If you are looking to celebrate Christmas & New Year in Asia, join the festive celebrations of the upcoming holiday season at hotels across Asia. Find special events for enjoying your Christmas Eve Dinner or New Year 2024 countdown at some of the most exceptional hotels in Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia or Japan.
Christmas & New Year Celebration in Thailand
The list below includes festive season celebrations at hotels in the most popular destinations of Thailand, such as Bangkok, Phuket, Koh Samui, Krabi and Chiang Mai.
Making Merry in Chiang Mai
Meliá Chiang Mai is getting the mulled wine ready for its sublime Christmas celebrations including sky-high parties, a lively buffet, intimate four-course dinner and afternoon tea for two. Ruen Kaew Lounge will offer ‘Festive Afternoon Tea’ with sweet and savory treats paired with tea or coffee, and Sangria or Spanish Cava, as well as classic mulled wine, mulled berry wine and mulled wine with spices by the glass from December 1- January 31. Santa Claus will give children gifts to a backdrop of live music at Laan Na Kitchen’s ‘Christmas Eve Dinner Buffet’, featuring the likes of whole roasted turkey, beef shawarma, and a poke bowl counter, as 22nd floor Mai the Sky Bar stages ‘Christmas Eve R&B Night’ with resident DJ Fufu and Danica band. On Christmas Day, 21st floor Mai Restaurant & Bar will serve a four-course Northern Thai set dinner with the choice of either slow and tender roasted beef fillet steak with spicy toasted rice gravy, root vegetables and potatoes or work-fried tiger prawns, New Zealand mussels, squid, and lotus stems with salted egg rice for the main course. Mai the Sky Bar ‘Christmas Day Pop-Rock Night’ features a performance by Ripeye from 20:00-23:00.
Seasonal sparkle on the shores of the Andaman Sea
Resort and outside guests alike can celebrate this festive season in style at Trisara, one of Phuket’s most exquisite properties. The fun kicks off with a Thai-style Christmas Eve Barbecue where Phuket lobster, giant prawns, fresh fish and other premium ingredients are served up alongside a mesmerizing fire show and a Thai cultural performance. Christmas Day sees a special appearance from Santa who will arrive via wakeboard. He’ll be spreading seasonal joy as guests tuck into an exceptional buffet spread featuring epicurean delights such as caviar and fresh seafood. A jazz band will also be in attendance to keep spirits high. A special Beachside Barbecue on 28 December maintains the holiday vibes, before a glittering New Year’s Eve Gala overlooking the Andaman Sea brings festivities to a close. The event will round off 2023 in style with an exceptional buffet feast, a Khon Thai traditional show, live jazz band, a sophisticated cabaret performance and DJ, all leading up to a spectacular midnight fireworks display.
Extended lists of festive season events at Phuket hotels:
Beachfront Dining on Koh Samui
Visitors to the tropical island of Koh Samui, whether guests of Banyan Tree Samui or otherwise, are invited to enjoy either an international buffet or set menu, served for both lunch and dinner, at any of the resort’s three restaurants: Saffron, the resort's signature Thai restaurant; The Edge, an international restaurant with a beautiful sea view; or Sands, a beachfront venue with sea breezes and romance in the air. On Christmas Eve, The Edge will host a fabulous Gala Dinner from 19:00 with live music and a choice of specialties from land and sea, including an oyster bar, a selection of seafood such as rock lobster, scallops, sushi & sashimi, pan-seared tuna, and smoked salmon, as well as roasted veal, beef carpaccio, Spanish serrano ham. Open-air Sands is offering a set 3-course lunch menu and a 5-course set dinner menu each day from December 24-26, inclusive, while Saffron, perched on a hillside overlooking the resort and the sea, will also be serving a delectable Thai set meal on those evenings, with wine accompaniment, and a vegetarian option. And there’s nowhere better to be on Koh Samui on December 25th but Sands Restaurant, where there will be a Christmas Buffet with turkey and all the trimmings, plus a fire-twirling show and live entertainment from 19:00.
