New Year’s Eve Hotel Events: Ideas for Packages & Promotion Tips

As the year winds down, there's one night that stands out on every hotelier's calendar – New Year's Eve. This is a golden opportunity for your hotel to turn this celebration into a revenue-generating event. 

In this article, we delve into the significance of New Year's Eve for hotels, offering insights on how to craft unforgettable experiences for your guests. From themed packages to irresistible dinners and marketing tips, we've got your New Year's Eve covered.

Why is This Night Special for Hoteliers?

While the Christmas season already brings joy and an increase in bookings, New Year's Eve stands out as a key night for creating memorable experiences and boosting revenue. This event attracts not only hotel guests but also individuals seeking an unforgettable way to bid farewell to the year.

Guests often extend their stay for 2 or 3 nights, choosing the convenience of enjoying the festivities without the hassle of preparing meals. Renowned chefs, gala dinners, fireworks, and open bars are just a few reasons why more people opt to spend New Year's Eve in a hotel, seeking a unique experience.

Celebrating in a hotel provides ample space for large family gatherings or groups of friends, enhancing the sense of community and festivity.

What Can You Do To Make the Most of It?

Special Offers for New Year's Eve

By strategically designing offers that cater to different preferences, hoteliers can maximise bookings and create a diverse and vibrant New Year's Eve celebration at their establishments. Check out some ideas for creating the most attractive packages.

• Early Bird Specials: Create a sense of urgency and entice early bookings by offering special discounts for guests who confirm their New Year's Eve dinner reservations well in advance. This not only ensures a committed guest base but also provides an initial boost to bookings.
• Exclusive Access Passes: Introduce exclusive access passes that include premium benefits such as a reserved table in a prime location, priority service, and free champagne. This caters to guests seeking a VIP experience and adds a touch of luxury to the celebration.
• Group Discounts: Encourage group bookings by offering attractive discounts for larger parties. This is especially appealing for families and friends planning to celebrate New Year's Eve together, providing an incentive to choose your hotel.
• Flexible Seating Options: Cater to different preferences by offering flexible seating options. Allow guests to choose between intimate private tables, communal dining for a social atmosphere, or even outdoor dining options.
   

Hotel New Year's Eve Packages

Apart from offering special promotions for this event, you should consider crafting original, enticing packages to attract more bookings. Themed packages can serve well for this purpose, and here you can get some ideas.

• Classic New Year's Eve Package: One-night accommodation, gourmet dinner at the hotel's restaurant, access to the New Year's Eve countdown party, a midnight champagne toast, and late check-out on New Year's Day.
• VIP Luxury Package: Including a luxurious suite, private dinner in-room or at the hotel's restaurant, exclusive VIP party access and a free champagne bottle, and spa treatments and a couples' massage on New Year's Day.
• Family Fun Package: Create family-friendly packages with special children's menus and entertainment suitable for all ages. This ensures that families feel welcome and comfortable celebrating New Year's Eve at your hotel. Also, provide them with the option to book connecting rooms.
• Adventure and Outdoor Package: If the weather is good and your property has the facilities, you can offer accommodations in cosy cabins or glamping tents, and a special outdoor New Year's Eve dinner.
• Themed Party Package: Specially designed for groups of friends, you can offer a themed New Year's Eve party with costumes (e.g., The Great Gatsby, a masquerade ball), live entertainment and special cocktails, and themed brunch or breakfast the following day.
• Wellness and Detox Package: Following this travel trend, you can cater to travellers looking for a relaxing farewell to 2023 by offering yoga sessions, a detox-focused dinner for New Year's Eve, spa access, and guided nature walks on New Year's Day.

Leverage add-ons like spa services, champagne in-room, and late check-out for additional revenue. Utilise the Christmas season to sell restaurant and spa services, targeting guests who have already booked for the holiday season.

Ideas For New Year’s Eve Dinner at Your Hotel

In order to increase bookings for the dinner, you can go the extra mile and come up with original proposals.

