It’s almost time to don your party hat and welcome the New Year. If you haven’t yet chosen where to be when the clock strikes midnight, here are outstanding international destinations to consider.
Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin, Brandenburger Tor Silvester © Hotel Adlon Kempinski
Berlin is a city that knows how to celebrate, and two hotels stand out for New Year’s Eve experiences. Facing the iconic Brandenburg Gate, Hotel Adlon Kempinski offers a glamorous New Year’s Eve Ball in its new ballroom featuring a five-course menu, cocktails and live music. The hotel’s restaurants present special celebratory menus with refined dishes such as foie gras preparations and a blood orange–Champagne sorbet. Typical packages include a stay from Dec. 30–Jan. 1 in an executive room or junior suite, a bottle of Champagne on arrival, a New Year’s cocktail reception at the Adlon Ice Bar, gourmet tasting menus, a midnight buffet on Dec. 31 and New Year’s Day brunch. Rates are generally based on double occupancy and vary by season.
Nearby, Orania.Berlin — located at Oranienplatz in Kreuzberg and part of Small Luxury Hotels of the World — hosts an elegant ball in its Orania.Salon. Guests should head to the hotel rooftop to take in panoramic views of the city’s firework displays.
In Copenhagen, the storied Hotel d’Angleterre offers a cozy holiday pause with steaming mugs of gløgg (mulled wine) and festival snowballs made from marzipan, cognac, white chocolate and coconut. Later in the evening, Balthazar — Denmark’s oldest Champagne bar — provides a bubbly interlude before a black-tie New Year’s Gala with a five-course dinner. The celebration culminates in fireworks over Kongens Nytorv (King’s Square).
On the shores of Lake Geneva, Lausanne’s Beau-Rivage Palace stages a refined lakeside celebration. Guests can enjoy a Ruinart Champagne Bubble Bar in the hotel garden with views of the Swiss Alps, followed by a New Year’s gala in the historic Sandoz ballroom, a setting known for its elegant architecture and historic significance.
Hassler Entrance © Hotel Hassler Roma
In Rome, the Hotel Hassler Roma, perched atop the Spanish Steps, offers a spectacular culinary celebration. Its Michelin-starred Imàgo restaurant presents an elaborate nine-course tasting menu featuring highlights such as saffron lasagna with blue lobster and steamed sea bass in an oyster and Champagne sauce, promising a memorable and refined New Year’s dinner.
London’s five-star Milestone Hotel & Residences in Kensington hosts an elegant New Year’s Eve dinner with dishes crafted to impress, including orange-glazed wild duck, hand-dived scallop carpaccio and a blood orange and vanilla cheesecake for dessert. The hotel’s intimate atmosphere and polished service make it a popular choice for a sophisticated city celebration.
For a Southern Hemisphere welcome to the New Year, QT Perth in Australia stages a lively rooftop party with live entertainment, free-flowing Champagne and excellent vantage points to watch the fireworks over the Swan River. The rooftop setting combines high-energy fun with striking city and river views, ideal for those seeking a festive night under the stars.
Rooftop at QT © Courtesy of QT Hotels & Resorts
Whether you prefer a glamorous ball, a refined dinner, lakeside Champagne or a rooftop party with fireworks, these international hotels offer a range of New Year’s experiences to suit different tastes — all designed to make the transition into the new year special and unforgettable.