Where To Go For New Year’s Eve 2021?
New Year’s Day is getting closer, and we all want somewhere to enjoy and celebrate in the best way we possibly can. There are many brilliant choices, from a house party with friends at home or even catching a flight to party in vegas. No matter your choice, you should always ensure that the people you love the most are surrounding you. Here are some of our best ideas to welcome the new year.
USA, New York City
Though it doesn’t seem innovative, Times Square is a good choice because it is the archetypal New York City New Year’s celebration. The view from the bar windows of the Renaissance Hotel’s R Lounge is outstanding, offering a stunning view of the iconic One Times Square building, where the ball drops.
Swap Manhattan for Brooklyn if you’re a real New Yorker. Brooklyn Bridge is a fantastic place to watch the fireworks from above. In addition, Prospect Park offers free fireworks and live music. A favorite New York dig is the Lowell Hotel. There’s a beautiful new facelift for this chic retreat on East 63rd Street. You can expect a neoclassical foyer, more elegant bedrooms, and a spacious Pembroke Room for tea.
France, Paris
The city of romance is the perfect place to spend New Year’s Eve if you have a particular person to share a midnight kiss with. There will be no shortage of fireworks displays along the Champs-Élysées, but if you prefer to soak up the atmosphere without being surrounded by crowds, head over to the street parties in hilly Sacré-Coeur. You can admire the Eiffel Tower lit up all year round from here with slightly fewer crowds.
A couple of weeks before New Year’s Eve, the French traditionally eat a supper known as le réveillon – usually a lavish feast of oysters, caviar, escargots, and foie gras. If you wish to eat at La Tour d’Argent, a Michelin-starred restaurant, plan to start saving in January to afford its exceptional menu and view over the city. You can watch the fireworks over the Seine from the roof terrace of cool club Wanderlust for a more budget-friendly option.
Make an impressive start to the new year by staying at the luxurious Le Meurice, a creative haven that’s hosted artists like Dali and Picasso, with interiors by Philippe Starck. If you’re suffering from a hangover, head to one of the many beautiful Airbnbs in the city and find the perfect street-side café to drink your coffee.
Italy, Venice
You’re right; it’s touristy. It’s crowded, for sure. However, the anticipation of counting down to midnight in the packed Piazza San Marco on New Year’s Eve makes Venice’s enchanting atmosphere even more worth the wait. In order to see the fireworks from a good vantage point, you must arrive a few hours early.
You can see Venice’s fireworks show by taking the Vaporetto water bus to Giudecca and viewing it from across the lagoon. The Italian New Year’s Eve is full of different traditions that you can participate in. For example, red underwear is considered good luck as the new year begins, while lentils are also considered lucky, making them essential to any new year’s dinner. In addition, you can try out modern practices, including a chilly swim in the Lido on New Year’s Day.
From the elegant St Regis to the stunning Ca’Sagredo, a 15th-century palace overlooking the Grand Canal, there’s no end to the choice of hotels in the floating city.
Iceland, Reykjavik
ICE-SAR, Iceland’s national search-and-rescue unit, has just completed its most lucrative fundraising project of the year. First, it sells fireworks to the public. Then, a mini fireworks display lights up the sky when the clock strikes 12, transforming the entire city into an awe-inspiring spectacle. Listen to the sounds of fire engines and ships in the harbor as they blow horns and ring bells during the fireworks show.
Local bonfires kick off the celebrations well before the countdown (thanks to the long winter nights), starting at 4 pm. The unique vantage point that Hallgrímskirkja Church offers atop Skólavörðuholt hill makes it the ideal place from which to watch fireworks and launch them.
The 101 Hotel in Reykjavik has a Scandi minimalist design with heated floors and sheepskin rugs in the rooms, plus a Japanese bath in the basement. For a more upscale experience, try Hotel Borg, Iceland’s most luxurious address for centuries.
Australia, Sydney
With Sydney Harbour only reopening in October, this year’s firework display will be different from the usual over-a-million-strong gathering along the foreshore. Therefore, if you’ve already made it to the beach, join the group of people bobbing in the water, hire a boat and bring bubbles with you to start the countdown early. For front row seating at one of the waterfront restaurants by Sydney Harbour Bridge, land lovers may prefer to reserve an outside table.
If you book a spot ahead of time, you can even set up a moonlit picnic on Cockatoo Island in advance of the show. Could you imagine New Year’s Eve without the fight for a taxi at the end of the night?
Overlooking Sydney Harbour, the Opera House, and Harbour Bridge, the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney is located in the city’s financial district. However, you can experience more local flavor at the new Paramount House Hotel in food-lovers mecca, Surry Hills. Here, inspiring furniture, bathrooms, and beer from independent Australian makers are presented in an industrial concrete-and-copper aesthetic.
