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Dear Sophisticated Luxury Traveler,
Imagine being whisked away in a horse-drawn carriage, greeted by royalty, served by waiters in livery and transported back to a time of European old-world opulence! This year, celebrate New Year’s Eve with an air of Viennese charm and elegance at the annual New Year’s Eve Kaiser Ball and Gala Dinner held at the imperial Hofburg Palace in Vienna!
Picture it... you’ve just had private waltz lessons at Tanzschule Elmayer, one of Europe’s finest dance schools. Preparations at the Hofburg Palace were started days ago for the Gala Dinner you’ll be attending tonight. Groomsmen are preparing each horse and carriage for your stately transport. Every detail has gone into making this night perfect just for you. Nothing is left to chance.
All over the world eyes and ears turn to Vienna to welcome the New Year. It is a night of being wined and dined in a city of unparalleled elegance and refinement. Dance the night away to Strauss, Schubert and Rossini, under the high vaulted ceiling of a historic ballroom illuminated by antique crystal chandeliers showering the room with a thousand and one points of dazzling light. Ladies, your grace and beauty is reflected in your husband’s adoring eyes. Gentlemen, give your wives the New Year’s of their life, give them the fairy tale!
No only will you ring in the New Year like royalty, but you’ll live like a king for five luxurious days during your stay at the Grand Hotel Vienna, an icon to Viennese aristocracy and socialites for over one hundred years. This five-star palatial hotel remains rich with extravagant décor, true to the Belle-Époque era yet updated with the latest comforts and technological amenities suited to the highest standards of 21st century luxury accommodation. With a full champagne buffet breakfast every morning, immaculate service, award-winning restaurants and a state-of-the-art health club, you’ll feel right at home as a member of the local gentry. The atmosphere of grandeur is intoxicating, and nothing compares to the experience of gracefully descending the majestic dual staircase down to the Hotel lobby, beautifully attired in your finest formal wear. This is really a moment to savor.
Explore the opulence of the Hapsburgs and gaze upon the legendary empire’s crown jewels. Stroll through the grandiose Inner City including Schönbrunn, the lavish summer palace of the Hapsburgs known for its magnificent gardens. Enjoy a day trip to the Southern Vienna Woods, featuring the Seegrotte, Europe's largest subterranean lake, the Abbey of Heiligenkreuz and Mayerling, the former Imperial Hunting Lodge, and bask in the scenic delight of the entire city from the top of the Giant Ferris Wheel!
Now that you’ve worked up an appetite, be ready to have your senses overwhelmed with some of the most splendid dining experiences to be had any where in the world. You’ll feast on outrageously decadent desserts, lounge in the world's best café culture and dine in the rustic Heurigen wine taverns. How about dinner in Vienna’s oldest restaurant? The Greichebeisl restaurant dates from before 1447! Merrymakers have occupied this building continuously for five and a half centuries; just imagine the stories if these walls could talk!
In addition to epicurean delight, great music is one of the arts for which Vienna is proudly known. This city has been an inspiration to scores of great composers and musicians over the centuries leaving behind a musical wonderland for you to explore! You can walk in the footsteps of Mozart and Beethoven, take in a once in a lifetime musical experience in one of the many concert halls of Vienna, attend an opera performance at the renowned State Opera or a delightful operetta at the Volks Opera, and waltz with singers and dancers from the Vienna State Opera.
If you love music, tradition, history and a great time, this is a vacation you must do at least once in your lifetime. Believe it; you will never forget this vacation.
A la Cinderella, you’ll be privately escorted by a luxurious horse-drawn carriage to the exquisite Hofburg Palace donned in dashing tuxedos and sparkling evening gowns. Upon arrival, you’ll be met with a cocktail and a warm welcome from the stunning Imperial Couple. As you make your way up the Grand Staircase, thousands of flowers cast their aromatic veils as world-renowned orchestras entice you to dance with mellifluous accord. Don’t worry if you’re not exactly twinkle toes, your private dance lessons from the resident Fairy Waltzmother will be all you need to know! After a waltz or two, you’ll feast on a banquet of regal proportions presented with the finest white glove service, as you prepare to bid adieu to yesteryear.
At midnight, celebrate with the sounds of Pummerin, the bell of St. Stephan’s Cathedral, and a hearty Happy New Year from the Imperial Couple themselves! Afterward, a grand Viennese Operetta Gala will keep you entertained with singers and dancers until the wee hours of 2006!
Doesn’t it always seem like every year you make the same grandiose plans to attend some pretentiously priced party, trying to please entirely too many people while hoping against hope none of them notice you’re wearing the same attire from two New Year’s before?
