying, “Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!”
Where to Stay: Set on the beach in a protected cove, the 163 rooms of Napili Kai are spread over 10 acres, giving guests ample space to find a private piece of paradise. There’s an on-site restaurant and bar, four pools, and a kids club. napilikai.com
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Cape Town
Why Go: Only in Cape Town can you ring in the New Year atop one of the world’s most mesmerizing natural wonders. As the Mother City celebrates below, revelers on top of Table Mountain can picnic and party until 12:30 a.m., with an unobstructed view of the V&A Waterfront fireworks. The party continues on January 1, with thousands heading to local beaches. New Year’s Day (and the day after) also sees the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival parade through downtown, with 10,000 performers in whiteface paint dancing and singing in the streets. The parade’s traditions date back to the 19th century, when slaves were given January 2 to celebrate the New Year.
Where to Stay: Along Cape Town’s stunning V&A waterfront sits the luxurious Table Bay. With 311 rooms offering a range of city and ocean views, plus fine dining and a spa, the hotel treats guests to the best Cape Town has to offer.
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Berlin
Why Go: Berlin has a worldwide reputation as a party city. It seems the German capital hasn’t stopped celebrating its freedom since the Wall fell in 1989. On New Year’s Eve, or Silvester, as it’s called in Germany, more than 1 million people fill the “Party Mile” that extends from Brandenburg Gate and is lined with music stages and food and drink tents serving beer, mulled wine, and local specialties like currywurst, a pork sausage topped with curry-dusted ketchup. There’s a fireworks show at midnight, after which the party moves to the city’s many over-the-top dance clubs like Berghain, a gargantuan club with a 1,500-person capacity, legendary for its wild parties that can last for 12 hours or more. If you’re still standing the next day, sweat out the previous night’s excess in the annual free four-kilometer New Year’s Run, which loops from Brandenburg Gate to the Berliner Dom and back.
Where to Stay: While the historic Hotel Adlon is just steps from Brandenburg Gate, the effortlessly chic Hotel Indigo near Alexanderplatz exudes a hipper vibe more befitting the holiday. hotelindigoberlin.com
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Las Vegas
Why Go: Sin City throws the ultimate party on New Year’s Eve with a mind-boggling number of concerts, shows, club parties, and casino and hotel bashes, including the Downtown Countdown held at the Fremont Street Experience. Come midnight, watch the show from a rooftop bar like the Rio’s VooDoo Lounge, Ghostbar on the 55th floor of The Palms, or AirBar at the Stratosphere, which also hosts dinner with a view of the show at its Top of the World restaurant. Fireworks go off from seven rooftops along the Strip, so you’re guaranteed a view from nearly any angle.
Where to Stay: Las Vegas’s ode to the City of Light, the Paris, Las Vegas, brings European flair to Sin City. Gordon Ramsay just opened a steakhouse on site, while the hotel’s bistro, Mon Ami Gabi, offers more affordable French cuisine with excellent views of the Bellagio fountains.
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London
Why Go: London remains aglow with the holiday spirit through New Year’s Eve, when the city’s three-hour extravaganza along the River Thames draws 250,000 people with its 10,000 performers, a fireworks show at the London Eye, a midnight countdown alongside the chiming of Big Ben, and a massive group sing-along to “Auld Lang Syne.” Take in the sights of all the festivities on a Thames dinner cruise, or for land-based viewing, grab a spot along the Victoria Embankment or the Waterloo or Westminster bridges.
Where to Stay: If you’re going big in London, you can’t go bigger than the iconic Savoy Hotel on the banks of the Thames. Spend the afternoon of January 1 in the hotel’s Art Deco Beaufort Bar, which serves “tipsy tea” cocktails with finger sandwiches and scones with clotted cream.
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Niagara Falls, Canada
Why Go: The biggest New Year’s Eve party in Canada takes place over the most powerful waterfall in North America, Niagara Falls. More than 2,000 pounds of fireworks are set off in two shows at Victoria Park overlooking the falls. Before and between the explosions, international musical acts keep an all-ages crowd warm as they count down to midnight. The Ontario Power Generation Winter Festival of Lights also runs throughout the holiday season. In addition to 120 lighting displays created with more than 3 million lights, the festival includes the TD RINK at the Brink, an ice-skating rink overlooking Horseshoe Falls.
Where to Stay: Rooms at the Marriott Gateway on the Falls have panoramic views of Niagara Falls, which means a clear view of the fireworks as well. The hotel is also throwing its own party with dinner, dancing, and a champagne toast at midnight. marriottgatewayonthefalls.com
Source: http://www.travelandleisure.com/slideshows/best-places-to-spend-new-years#valparaíso-chile
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