A Gala on Krabi
Located on a tranquil beach on the west coast of Thailand with spectacular views, Banyan Tree Krabi is most certainly the right place to be for a gourmet Christmas. Taste buds will surely be tantalised as guests and diners celebrate a special Christmas Eve Gala Dinner buffet at The Naga Kitchen, offering a variety of delectable international culinary choices and a signature welcome drink. Choices include everything from cold cuts and cheese to spicy tuna & salmon tartare, a live carving station, Christmas pudding in brandy sauce, and a host of delicious desserts. Japanese, Indian and vegetarian options are also available. Dining begins at 18:30.
A Taste of Spain in Bangkok
INNSiDE by Meliá Bangkok Sukhumvit, which debuted in July this year with a sky-high transparent infinity pool, an authentic Spanish tapas bar and integrated co-working spaces, will mark its first Christmas with an exquisite set menu, a buffet dinner and a buffet brunch. Commanding the hotel’s uppermost floors – the 33rd and 34th floors – LUZ Bangkok Tapas Bar will take diners on a culinary journey of Spain with a delectable four-course set menu with optional wine pairing on December 24 and December 25 from 18:00-22:00. Highlights include Turbot with Saffron sauce and asparagus and cannelloni with truffle bechamel. The Kites Eatery, with soaring windows that afford spectacular views of the city, will host a Christmas Eve dinner buffet on December 24 from 18:00-22:00 and a Christmas Day brunch buffet on December 25 from 12:00-15:00. The buffets will brim with all sorts of delights including seafood on ice, salads, cheeses, a Japanese corner with assorted sashimi, BBQ seafood, soup, noodles, a carving station with roast turkey, main courses, desserts and more.
Extended lists of festive season events at Bangkok hotels:
For more Christmas celebration spots in Thailand check Where to Spend Christmas in Thailand?
Christmas & New Year Celebration in Vietnam
The list below includes festive season celebrations at hotels in the most popular destinations of Vietnam, such as Hanoi, Da Nang, Mui Ne and others.
A Massive Gingerbread House in Cam Ranh
With the season to be merry quickly approaching Alma Cam Ranh is gearing up to host a plethora of jolly experiences for the whole family, unveiling a giant gingerbread house and sparkling winter wonderland display to boot. From 9 December 2023 until 1 January 2024, Alma will stage festivities including Christmas and New Year’s Eve cocktail parties, dinners and buffets, as well as champagne breakfast, and wine and cheese tasting. An array of activities for youngsters includes Christmas card-making at the Kids Club with children from Thien Tam Orphanage, decorating gingerbread houses at the resort’s Pastry Kitchen, and treasure hunts with Santa Claus around the 74-acre beachfront resort. “During this wonderful time of the year, Alma will try to build Vietnam’s biggest gingerbread house from 232 kilograms of gingerbread - 800 wall tiles that each weigh 155 grams and 1200 roof tiles each 90 grams - festooned in 40 kilograms of merengue,” said Alma’s managing director Herbert Laubichler-Pichler. “We’ve already started baking the gingerbread for the house, as it takes about two months to prepare the dough, and shape, bake and dry all of the bricks before the house is assembled in two days.”
Minding the New Year in Da Nang
TIA Wellness Resort in Da Nang is helping guests step into the new year on the right foot with a curated selection of activities designed to nourish mind and body. Balancing revelry and reflection, offerings range from an intention-setting workshop on December 31st to a New Year’s feast rich with local seafood, and an equally decadent plant-based menu. There’s also a sunrise meditation on New Year’s Day for early risers. On December 31st there will be two ‘Reflection and Intention Setting” creative workshops at the resort’s dedicated creative space. Each 60-minute session is led by a wellness guide who will help participants celebrate or let go of what happened over the last 12 months. The six-course New Year’s Eve feast at The Dining Room is based on the property’s wellness cuisine and their eat-light feel-bright concept. TIA’s food philosophy is rooted in eating natural, real food and using healthy alternatives, for ingredients like white flour and sugar, and cooking methods that offer the most nourishment. Prices start at 1,400,000++ VND for the plant-based course, and 2,400,000 VND with wine added. The regular course starts at 2,200,000++ VND for the meal only or 3,200,000 VND inclusive of wine.