And doesn’t it always feel like after weeks of buildup and several dollars later, you end up disappointed with bland food, a tasteless atmosphere, rerun conversations, overpriced cocktails and warm champagne?
Time passes so quickly and too many New Year’s are remembered for the wrong reasons.
What if you could do something this year that changes the way you feel about New Year’s for the rest of your life?
What if you could take off to do what YOU want to do without worrying about anyone else’s plans?
How would you like to not feel obligated to go anywhere but where YOU want to go?
Wouldn’t it feel marvelous to know you can count on a luxurious, opulent, sumptuously sensational time?
How would you like to book it now, and let someone else take care of all the details so you’re guaranteed to have a great time with no stress?
Wouldn’t it just be the icing on the cake to politely decline all your New Year’s Eve invitations by regretfully informing everyone that you will be attending a royal ball instead?
New Year’s Eve is a special time for all of us. It marks fresh starts and new beginnings, turning over a new leaf, the coming of a new year happier and more prosperous than the last. You deserve to give yourself the treat of a lifetime and Elegant Expeditions has prepared the perfect tour for just that!
- Round trip coach airfare from New York to Vienna (business class upgrades are available at this time)
- Lavish lunch in the Grand Hotel after flight arrival
- Five luxurious nights of pampering in the extravagant Grand Hotel Vienna
- Personally escorted by the charismatic Travel Diva!
- A full champagne buffet breakfast every morning
- A warm welcome cocktail and dinner party
- A stroll through the grandiose Inner City including Schönbrunn, the lavish summer palace of the Hapsburgs known for its magnificent gardens
- Attend a concert in one of the many concert halls of Vienna, an opera performance at the renowned State Opera, or a delightful operetta at the Volks Opera. Perhaps it will be the famous Nutcracker Ballet or maybe even the world-renowned musical, Elisabeth!
- An optional excursion to the Southern Vienna Woods featuring the Seegrotte, Europe's largest subterranean lake, the Abbey of Heiligenkreuz and Mayerling, the former Imperial Hunting Lodge
- Dinner at the Griechenbeisl known for its Gutbürgerlich, hearty, ample home cooking, since 1450
- A breath-taking ride on the Giant Ferris Wheel at Prater, Vienna’s own amusement park
- A traditional Heurigen evening of epicurean delight in one of the many famous wine taverns of Vienna
- A New Year’s Day concert with the Vienna Hofburg Orchestra with singers from the Vienna Volks Opera and State Opera
- A special New Year’s Day champagne luncheon
- Private waltz lessons with one of the most prestigious Dance Schools of Vienna, Tanzschule Elmayer
- An escort to the New Year’s Eve Imperial Ball by “Fiakers” (Viennese for horse-drawn carriages)
- And of course... the unforgettable New Year’s Eve Imperial Ball at Hofburg Palace including an exquisite gala dinner, an exciting performance by the singers and dancers from the State Opera and the Volksopera and a special midnight toast from the Imperial couple themselves!
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
- Departure from New York (or any other U.S. gateway) to Vienna. Flight itinerary will be a combination of Delta and Austrian Airlines, Delta and Air France or Delta and Lufthansa.
Thursday, December 29, 2005
- Arrive in Vienna in the morning. After customs clearance, you will be met by your local tour guide for the transfer to the hotel. Check-in is followed by a lavish lunch in the hotel and ample free time to relax and recover from the transatlantic flight. Meet with our guide in the afternoon for an overview tour of Austria’s Capital. A welcome cocktail followed by dinner will be served in a traditional, downtown restaurant. D
Friday, December 30, 2005
- After breakfast continue the discovery of Vienna with a visit to Schoenbrunn Palace, the summer residence of the Habsburg Family. The afternoon and evening are at your leisure, and dinner tonight is on your own. Our guide and the concierge at the hotel will be more than happy to help you choose a restaurant and make reservations for you. B
Optional for the afternoon: Excursion to the Southern Vienna Woods featuring the Seegrotte, Europe's largest subterranean lake, the Abbey of Heiligenkreuz and Mayerling, the former Imperial Hunting Lodge. Lunch will be served at the restaurant Hoeldrichsmuehle, an idyllic location in the countryside, known for Franz Schubert who was inspired by the beauty of the landscape to write the “Lindentree”. Return to Vienna and the rest of the afternoon is at your leisure.
This evening we’ll, attend a concert in one of the many concert halls of Vienna, an opera performance at the renowned State Opera, or a delightful operetta at the Volks Opera. A detailed schedule will be available shortly. It could be the famous Nutcracker Ballet or the long running musical, Elisabeth!
