Where Will You Ring in the New Year? By Amy Ziff, Editor-at-Large December 24, 2003 Why is that so many people like to toast the New Year someplace special? If they're anything like me, ringing in a new year in an exotic locale has become something like a superstition. My thinking: If I start a new year someplace extraordinary, it follows that my year ahead will be nothing less than that. Clearly I'm not alone in subscribing to this theory, because people all over the world are setting out to find the best place to stay and say goodbye to 2003 and hello to a brand new 2004. In my opinion, New Year's Eve is one of those celebrations we never grow out of. Maybe that accounts for the surge of hotel bookings on New Years eve. And yet, spending the last night of the year somewhere other than your own bed goes beyond the festive, to the realm of the seriously practical. After all, isn't there something delicious about having someone else make the bed in the morning? What a great way to start the year! Whether you’re there to par-tay, or just to ensure a night of solitary, uninterrupted sleep, I say indulge! (And don't forget to try and use some of those loyalty points to score a free room or an upgrade.) If you're wondering where to go, I took a look at where some of you are staying for New Year's Eve. Here are some of the year end hotel-stay highlights: Domestic cities with the greatest number of New Years Eve bookings to date: 10. Nashville 9. Jacksonville 8. Chicago 7. New Orleans 6. San Francisco 5. Miami 4. Los Angeles 3. New York 2. Orlando 1. Las Vegas Those who look abroad -- where the New Year comes hours ahead, hours behind and sometimes on a different day altogether – have made these the top International destinations For New Year's revelry: 6. Paris 5. Vancouver 4. Toronto 3. London 2. Cancun 1. Montreal As always, wherever you're headed, the most important thing is to stay safe. While you are in a hotel, here are a few things to keep in mind: 1 Always take note of where the emergency exits are. 2 If you're having people you know come to your room COMMA have them call before coming up so that you don't open the door to any strangers. 3 Never give your hotel information out to people you don't know. 4 If you're going to a party outside the hotel, make sure you get the number of a reliable taxi service in advance from your concierge Wherever your new year's plans take you, here's a toast to not making the bed, having the TV clicker all to yourself, room service, a do not disturb sign and maid service more often in 2004. Happy hotel hunting!

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