Where to spend an exceptional New Year's Eve?

There are some New Year's Eve celebrations you just don't want to forget. Not those sloppy evenings spent counting the minutes between two lukewarm glasses, but nights that take on the air of a winter novel: an ancient park that sparkles, discreet music behind the woodwork, the impression of entering a parallel world for the duration of a drink and a firework display. No unnecessary glitz or flashy excess: simply the art of making time vibrate.

In Corrèze, the Château de Castel Novel

When night falls in Corrèze, Castel Novel is transformed into a fairytale setting. From December 5, 2025 to February 15, 2026, the 16.5-hectare estate will host La Féérie des Lanternes: a nocturnal journey where luminous creatures, floral arches and giant paintings create a world of dreams and mystery. The towers of this former château, which once belonged to Colette, keep watch, the stone takes on golden reflections, and you move forward as if in a film shot for the sheer beauty of the gesture. The rooms remain faithful to the spirit of a historic residence - sober, comfortable, warm - with that extra touch of soul offered by old buildings. The experience becomes almost unreal: to wake up in a fairytale fortress, to walk through a garden transformed by light, and to fall asleep believing you can still hear the whisper of a silken dragon.

• from 162 euros per night (festival admission included)
• I want to go to Château de Castel Novel

© DR

in Versailles, Waldorf Astoria Versailles - Trianon Palace

in Versailles, parties are an art form. This year, the Waldorf Astoria Versailles - Trianon Palace celebrates "Les Trésors de Versailles", a poetic thread imagined with artist Arnold d'Alger. Delicate gilding on the windows, luminous compositions and floral touches by René Veyrat: the visual journey plays with history. Behind the generously proportioned lobby, the palace cultivates a perfectly balanced sense of luxury, with lounges bathed in light and rooms featuring a straightforward classicism enhanced by marble and soft hues. Those in the know take the time to descend to the Guerlain spa, a sanctuary of well-being with immaculate colonnades, where the scent of signature treatments still lingers long after the final touches have been applied. You'll be carried away by meticulous service, exquisite gastronomy and the impression of attending a suspended party. To spend a New Year's Eve here is to rediscover a certain idea of grandeur, one that transforms an evening into a precious memory.

• from 263 euros per night
• I want to go to the Waldorf Astoria Versailles - Trianon Palace

© DR

in Paris, the InterContinental Paris Le Grand

Opposite the Opéra Garnier, the InterContinental Paris Le Grand rolls out its version of the Parisian dream. Inaugurated nearly 160 years ago and reopened after a restoration by Pierre-Yves Rochon, the hotel has rediscovered the clarity of its volumes and the Second Empire spirit that naturally suits it. 458 rooms and suites - some with direct views of the Opéra -, an uncluttered glass roof, restored lounges, polished marble and revived gilding: the hotel has been given a new lease of life. For the festive season, the hotel and Café de la Paix have borrowed the elegance of movement from the famous Maison Repetto: discreet arabesques, powdery materials, tutus evoked by a fold of velvet, soft light on the moldings. December 31st comes to life at the Café de la Paix, under the Napoleon III listed ceilings. A New Year's Eve menu in seven acts, built like an ascent in flavor: gougères with black truffles, scallop carpaccio and Oscietre caviar, filet of sole with citrus fruits... A classic score perfectly mastered. The following day, the New Year's brunch prolongs the festivities in the soft light of the first morning of the year.

• from 747 euros per night
• I want to go to theInterContinental Paris Le Grand

elise Quiniou

On the outskirts of Paris, Domaine Reine Margot Paris Issy - MGallery Collection

just a few minutes from Paris, this former royal retreat cultivates the art of a hushed New Year's Eve, sheltered by walls steeped in history. Here, winter takes on the feel of an intimate village: illuminated facades, plant wreaths, traditional fir trees and tables set in the spirit of a chic country house, with that extra touch of Parisian culture. Guests leave a wish hanging from the trees on the terrace, enjoy a signature pear cocktail in glassware designed by Sarah Lavoine, and discover a "Pillow Mantra" discreetly placed on their pillow. at table, the Marguerite 1606 restaurant serves a five-course menu celebrating seasonal produce: foie gras, truffled eggs, scallops, free-range poultry... - with a vegetarian option. For New Year's Eve, the former chapel can be rented for a small dinner party, away from the hustle and bustle, with the rare impression of a suspended moment.

• from 257 euros per night
• I want to go to Domaine Reine Margot Paris Issy - MGallery Collection

nicolas Fagot / Studio9

in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, the Domaine du Mas de Pierre

In this Provencal setting, New Year's Eve is more like an opera stage than a simple New Year's Eve dinner. Under the illuminated glass roofs, tables are slowly set, as if preparing for a solemn act. The notes of Bel Canto rise up, carried by voices that make the marble and woodwork vibrate, before the party slides into another, lighter score, animated by a DJ until the early hours. The cuisine is generous, faithful to the seasons and the Provencal spirit, and then comes the awaited moment: the farandole of thirteen desserts, a Southern ritual served here with almost ceremonial attention. In the morning, adults enjoy the peace and quiet of the spa - with its 18 m heated pool, hammam, saunas and Jacuzzi - while children have fun with the activities designed just for them. Then it's off to brunch, a gentle way to close the parenthesis before getting on with the day.

