East meets west in Amsterdam this New Year

Celebrate New Year in Amsterdam and for a truly unforgettable start to 2009, add some oriental flavour in to your celebrations at the luxurious five-star Japanese owned Hotel Okura Amsterdam.

The evening starts with a sumptuous New Year's Eve dinner before welcoming in the New Year at the hotel's top floor Champagne and cocktail bar, Twenty Third, which provides panoramic views over the city, perfect for viewing Amsterdam's stunning fireworks display.

Forget Big Ben and Auld Lang Syne this New Year and celebrate instead in vibrant Amsterdam, where the city's streets and squares are filled with New Year revellers and the canals and bridges shimmer with festive lights.

Fun and fireworks are synonymous with Amsterdam for New Year's Eve, but for a truly unforgettable start to 2009, why not add some oriental flavour in to your celebrations by staying at the luxurious five-star Japanese owned Hotel Okura Amsterdam, situated on the banks of the Amstel Canal.

New Year (Oshôgatsu) is the biggest and most important celebration in the Japanese calendar and guests can start their evening with a sumptuous New Year's Eve family dinner buffet of Japanese and western delicacies before ascending to the twenty-third floor to welcome in the New Year at the hotel's award winning Champagne and cocktail bar, Twenty Third, which provides panoramic views over the city, perfect for viewing Amsterdam's stunning fireworks display.

On the 1st January, Hotel Okura Amsterdam has the perfect cure for the overindulged - a special Japanese breakfast of rice cakes served at the hotel's traditional Japanese Michelin-star restaurant, Yamazato. Guests can then choose to visit the special Shinto Shrine built in the hotel foyer to welcome in 2009 and pray for a healthy and happy new year.

For the first time this year, Hotel Okura Amsterdam will host the traditional rice cake demonstration (Mochitsuki) on New Year's Day afternoon, where all guests are welcome to join in the celebrations, until now reserved for Japanese clients alone. A large mortar will be placed on a stage in the hotel foyer, where a chef puts the rice cakes (mochi) and people can take turns to grind and bash them with a hammer.

Other New Year highlights at Hotel Okura Amsterdam include a dedicated children's playroom with entertainers on offer throughout the New Year festivities and a luxury Japanese food event (Fukubukuro) on New Year's Day.

A one night stay at Hotel Okura Amsterdam on Wednesday, 31 December costs from €260 (£207) per adult and €230 (£184) per child, to include accommodation plus games and New Year’s Eve Family Buffet dinner, special Japanese style breakfast on New Years Day in the traditional Japanese Yamazato restaurant, a Rice cake performance on New Years Day and use of the Executive Health Club.

Guests booking a two or three night New Year break will also receive a deluxe breakfast buffet spread at Le Camelia Brasserie on 30th December, 31st December and 2nd January. Prices for a two-night break start from €390 (£300) per adult and €290 (£225) per child and for a three night break from €565 (£440) per adult and €465 (£360) per child.

For further information on Hotel Okura Amsterdam, log on to Okura.nl.