PUTTIN’ ON THE RITZ WHAT: Your own New Year’s Eve party (ritzcarlton.com/ halfmoonbay) WHERE: Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay, Half Moon Bay. WHY: Spoil friends and family just this once as you host your own extravagant bash. Situated right above the ocean, the Ritz features 261 guestrooms, a 16,000-square-foot spa and a championship golf course. Encourage your guests to check in early and plunge into the indoor swimming pool without a care in the world. Watch the sun go down over the ocean for that last sunset of 2016. Roast gourmet s’mores piled high with luxury chocolate squares and house-crafted marshmallows. For an afternoon treat, drive into town and grab something spicy from your favorite burrito haunt or a fresh-fromthe sea snack from a local seafood stand. Give yourself a time-out at the spa where you can test drive its signature pumpkin facial. Ring in 2017 outdoors with party blowers and streamers as you watch the crashing waves under the moonlight. If you are celebrating sans kids, book the Navio restaurant’s five-course dinner with caviar and champagne. The Ritz also hosts a four-course dinner with live DJ in one of the ballrooms. Over the top? Of course. Worth every memory? Absolutely. Room rates: $849 and up. SKATE UNDER THE STARS WHAT: Ice skating (downtownicesj.com) and other attractions WHERE: Downtown San Jose WHY: San Jose’s prized 8,100-square-foot ice rink is open until midnight, so tow the clan and neighbors down to skate beneath the palm trees. But that’s not all. In downtown San Jose, a litany of venues will host 21-and-over dance parties to usher in 2017. At the beloved Fairmont, the $249 Pop the Champagne dinner commences at 8 p.m. in the Fountain Restaurant with a live band. Meanwhile, other partygoers can hit the lobby for dancing starting at 9 p.m. Other options? Spend $300 for a night at the Hotel De Anza, an art deco property, which benefited from a major facelift in 2015. Its Roaring Twentiesstyle Hedley Club Lounge is the cat’s pajamas. FROM TOP: RON STARR; DANIEL GARCIA; OPPOSITE PAGE FROM LEFT: COURTESY OF FIRST NIGHT MONTEREY; COURTESY OF POP FICTION; PREVIOUS SPREAD: ISTOCK December 2016/January 2017 87
South Bay Accent - DecJan 2016
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