Every week our Holiday Hero Neil Simpson takes an in-depth look at a brilliant holiday topic, doing all the legwork so you don’t have to. This week: New Year’s Eve breaks.
It’s not too late to book a mini-break if you don’t want to spend New Year at home – but you’ll need to move fast.
There have been a lot of demand for hotels, holiday parks and group tours. You might not get your choice. If Covid makes it impossible to cancel early, you might find last-minute bargains.
Going out with a bang: Warner Leisure Hotels has plenty of availability on its popular three-night breaks that include New Year’s Eve dinner and fireworks
Many Warner Hotels will host tribute acts. This is the Queen tribute act.
This means that it is worth paying to be on a waiting list for information or to make frequent calls to companies to get updates.
Warner Leisure Hotels has plenty of availability on its popular three-night breaks that include full board, afternoon cabaret and entertainment plus New Year’s Eve dinner and fireworks. In many hotels, tribute acts can also be seen to celebrate the music of Madness and Genesis as well as Queen, Motown, Madness and Genesis.
Bembridge Coast Hotel and Norton Grange Coastal Village, both on the Isle of Wight, are among the Warner hotels still taking bookings from £419pp. Some of the group’s luxurious hotels in Wales, Suffolk, Somerset and North Yorkshire are also excellent options for last-minute getaways (warnerleisurehotels.co.uk).
Britannia Hotels might still offer rooms in places like Blackpool, Bournemouth and Aviemore.
Packages from December 30 to January 2 include buffet breakfast, three-course dinners plus a New Year’s Eve gala dinner, from £300pp (britanniahotels.com).
Blossom plantation park, Northumberland celebrates 2022 with style
As well as checking availability on sites such as hotels.com, explore more atmospheric places to stay with English Country Inns – it links to independent pubs with rooms, as well as stylish boutique hotel groups such as Malmaison and Hotel du Vin (english-inns.co.uk).
Holiday parks offer some of the most sociable places to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Hoseasons has last-minute offers including wooden pods in Northumberland at Blossom Plantation Park and Cornwall Lodge Home on Millendreath Beach Resort.
You can also make a move quickly and find accommodation at the Cofton Holidays lodges near Dawlish, Devon. This site offers you the chance to explore the coastline and countryside, and even has an indoor swimming pool. Week-long New Year breaks start on December 27 or 31, from £386 for two (coftonholidays.co.uk).
Shearings is offering small groups tours to the likes of Torquay, above, that include a five-course dinner on New Year’s Eve
Solo travellers looking to travel around the UK in small groups have been very popular at the New Year. This is due to the fact that they can help build friendships before 31st January. Many tours offered by specialist companies such as Just You and One Traveller are sold out. However, there are still waiting lists.
Shearings, a tour operator, is selling its last slots for three- and four-night stays at Torquay Eastbourne Windermere Loch Lomond, Windermere or Oban.
Guests are collected in coaches from pick-up points across the country and driven to their hotel for a bucks fizz on arrival before enjoying local sightseeing trips, a five-course dinner on New Year’s Eve and a full English breakfast to start 2022. Trips cost from £369pp (shearings.com).