For example, you can create a ‘global feast experience’ by offering a New Year's Eve dinner with a selection of dishes from around the world. Also, a fusion-themed menu can be innovative and exceed your clients' expectations, such as an Italian-Japanese fusion menu, which is trendy nowadays.

Another good idea would be to embrace the ‘farm-to-table’ concept for this special dinner by featuring locally sourced and seasonal ingredients. You could collaborate with nearby farmers to create a sustainable and environmentally conscious dining experience.

Creating a 'photocall' is always a fantastic way to encourage guests to share their pictures with friends on social media. This way, you'll get free visibility about your event and reach potential guests interested in your hotel and facilities. Provide wigs, masks and other festive accessories for your attendees. And don't forget to include some branding in the photocall space, like your hotel name or a specific hashtag you create for the event.

Also, why not choose a specific theme for the dinner party? Themes such as a masquerade ball, a black etiquette party, a tropical New Year's Eve party, or an all-white party can take your New Year's Eve dinner to the next level and make it unforgettable due to its originality. If you decide to implement this idea, don't forget to decorate the dining room accordingly. By doing so, you'll stand out from the competition and attract both tourists and locals to your hotel.

When it comes to decor, remember that ambiance is crucial to the success of the event. Partner with a local decoration business for original decor ideas, establishing a collaboration for future events.

Finally, consider hiring a photographer to capture professional photos of the event. This will provide you with valuable visual content for social media and other online channels, such as your website, emails, etc.

How to Promote Your NYE’s Event

The first step in planning your event is deciding what it will look like and what it will include. The next step is to promote the event and reach as many potential attendees as possible. Here are some ideas for promoting your event both online and offline.

On Social Media:

• Build anticipation: Use various content formats to create excitement and interest in your upcoming event. Regarding content formats, consider creating carousels with images explaining what the event is about and the price, a single image with all the info, short videos for Reels/Stories/TikTok where you show a recap video from last year and a member of your team explains what the current event will look like.
  
  You can also generate excitement and urgency by launching flash sales or limited-time discounts exclusively on social media platforms.
• Influencer Outreach: Collaborate with influencers to reach both local and international targets. Ask them to tell what the event is all about and what makes your property special in order to entice visitors. You can offer this person free access to the event and a free stay in exchange. 
• Leverage User-Generated Content: Create a special New year's hashtag related to your event and encourage your attendees to use it and tag you. Afterwards, share their posts through stories and save them in a new 'Highlights' folder under the name ‘NYE 2023’. In preparation for New Year 2024, you can always revisit this folder and reshare some posts to build anticipation.

Other online and offline channels:

• Email Marketing: Send promotional emails with early bird discounts to your database.
• Website promotion: Update your website with a dedicated section or banner explaining the event and what it includes. See how Marriott promotes its New Year's Eve dinner in Palma de Mallorca.
• Offline promotion: Print flyers, create short local radio ads, and billboards to reach a wider audience.

Encourage Guest Testimonials and Reviews

Seek feedback after the event through a variety of channels, such as email, WhatsApp, Google or TripAdvisor reviews.
In case you contact them directly through email or WhatsApp, you could take the opportunity to send them a survey. Positive testimonials build trust and credibility, attracting new guests for next year's celebration.


Throughout this article, we've explored why New Year's Eve is a great opportunity for hoteliers to not just celebrate, but also increase revenue streams. From crafting themed packages that entice guests to curating unforgettable New Year's Eve dinners and leveraging smart marketing strategies, we've shared insights to ensure your hotel shines amidst the festivities. Additionally, Hotelbeds and our portfolio of 66,000+ partners can help you gain exposure to those travel distributors seeking special New Year's Eve offerings.

If you already work with us, update your details for this special night on our Hotel Extranet.

If you are not yet a member, register your property now, and in a matter of days, you'll be able to access our extensive network.

Finally, before you leave, here's a valuable resource awaiting you at the end – our guide to 'Understanding Hotel Distribution'. In the ever-evolving hospitality industry landscape, mastering the art of distribution is key. As you prepare for an unforgettable New Year's Eve, ensure you also have the knowledge to navigate the dynamic world of hotel distribution. Get it for free now!