• from 283 euros per night
• I want to go to Domaine du Mas de Pierre

© DR

in Nice, Hôtel du Couvent

At Le Couvent, New Year's Eve is a continuation of a place designed for calm and light. A former religious building that has been discreetly refurbished, it features rooms with blonde stone walls and restored vaults, cloisters lined with orange trees, and a bakery where the morning bread is still warm. For New Year's Eve, the restaurant serves up a precise, no-nonsense dinner: langoustine and caviar, scallops with buckwheat, turbot with fennel, venison with hints of wild rose, truffled Brillat-Savarin, citrus and pistachio, frosted pomegranate. Just the right winter cuisine, supported by a gentle musical ambience and service that takes its time. After midnight, everyone returns to the silence of the rooms in the convent wings; the next day, the house reopens for a seasonal lunch, always accompanied by the French toast that is part of the ritual. No fuss, no muss - just the idea of a careful passage into the New Year, in a place where luxury never raises its voice.

• from 315 euros per night
• I want to go to theHôtel du Couvent

emma Pitti Ferrandi / Adrianna Glaviano

in Monaco, the Fairmont Monte Carlo

A veritable institution just a stone's throw from the Rock, this 4-star hotel, with its 596 rooms and suites, is one of Monaco's must-visit addresses. The recently renovated rooms all open onto a terrace, a detail that changes everything on a December evening. Depending on your orientation: the dark, calm Mediterranean, the famous Grand Prix bend at a standstill, or a peaceful garden for those who prefer the softness of plants to the glitter of yachts. For dinner on the 31st, head to the Nobu restaurant, with its revisited décor. The spirit remains that of the house: precision and balance. An eight-course Omakase, designed with New Year's Eve in mind, blends the emblematic flavors of Japanese-Peruvian cuisine with noble holiday products such as caviar, snow crab, oysters and foie gras.later, those wishing to extend the evening can take to the rooftop, where Monaco looms in the background and the sky is ablaze with fireworks.

• from 290 euros per night
• I want to go to the Fairmont Monte Carlo

anthony Parkinson

in Montpellier, the Domaine de Verchant

We often arrive at this 5-star establishment forgetting that we're still very close to the city. The road winds through warehouses and parking lots, then suddenly the vines take over, lined up with almost military precision. Behind the cypress trees, you can make out the old farmhouse. The pale stone, the sober facades, the calm of the clean-lined rooms furnished with the best of Italian design. The chef, Alexandre Caillaud, revises his score for the 31st in the shadow of the kitchen: oyster, daikon and caviar to start, then blue lobster just topped with salty citrus, turbot with roasted juice and truffle, roast venison, stilton with port, hazelnut and black lemon before the mignardises. An eight-course gastronomic menu to be enjoyed from the warmth of Marcelle's huge bay window. We return to the bar before joining the DJ, who sets up after midnight. Tomorrow, we may be back in the heated pool or enjoying a treatment in the 2,000m² spa.

• from €181 per night
• I want to go to Domaine de Verchant

© DR

Évian-les-Bains, Hôtel Royal

Between the French and Swiss Alps, on the shores of Lake Geneva, we prepare for December 31st with the discreet seriousness of the great houses. The hotel offers a gala dinner in its historic salons, under ceilings decorated by the painter Gustave-Louis Jaulmes and now listed. All the hallmarks of haute gastronomy (caviar, lobster, truffles, meticulous patisserie) are on display, with service calibrated to an elegant tempo. Guests can also choose the Table hors-pistes, a transparent lodge set in the gardens for a private dinner overlooking the lake and mountains. After the twelve knocks, a drink at the bar, a few notes of music and a taste of the hushed ambience of a winter palace. The next day, a family brunch, afternoon tea for the kids and hot chocolates: an end-of-year experience at an address that masters the art of celebration!

• from 382 euros per night
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luke Telling / Labo N°3

In Centre-Val de Loire, Domaine de Primard

an hour from Paris, Primard is like opening a family album. A boxwood-lined driveway, a stone bridge, and then the straight, sober Directoire façade. inside, a succession of lounges, creaky parquet flooring, antique fireplaces and the feeling of being at home. Restoration work by Frédéric Biousse and Guillaume Foucher has preserved the woodwork and repositioned the volumes. In the gardens, you can lose yourself between the rose garden, the moat where a boat waits, the working kitchen garden, the orchard and the meadows where the animals roam peacefully. Cross the estate to the Barn, where the spa and fitness center take center stage. The 39 rooms and suites, divided between the château, the Maison du Lac and the Maison du Verger, look out over the garden and feature Pierre Frey fabrics, Gien earthenware and bespoke or carefully sourced furniture. at table, it's time for a perfectly executed New Year's Eve feast: langoustine ravioli, roasted scallops, smoked beef fillet, truffled Mont d'Or, tangy citrus fruits... We dine by the fire, lulled by a Brazilian guitar, then midnight arrives softly: glass of champagne, a surprise in the courtyard and lanterns rising above the moat.

dR

• from 213 euros per night
• I want to go to Domaine de Primard