Our Favourite Places to Celebrate New Year’s Eve in 2018

There’s no denying there’s a certain heightened ambience at New Year and it’s one of the world’s few truly global celebrations. There are, however, some places that just know how to do it with that extra ‘pizzazz’. At Prestige Holidays, we think these two places just about top that list.

Light up the Night in Madeira

Funchal’s New Year’s Eve fireworks display is legendary, with many claiming it’s the best in the world. It’s certainly the biggest (with a Guinness World Record to back it up) and Madeira’s cosmopolitan capital scrubs up very well in her finery.

The ambience of casual good cheer permeates every corner of the city, so you’re guaranteed to find a party in any of the upmarket bars and restaurants – but to get the absolute best view of this fabulous lightshow I recommend taking to the water. You can board a traditional wooden sloop or a luxury modern sailboat and raise your eyes (and Champagne glasses) to the skies to enjoy a close encounter with the magic of pyrotechnics.

Recommended Accommodation

I can’t think of a better place in Funchal to ring in a glamorous New Year than the magnificent Belmond Reid’s Palace. Perched on the edge of the ocean, this iconic hotel offers a truly luxurious stay set amidst the lush, glorious gardens that are the hallmark of Madeira. As is befitting the renowned Belmond brand, the hotel’s old world charm and superior level of service and facilities wrap you in a 5-star embrace, from the onsite fine dining to the exclusive pampering spa treatments.

Glam it Up in Zagreb

Croatia is hot property right now, but long before Game of Thrones brought its spectacular beauty into our lounge rooms, the wonderful Hotel Esplanade has been seeing out the old and heralding in the new with its famous New Year’s Eve Ball, held in the Emerald Ballroom.

Almost every year since the hotel’s opening in 1925 it has hosted the city’s glitterati in an evening of elegant celebration, with a lavish gala dinner, music and, naturally, fine wine and dancing. With an historical guest list that read like a Who’s Who (including Anita Ekberg and Orson Wells, to name just two), the opulence and grandeur of the Esplanade really takes you back to another time. The hotel is a study in Art Deco glamour and an architectural masterpiece in itself – in fact, I love it so much it has pride of place on my list of iconic Grand Dame hotels. This is New Year done very, very right.