The Peninsula Hotels Celebrate Chinese New Year Around the World

With inspiring initiatives and special décor throughout the holiday period, along with music, food and activities on the most auspicious date of the year, 10 February 2013. Luxury shopping stays, special room rates and Chinese New Year festive programs are among the holiday offerings at the nine properties around the world. First-time guests can experience Chinese New Year with a unique twist, and return guests can celebrate in typical Peninsula style and sophistication.

The most important festival on the Chinese calendar, Chinese New Year dates back centuries and is a time of reunion with family and close friends – both at home and when travelling overseas – to welcome a new year of good luck, health and prosperity. To join in celebrating the traditional Chinese festival and make Chinese travelers feel at home during the holiday, The Peninsula Hotels will be festooned in festive hues inside and out, with hotel exteriors illuminated in red and red lanterns inside, signifying luck and prosperity. Each hotel Lobby will be decked with red flowers and pink-blossomed plum trees, representing good luck. Kumquat bushes laden with golden-orange fruit signify prosperity, and will be on sunny display. Good fortune and health will be beckoned into the guestrooms too, with special in-room amenities including tangerines, melon seeds, dumplings and chocolate coins – all representing prosperity.

Food plays a key role in Chinese culture, and no less so than at Chinese New Year. On the last day of the old year, families feast together on special delicacies and traditionally end the night with firecrackers to drive evil spirits away. At The Peninsula, guests can indulge and celebrate with special meals in Chinese and western styles at the signature restaurants. The culinary experience is elevated to perfection with The Peninsula Hong Kong's special Fireworks menu on 11 February. Guests are treated with Champagne on the Sun Terrace together with a spectacular fireworks display over Victoria Harbour.

The three Peninsula Hotels in America will surprise guests with their own ways of celebrating this prominent Chinese festival, from the exclusive stay-and-shop experience to US$ 1,000 gift certificates by Van Cleef & Arpels and a special room rate at US$ 888, with eight considered a lucky number that signifies good fortune in Chinese culture. The Peninsula Beverly Hills, in addition, is featuring Beverly Hills' most glamorous Chinese New Year Celebration Party.

The signature Peninsula Afternoon Tea features a distinctively festive Chinese flavor at The Peninsula Bangkok and The Peninsula Beijing; also at the Beijing hotel visitors and guests can celebrate New Year with a special commemorative gift featuring a Chinese wish of good fortune, crafted by a calligraphy master, with the hotel's compliments.

The fun at The Peninsula continues with the traditional lion dance. The lion dances aggressively, to loud drumbeats and deafening cymbal crashes to scare away evil spirits, while on the first morning of the new year, ritual calls for children to wish their parents a happy year ahead and receive money in lucky red paper envelopes. According to tradition, old grudges are forgotten and everyone wishes each other peace and happiness. Red packets symbolize good luck and are believed to ward off evil spirits, and will be distributed at the hotels.

In preparation for the new year ahead, families literally clean house, sweeping away the old to make way for good incoming luck, just as a snake sheds its skin. New clothes for a new year are imperative, and The Peninsula Hotels' ideal city center locations and extensive shopping arcades of luxury brands make new year shopping a breeze.

Additional hotel initiatives for Chinese New Year

THE PENINSULA HONG KONG

- Three menus: Fortune (HK$ 10,888 plus 10% service charge for a table of 10 persons), Wealth (HK$ 13,888 plus 10% service charge for a table of 10 persons) and Longevity (HK$ 15,888 plus 10% service charge for a table of 10 persons) offer auspicious dishes to see in the new year.
- Lunar New Year Puddings (New Year Pudding, Turnip Pudding, Water Chestnut Pudding and Taro Pudding) are available.
- Each restaurant offers a special Fireworks menu on 11 February with Champagne on the Sun Terrace to view the spectacular new year fireworks display.

THE PENINSULA SHANGHAI

- A peach tree and kumquat trees are on display at The Lobby and each restaurant with red packets hung on all trees representing good luck, happiness and fortune in the new year.
- Each stone lion at the entrance wears a big red Chinese bow, bringing additional fortune to the property and the guests who patronize the hotel.
- On Chinese New Year's Eve, each in-house guest receives a red packet with a chocolate “gold coin” inside to bring good fortune in the year ahead.
- Lion Dance on Chinese New Year's Day – an award-winning lion dance troupe performs at the Lobby, to which all hotel staff and in-house guests are welcome to join. Non-residents are also invited as it is believed that the attending public will all be blessed with luck and happiness.
- Yi Long Court offers special Chinese New Year menus.
- Special Chinese New Year hampers are available at The Peninsula Boutique.