Other great hotels for New Year celebration in Da Nang are listed here: New Year at Da Nang Hotels
Jolly Good Cheer Comes to Cam Ranh and Mui Ne
The Anam Mui Ne will soon celebrate its first Christmas, joining sister property The Anam Cam Ranh to offer festive season merriment including Christmas tree-lighting ceremonies, BBQ seafood buffets, countdown parties and more. After its debut last January with a design redolent of the Indochine period, The Anam Mui Ne’s program features a tree-lighting ceremony with a live pianist in the lobby on December 23, and a BBQ Christmas buffet at Indochine and a three-course Vietnamese set menu at Lang Viet Restaurant & Bar on December 24. A breakfast service at Indochine replete with panettone, Christmas log cake, special pastries, cakes, cookies, a live hot chocolate and mocha station, a natural body scrub-making class on the resort’s lawn are among the celebrations on Christmas Day. The Anam Cam Ranh’s celebrations include The Colonial’s ‘Festive High Tea’ and a Christmas Eve eight-course degustation dinner with optional wine pairing, and traditional Vietnamese cuisine cooked by mothers of the staff as part of Lang Viet Restaurant & Bar’s “Mama’s Cooking” buffet also on Christmas Eve with free-flow cocktails, beer and beverages. The Anam Cam Ranh’s breakfast at Indochine is accompanied by a Christmas choir and welcome sparkling wine.
Borrowing Light from Paris for Hanoi
Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi is transforming into a winter wonderland with a spectacle of lights this Christmas season. Drawing inspiration from Tchaikovsky's enchanting "Waltz of the Flowers" from The Nutcracker, the hotel’s seasonal décor embraces a “candle ritual” theme, reminiscent of 19th-century Paris, “The City of Lights.” The holidays at Metropole Hanoi are infused with timeless sophistication and joie de vivre. The tradition comes to life this year with 1 million sparkling lights, a distinctive 15-meter Christmas tree gracing Le Balcon, and a delightful army of nutcrackers. Throughout the Christmas and New Year season, Vietnam’s most storied hotel will host special dining events at the award-winning French fine dining restaurant Le Beaulieu, and at Le Club Bar (home to the hotel’s famed Afternoon Tea and evening jazz), angelina (cocktail bar, whisky lounge and rustic European and New World restaurant), and the newly renovated modern Vietnamese restaurant Spice Garden.
Lighting Up Lang Co
Banyan Tree Lang Co and Angsana Lang Co, the award-winning resorts at Laguna Lang Co, will be supplying plenty of festive cheer this year courtesy of a packed program of events and some great offers on accommodation. At Banyan Tree Lang Co, a special festive early-bird package includes 25% off the resort’s best available room rate, a resort credit per stay, and 20% discount on a Christmas Eve Gala Dinner and New Year’s Eve party. Similar benefits can be enjoyed at sister resort Angsana Lang Co. Guests at both properties can get into the seasonal spirit during the schedule of events taking place over the festive period. The fun kicks off on December 13th with a Christmas tree lighting ceremony featuring carol singers. Other notable events in the festive calendar include a Christmas Eve Gala Dinner, a special wine degustation on Christmas Day, a festival of Vietnamese street food that runs from December 30-January 1, and a New Year’s Eve countdown party complete with DJ and a balloon drop to mark the changing of the year.
For more Christmas celebration spots in Vietnam check Where to Spend Christmas in Vietnam?
Christmas & New Year Celebration in Cambodia
Festive season celebrations in Cambodia's top destinations - Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
Counting Down in Cambodia
Two of Cambodia’s most iconic luxury hotels — Raffles Hotel Le Royal in Phnom Penh and Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor in Siem Reap — are set to celebrate the festive season with exclusive fine dining and other memorable events. Highlights from this year’s Christmas and New Year programs at both hotels include multi-course Christmas Eve and Christmas Day menus, along with a lavish Christmas Day brunch. At Raffles Hotel Le Royal, ring in 2024 at one of three exclusive countdown events, including the gala “New Year’s Eve in the Tropics,” which includes dinner, dancing and a party at Le Phnom 1929 and outside on the terrace. And at Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, step into a world of magic and grandeur at the Poolside Terrace at “The Grand Circus New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner,” which will usher in the New Year in true style. Exclusive holiday season guest room packages, special high teas, fun-filled gingerbread-making classes, festive season spa offerings and much more will be held at both hotels throughout December.