Saturday, December 31, 2005
- This morning we have arranged for a waltz lesson with one of the most prestigious Dance Schools of Vienna, Tanzschule Elmayer. The remainder of the day is at leisure to prepare for the most traditional of Austrian Balls, the Imperial Ball. You will be transferred from the hotel to the Hofburg by “Fiakers” (= Viennese for horse-drawn carriages). Upon arrival at the Hofburg, you are greeted by the Imperial Couple and served a welcome cocktail followed by the Gala Dinner. Stars of the State Opera and Volksopera sing and dance, inviting you to dance the night away until the wee hours of New Year's Day. Since individuals will be leaving the ball at different times, we kindly ask you to find your own way back to the hotel (which really is in walking distance). Taxis are lined up outside the Imperial Palace and there is also a desk at the Imperial Palace where you can sign up for a private limousine transfer back to the hotel, of course our Elegant Expeditions host will be there to assist you. B, D
Sunday, January 1, 2006
- A mid-morning transfer takes you to the traditional New Year's Concert. Hear the waltzes and operetta melodies performed by the Hofburg Orchestra and singers from the Vienna Volks Opera and State Opera, and watch the graceful ballet dancers. Celebrate New Year’s Day with a sumptuous champagne lunch then rest, dinner tonight will be served in the oldest restaurant of Vienna, the Griechenbeisl. B, D
Monday, January 2, 2006
- Today is at your leisure to discover some of the numerous museums Vienna has to offer, savor the coffee and pastries in one of the legendary coffee-shops Vienna is famous for, or just stroll around and enjoy the atmosphere of the city in the winter.
Optional for the afternoon: Visit the Imperial Palace, the Winter Residence of the Habsburg Family with your local guide.
Meet again in the lobby of the hotel in the early evening. Tonight we take you to Neustift am Walde, one of the wine-growing villages surrounding Vienna. Before getting to Neustift, we stop at the Prater, Vienna’s amusement park. Get a bird’s eye view of Vienna while riding the famous Giant Ferries Wheel (known to many of you from the movie “The Third Man”). This is followed a typical “Heurigen” dinner with Viennese delicacies while listening to strolling musicians playing Viennese songs and melodies. B, D
Tuesday, January 3, 2006
- After breakfast a transfer will take you back to Vienna Airport for your flight back home where you can dream of your next Elegant Expeditions adventure!
Elegant Expeditions’ representatives have the experience, know-how and pull to ensure you’re wined, dined, pampered and showered with luxurious attention throughout your entire vacation. You can be sure of it!
How?
Through experience, we know the ins and outs of what makes a trip a complete success, through personal interaction, we’ve developed lasting relationships with travel industry vendors worldwide and through constant feedback, we’ve perfected the art of the true luxury vacation experience. Trust me, once you’ve traveled with us, you won’t want to travel with anyone else!
- Round-trip coach class airfare between New York (other gateways available) and Vienna
- Round-trip transportation between the Vienna Airport and Grand Hotel Vienna including assistance and baggage handling
- All other Transfers as per itinerary
- All taxes and service charges
- All entrance fees as per itinerary
- Local representative in Vienna and Hospitality Desk at the Hotel
- Souvenir luggage tags, document wallets and agenda
- All gratuities for scheduled events
- Personally hosted by Elin Mayer, the Travel Diva
Tickets for the Imperial Ball and all the other inclusions have been blocked one year in advance but are going quickly! Last year our Elegant Expeditions New Year’s Eve in Vienna Tour was almost completely filled by mid-April!
The sooner you make your New Year’s plans, the sooner you can rest easy knowing that THIS year you are guaranteed to have the time of your life!
- Call 1-954-523-7400 and ask for Dawn
Don’t miss this enchanting New Year’s Celebration! Only a precious few may attend our most elegant of expeditions, so be sure to make your reservations today!
Call 1-954-523-7400 and ask for Dawn.
If you are at all interested in taking this vacation, book TODAY otherwise you could miss your chance to experience the most luxurious New Year's Eve of a lifetime!
Your royal experience awaits!
Happy New Year 2006,
The Travel Diva
Elin Mayer, CEO
Mayer Motivations, Inc.
Elegant Expeditions, Inc.
P.S. I was so excited when I researched this trip. I never imagined that New Year’s in Vienna could be such a magical experience or that you could fit so much into a seven day itinerary and be so completely satisfied that you’ve really “lived” the musical, cultural and traditional atmosphere of Vienna as well as having the very privileged honor of attending the Imperial New Year’s Ball at the Hofburg palace. It’s an absolute MUST at least once in your lifetime!
P.P.S. You must act quickly because numbers for this tour are strictly limited due to the exclusivity of some of the events. If you love music, tradition and romance this is the vacation for you. Your heart will be captivated by the experience of New Year’s in Vienna. These memories really will last you a lifetime.
P.P.P.S. Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take; but by the moments that take our breath away.
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