Get festive

Christmas and its traditions | Gourmet winter | Get festive | On the slopes | Valentines day

Many hotels celebrate Christmas or New Year's Eve with special festive menus and gala evenings. Here are a few ideas…

New Year’s Eve under the stars in the Pyrenees National Park
A weekend : minimum 1 night; a package including the night before in a guest house is also available.

With family or friends, come and enjoy an extraordinary adventure by spending a night in an igloo that you have built yourself! Throughout your stay in the mountains, your guide will lead you to the heart of the Pyrenees National Park, in the Aspe valley. (Photo : CL)

Together you will build an igloo, before sharing a New Year dinner in the Haute Vallée d’Aspe and setting off on a nocturnal hike to the Spanish border. The next day, strap on your snow-shoes again to explore the Somport-Causiat region or the lake at Estaens (depending on the conditions), and revel in the unique calm of these frozen landscapes.  

Simply magical…

Price: €130 for adults and €75 for under 18s, including guide, equipment, New Year’s Eve dinner, a night in an igloo, breakfast, and insurance.

Information and bookings :
Aspe Tourisme
Place François Sarraillé
64490 Bedous
Tel : +33 (0)5 59 34 57 57
Email : info@aspecanfranc.com
www.tourisme-aspe.com

Fitness and flavour for New Year's Eve
2 days and 1 night / 31 December and 1st January

A varied and relaxing new year - this is what the Béarn des Gaves Tourist Office is proposing in Salies-de-Béarn. The programme begins with a guided tour of the town, followed by a relaxation session at the thermal spa (pool, sauna, steam room, jacuzzi) for an hour and a half.

You will be staying in the Hôtel du Parc, a charming 3-star hotel fully renovated in 2007, and a 19th-century building which is a listed historical monument. The hotel is also home to the Casino de Salies-de-Béarn. It is here, under the sublime glass roof, that you will greet the new year with a gourmet meal followed by a dance evening. 2012 gets off to a good start!
(Photo : OT de Salies/Davis Guilbot)

The price includes guided tour, thermal spa session, a dinner and dance evening, a night in the hotel and breakfast on New Year’s Day. Sheets, towels and housekeeping are also included in the price.
- €139 at the 3-star Hôtel du Parc
- €135 at the Vacanciel Pavillon Médicis Hotel Club

A  3 day/ 2 night package is also available for guests who wish to spend longer in Salies-de-Béarn. Prices start from € 179 per person.

Information and bookings: Tourist Office
Rue des bains – BP 26
64270 Salies-de-Béarn
Tel : +33 (0)5 59 383 282
e-mail : resa@tourisme-bearn-gaves.fr
www.tourisme-bearn-gaves.com

This year, the Baya Hotel & Spa will transport you from Capbreton in the Landes to Argentina, in search of the tango. With music and dancing, the "Tempo Tango" band will bring New Year’s Eve to life. 

The journey is also culinary: the chef is offering a gastronomic dinner packed with a selection of Argentinian culinary specialities.

And to celebrate the change of year in style, there will be fireworks over the ocean which can be viewed from the outdoor terrace, followed by musical entertainment with a DJ.

Price:
- Dinner-Argentine show: € 155 per person including show, dinner, half bottle of champagne and entertainment.
- New Year’s Eve special package: €194 per person including New Year’s Eve (see above) and one night in a double room with breakfast provided the following day.

Book before 20th December to receive a reduction.

Information and bookings
Baya Hotel & Spa
85, Avenue Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny
40130 Capbreton
Tel: +33 (0)5 58 41 80 00
Fax: +33 (0)5 58 41 80 41
E-mail: reservation@bayahotel.com
www.bayahotel.com

Between 17th December and 31 December 2011, if you book a week in one of the Gîtes de France in Gironde or the Landes taking part in this operation, you will find a house prepared for Christmas and New Year.
Christmas tree, decorations, all you need for a festive meal, wood if the gîte has a fireplace, household linen provided... and a gift awaits you already! The only thing missing is you and your friends or family.