More about festive season celebrations in Cambodia: Christmas & New Year in Cambodia
Christmas & New Year Celebration in Bali, Indonesia
Festive season celebrations in Bali, Indonesia.
The Art of Festivity in Bali
Tanah Gajah, a Resort by Hadiprana, is keeping things festive over the holiday period with decadent dining as well as Balinese cultural performances and experiences. Things kick off with a four-course Christmas Eve dinner to live music, and culminate on New Year’s Eve with family-friendly celebrations. On both the 26th and 29th of December there will be a traditional torch-lit Kecak and fire dance performance followed by a Royal Balinese Dinner. On the 30th Chef Dean will put on a barbecue under the stars with produce from his organic garden, along with fresh seafood and a selection of meat for the grill. On New Year's Eve there will be a series of family-friendly activities throughout the day including Balinese snack-making and an introduction to Balinese dance. As day turns to night guests can enjoy a pre-dinner cocktail at Panen Padi Lounge, take in a candle lighting ritual set to music by a Gamelan (traditional Indonesian orchestra), as well as enjoy a five-course dinner and an evening hot air balloon ride. As the clock strikes midnight fireworks will mark the moment.
A bounty of festive activities in Bali
It’s full steam ahead for Christmas in Bali with a range of festive activities, including Meliá Bali’s very own Meliá Express train. The festive form of transport is available for rides during the holiday season. Other treats for the whole family include gingerbread house painting on December 20th (from 15:00-18:00 for 450,000 IDR pp), and a cookie decorating workshop on December 21st (from 15:00-16:30 for 350,000 IDR pp). On Christmas Eve kids can enjoy a Christmas party from 15:00-16:00 and a movie night from 18:30. There’s also a Christmas choir serenading diners during the Christmas Eve buffet at El Patio. A special someone along with his elves is set to visit in the evening. Christmas Day brings more magic (literally) with a magic show at 11am followed by a Santa Parade at noon. New Year’s Eve promises to be just as festive at the property.
For the most luxurious festive season in Bali, choose to stay at some of the Best Bali Resorts with Pool Villas.
Christmas & New Year Celebration in Myanmar
Festive season celebrations in Yangon, Myanmar.
Carols and Cake in Yangon
Meliá Yangon is getting into the Christmas spirit early with a Christmas Choir every Friday from 18:00-18:30 starting December 1st, as well as on Christmas Eve. The central city hotel will also have a range of sweet treats available for purchase including decadent gingerbread houses, yule logs, and Christmas fruit cakes throughout the holidays. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day the culinary team will offer delicious feasts, including a Christmas Eve buffet dinner (17:30-21:30) and a Christmas Day brunch (11:30-15:00) Both are 35++ USD per person inclusive of free flow beer, soft drinks, coffee and tea. For an additional 15++ USD free-flow wine and cocktails can be added.
Christmas Celebration in Japan
Festive season celebrations in Japan.
Christmas is a Regal Affair in Tokyo
Palace Hotel Tokyo, a Forbes Five Star property which shares a moat with the Imperial Palace Gardens, is plating up some indulgent cuisine to celebrate the festive season. At Esterre, the hotel’s French haute cuisine restaurant in partnership with DUCASSE Paris, the six-course Christmas dinner menu combines flavors rooted in Japan’s terroir with French culinary techniques. Dishes include a lightly-cooked chu toro with stuffed cabbage and gold caviar, steamed Ezo abalone with celeriac; poached blue lobster, turnip and black truffle; grilled Wagyu tenderloin with seasonal vegetables and cooking jus, citrus from Wakayama with a sansho pepper condiment, and chocolate smoked with cherry wood, yuzu and a salted caramel composition. The menu is available from December 20 - 25th for 45,000 JPY per person. The hotel’s other upscale dining establishments are offering special course menus, like the Teppanyaki restaurant GO which includes such courses as Hokkaido hairy crab in steamed egg custard, and grilled tora fugu milt; and Kobe beef.
