As we seemingly race into winter, group chats will soon be abuzz with the dreaded New Year’s Eve planning.
It is, let’s face it, the most overrated night of the year, and many have been scorched with disappointment by what promised to be firework-lit festivities turning out to be more of a damp squib.
Thankfully, there is an alternative to the high-stakes glittery carnage: a pressure-free countdown on an all-in staycation with your loved ones.
Festive itineraries at boutique hotels, historic castles and cosy country houses promise to deliver a memorable start to 2024.
Think indulgent feasts on evenings peppered with mulled wine and Motown tunes come 31 December, a splash of black-tie glamour, and hearty New Year’s Day breakfasts with all the trimmings – a recovery essential if one too many champagne corks happened to be popped the night before.
Whether you’re a party animal, live music lover or are simply keen to blast off the Christmas cobwebs in the spa, here are the best breaks to mark the new calendar year with all the bells and whistles.
Read more on UK travel:
- 6 of the best Christmas breaks in the Lake District
- 10 of the best UK hotels for a luxury Christmas break
- 6 of the best New Year’s Eve breaks in Scotland for a Happy Hogmanay
The Grove, Hertfordshire
Festive happenings grace The Grove with fireworks and feasts pre-2024— (The Grove Hotel)
The Grove’s New Year’s celebration packages from 30 December include a New Year’s Eve dinner at The Stables or Glasshouse restaurant, a traditional breakfast in bed with champagne on New Year’s Day and use of the award-winning Sequoia spa, all set in the restored former home of the Earl of Clarendon in the Hertfordshire countryside – there’ll also be a midnight fireworks display, DJ and other festive surprises along the way.
Two-night New Year’s Eve packages from £1,555 based on two adults dining at The Stables restaurant.
Littlecote House, Berkshire
Countdown at Littlecote for an evening of mulled wine and Motown— (Littlecote House/Warner Leisure Hotels )
At Littlecote House in Berkshire, a three-night staycation to count down to the new year is sure to sparkle. Live Motown music featuring Lascel Wood and Ray Lewis meets classic cooked breakfasts, buffet lunches and a delectable New Year’s Eve feast during the homely stays between 30 December and 2 January, with lantern-lit walks, an extravagant fireworks display and NYE gifts included at the end of year getaway.
Three-night stays over New Year’s Eve from £825 based on two staying in a standard room.
The Gallivant, Rye
Oysters, nightcaps and midnight snacks make NYE at The Gallivant sparkle— (The Gallivant )
If it’s elegance and fine dining you seek over shots and picky platters, The Gallivant’s two-night New Year’s Eve offer certainly fits the bill. The 31 December to 2 January stay, complete with multi-course dinners, champagne and oyster receptions, nightcaps and midnight snacks, takes place against a backdrop of vineyards, sand dunes and historic Hastings. There’s even a morning yoga class on New Year’s Day or a coastal stroll for those looking to start 2024 feeling refreshed.
Two-night New Year packages from £1,328 for two guests.
Lime Wood, New Forest
It’s a splash of black-tie glamour for Lime Wood’s five-course festivities— (Jake Eastham/Lime Wood Hotel)
One of the New Forest’s best country house hotels, Lime Wood, is putting on a party this December with its three-storey spa, Italian-inspired restaurant and woodland courtyard the ideal spot to toast to new beginnings. Guests will feast on five courses and fizz while dressed to the nines in black tie before dancing to the sound of a traditional lone piper welcoming in the New Year at midnight. Come 1 January it’s a full English and a bloody mary to kick start the year, with some R&R in the Herb House Spa and invigorating New Forest fresh air on the side.
Two-night New Year stays with rooms from £495 per night.
Cowley Manor Experimental, Cotswolds
For New Year’s in a home-from-home manor house, Cowley is a treat for the eyes and the stomach— (Cowley Manor Experimental © Mr. Tripper)
Trips to Cowley Manor Experimental in the picturesque Cotswolds provide all the trimmings this New Year’s. On the two-night package, guests will be spoiled with food from top chef Jackson Boxer (four courses in fact), a midnight champagne toast, and a New Year’s Day brunch of cooked and continental delights. Picture leisurely living at a 17th-century manor house primed for festivities and 55 acres of lakes and woodlands to explore between sips in the experimental cocktail bar.
Two-night New Year’s Eve packages from £1,770 per room.
Ruthin Castle, North Wales
Indulge in history with a side of sherry and mince pies for NYE in Ruthin Castle— (Getty Images)
Denbighshire’s historic Ruthin Castle transforms into a dreamy winter retreat come December, with sparkling drinks receptions, Christmas-inspired canapes and mince pies aplenty for guests staying over the New Year. Access to relaxing treatments in the hotel’s Bazaar Spa facilities and walks around the historic castle grounds pair nicely with a three-course gala dinner in Bertie’s restaurant, hearty Welsh breakfasts and bucketloads of fizz to ring in 2024.
Two-night New Year packages from £534.
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