>> See the list of participating gîtes in Gironde, the Landes and the Pyrénées-Atlantiques.

In the other departments of Aquitaine, Gîtes de France are offering holiday gift vouchers.

>>See the site of Gîtes de France Dordogne and Lot-et-Garonne.

:: Arcachon in lights…
A weekend packed with festive delights: open-air ice-skating, the Christmas market, a visit to the Winter City, oyster tasting, a night at the theatre…
Take a breath of fresh air by the seaside, and enjoy the best Arcachon has to offer!
> Prices: €96 per person including a night in the Hotel Park Inn***. Includes breakfast and one lunch or dinner in a restaurant in town, access to the ice rink plus skate hire, a guided tour of Arcachon and a ticket to the show ‘Pan’ at the Olympia theatre.
Offer valid 3rd December 2011 – 2nd January 2012.
Other packages available: 3 days/2 nights or 5 days/4nights.
> Information and reservations:
Office de tourisme d’Arcachon
Esplanade Georges Pompidou
33311 Arcachon
+33 (0)5 57 52 97 70
www.arcachon.com

:: End of year celebrations in Biarritz
A family Christmas and special New Year’s Eve… The Radisson Blu**** has something for everyone during the Christmas holidays.
> Price:
- Fun & family package: from €99 per adult per night. Free for children under 11.
- Biarritz  New Year’s Package: from €275 per person or 326 € for 2 nights.
> Information and reservations:
Radisson Blu Hotel
Tel: +33 (0)5 59 01 13 13
Email: reservations.biarritz@radissonblu.com
www.radissonblu.fr/hotel-biarritz/offres-speciales

:: Celebrate in style at Château Les Merles
In the heart of the Périgord region, near Bergerac, this XVIIth-century château (with golf course) has two very special events lined up for Christmas and the New Year.
> Prices:
- Music at Christmas:  3 nights in a double room, including breakfasts, lunches and gourmet dinners. Musical atmospheres, with piano and violin duo. Prices from €509 per person, for two people sharing a double room.
- An Andalusian New Year: 3 nights in a double room, including breakfasts, lunches and gourmet dinners. Party atmosphere, with live music from the south of Spain. Prices from €566 per person, for two people sharing a double room
> Château Les Merles
Tél. : +33 (0)5 53 63 13 45
e-mail info@lesmerles.com
www.lesmerles.com

:: A magical night in Sarlat 
> See our top tips for details.
> Prices: from €217in a 2-star hotel
> Information and bookings :
Office de tourisme de Sarlat
3 Rue Tourny - BP 114
24203 Sarlat Cedex
Tél : +33 (0)5 53 31 45 43
Email : info@sarlat-tourisme.com
www.sarlat-tourisme.com

:: Enjoy a feast at the Château des Vigiers
Situated near Bergerac in the heart of Périgord, a 16th century château with golf course and spa and a choice of two different atmospheres for New Year’s Eve.
> Price:
- “Gourmet Château” package including accommodation in the château itself or in one of the Junior Suites in the outbuildings, plus dinner served in the Les Fresques gastronomic restaurant.
From €469 per night for two people in a double room.
- “Gourmet Relais” package comprising your accommodation at the Relais and New Year’s dinner served at Le Chai bistrot.
€399 per night for two people in a double room.
> Château des Vigiers Golf & Country Club
Tel: +33 (0)5 53 61 50 00
Email: reception@vigiers.com
www.vigiers.fr

:: Stay in one of the Club Hôtelier de Sarlat’s recommended partner hotels
This Christmas and New Year, check out one of the Club’s ever-changing promotions and prepare your palate for one of their mouth-watering special gourmet dinners…
> Club Hôtelier du Pays de Sarlat
+33 (0)5 53 30 20 87
Email : hotels@club-hotelier-sarlat.com
Site : www.club-hotelier-sarlat.com
http://hotelsdordogneperigordsarlat.wordpress.com/2011

Christmas and its traditions | Gourmet winter | Get festive | On the slopes | Valentines day