THE PENINSULA TOKYO

- Dramatic Chinese New Year flower displays are positioned at the main entrance and The Lobby tables.
- The lions at the hotel entrance are illuminated in red.
- Special in-room amenities are provided for all guests.
- A lion dance on 12 February begins at the main entrance and heads through The Lobby and up to the Hei Fung Terrace Chinese New Year dinner.
- Chinese New Year six-course lunch and dinner menus are offered at Hei Fung Terrace –
the Wishes lunch menu at JPY 8,880, and Lucky dinner menu at JPY 22,880.

THE PENINSULA BEIJING

- Special Chinese New Year décor and in-room decorations are on display.
- A Chinese-themed Afternoon Tea is available in The Lobby.
- A Chinese calligrapher will write lucky couplets in The Lobby. Guests can have their names written in Chinese characters as souvenir with the hotel's compliments.

THE PENINSULA BANGKOK

- Fortune (THB 2,280 per person) and Wealth (THB 2,680 per person) set menus are available at Mei Jiang Chinese restaurant (2 – 12 February).
- A Chinese-themed Sunday Brunch at River Cafe and Terrace (THB 1,500 including hot drinks) is planned for 10 February.
- A Chinese-themed Afternoon Tea is presented in The Lobby.
- A lion dance performance will take place on 10 February.
- The Joyful Holiday Package*:
o Deluxe Room at THB 8,888 per night (minimum two-night stay is required)
o Valid from 1 – 28 February 2013
o Daily buffet breakfast at River Cafe and Terrace for two
o One buffet dinner at River Cafe and Terrace for two
o THB 500 spa voucher per stay
- The Prosperous Holiday Package*:
o Deluxe Suite at THB 18,888 per night (minimum two-night stay is required)
o Valid from 1 – 28 February 2013
o Daily buffet breakfast at River Cafe and Terrace for two
o One round trip airport transfer by hotel limousines
o One Peninsula Afternoon Tea for two in The Lobby
o One set dinner for two at Mei Jiang Chinese restaurant
o 1 hour 20 minute Thai massage for two persons at The Peninsula Spa

* Terms and conditions apply.

THE PENINSULA MANILA

- Chinese New Year-themed décor brightens The Lobby, tabletops, Front Office counters and a stunning floral display is featured.
Chinese-themed lunch buffet (PHP 1,460 per person) and dinner buffet (PHP 1,560 per person) is offered in Escolta, 9 – 10 February.
- Dragon and lion dance perform at The Lobby, 10 February.
- Special Chinese New Year theme decorations enhance Salon de Ning, 9 February.

THE PENINSULA NEW YORK

- Van Cleef & Arpels Stay-and-Shop Experience*:
o Grand Luxe Room from US$ 888 per night; additional nights from US$ 795 per night
o One Van Cleef & Arpels New York Boutique gift certificate valued at US$ 1,000 towards any watch collection purchase
o Invitation to a private reception at Van Cleef & Arpels hosted by the brand's watch expert
o Chinese New Year welcome gift
o Chinese Afternoon Tea for two in the Gotham Lounge

THE PENINSULA CHICAGO

- Van Cleef & Arpels Stay-and-Shop Experience*:
o Executive Suite at US$ 888 per night (minimum two-night stay is required) additional nights from US$ 788 per night
o One Van Cleef & Arpels Chicago boutique gift certificate valued at US$ 1,000 towards any watch collection purchase
o Private presentation at the Van Cleef & Arpels boutique on the collections including Champagne and collector's edition book Timeless Beauty (available in English and Chinese)
o Daily Chinese or American breakfast for two
o Wine and chocolate welcome gift
o One-way sedan transfer from O'Hare or Midway Airports

THE PENINSULA BEVERLY HILLS

- Van Cleef & Arpels Stay-and-Shop Experience*:
o Grand Deluxe Room at US$ 888 per night
o One Van Cleef & Arpels Beverly Hills Boutique gift certificate valued at US$ 1,000 towards any watch collection purchase
o Complimentary Chinese tea set-up and welcome gift
o Daily Chinese Breakfast or American Breakfast for one
o Two invitations to The Peninsula Beverly Hills Chinese New Year Celebration Party on February 11
- Chinese New Year flower displays decorate The Lobby and are throughout the hotel.
- Beverly Hills' most glamorous Chinese New Year party is planned, to which all hotel guests are invited on 11 February.
- A Chinese-themed Afternoon Tea is available in The Lobby.

* Terms and conditions apply.

More information: https://www.peninsula.com