New Year’s Eve: where to take a date

New Year’s Eve is one of the most exciting times of the year. It always promises to be a highlight on the social calendar. A night that shines bright with resolve for a beautiful new year ahead whilst celebrating the accomplishment of the year passed. If one is at the stage in your relationship where you are going to spend New Year’s Eve together with your partner, especially if it is your first one together, you should ensure that you offer an ultimate location, with luxury touches for an exclusive night of love and revelry. Here are some tips of our favourite international destinations to spend a night of glitz and glamour with the influential and affluent socialites of the party circuit.

The Classic - The Ritz, London, England

A grand black tie affair, New Year’s Eve at The Ritz is suitably filled of blue bloods and young bloods, this year with a 1920’s theme. Come tuxedo ready and enjoy a night surrounded by pure high-end elegance, re-living the Great Gatsby splendour.

Double Trouble - Sydney / Las Vegas

What is better than spending one New Year’s Eve together – spending two together! PrivateFly offers an elite package deal starting off the evening at an exclusive party at the Sydney Opera House at 8 pm in Sydney, Australia and then at 2 am be flown on the fastest private jet to Los Angeles, which is 19 hours behind. Start the night all over, arriving at 6 pm just in time for the Cleopatra Ball in Beverly Hills. Now that is what exclusive dating looks like.

Traditional - The Grand Ball, Vienna, Austria

Hosted at the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, the Grand Ball promises a traditional night of good –old fashioned decadence and decorum. Remember to wear your tails and ladies the shorter the sleeve, the longer the glove. Look forward to waltzing to the Blue Danube and performances by the Viennese State Opera. This is an evening fit for a princess.

Adventure - 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa, Cape Town, South Africa

For a sumptuous African experience that can be combined with a safari holiday, the 12 Apostles Hotel and Spa in Cape Town is the epitome of exclusive entertainment. With views over the ocean and mountains and a sumptuous 6 course meal over the evening on offer, this would suitably impress any fabulous date. Try something adventurous and have an African holiday.

The Beach - St Barts, Caribbean

New Year’s Eve in St Barts is a lavish and sexy celebration. Warm, blue water, white beaches and dazzling fireworks, makes it a lively love fest. Hire a villa, stay on a yacht or make yourself comfortable in the famous Eden Rock Hotel, and enjoy the beautiful beaches and bountiful parties. Go to Nikki Beach to people watch, lunch at Maya Restaurant and try get an invite to Roman Abramovich’s legendary New Year’s Eve party.

Skiing - St. Moritz, Switzerland

If the summer feeling is not for you, take your darling skiing. There is hardly a better option then St. Moritz, graced by celebrities and royalty alike. It is all about furs, fireworks and fun. Stay in the Kulm Hotel on the lake, which was established in 1864, party in the King’s Club and if you stay long enough you can catch the Cartier Polo tournament for exciting some snow polo. This exclusive location is both cosy and extravagant, the perfect romantic rendezvous.

With some many stunning choices on offer, there is a party perfect for your Cinderella or Prince Charming. If you don’t have a special someone on your arm, New Year’s Eve is a great opportunity to make new introductions, and if you need your very own cupid, Seventy Thirty, promises you the best in exclusive matchmaking. Wishing you a splendid night of celebration, may 2016 be a prosperous year of love, success and happiness for you and your loved ones. 

How to buy last minute gifts your loved ones will love…

With Christmas looming, the festive season is in full swing. From dashing around Bond Street to having your personal shopper at Harrods on speed dial, some of the more organised amongst us have already completed their Christmas shopping, with the help of Christmas fairies and long lists.  However due to all the Christmas parties and social and work commitments in the festive season, it can be hard to be keep up with it all, and Christmas shopping can slip away. This can leave even the best of us in a last minute spin for great goodies. Never fear, the Matchmakers at Seventy Thirty are right here, with a list of top tips to buy the ultimate in luxury last minute gifts which promise to steal the show.

 

·       Buy a Memory – buy something that is an experience and can build a memory rather than an item to hold. The gift of a memory can be a precious present, especially if it something you can do together. Some ideas for this include a hot air balloon trip across the dessert at sunrise, a safari in Africa or an adventure activity such as sky-diving or bungee jumping.

 

·       Personalise – it can sometimes be seen as a cliché but it can mean the world to give a personalised gift, something that is truly and uniquely theirs. This can be done using letters such as initials or engraving a special message. Some wonderful ways to do this include a personalised Burberry scarf from a Burberry Scarf Bar, or a Tiffany’s Alphabet pendant.

 

·       Show them you know them - buy something only you would know. Sometimes those you love share details with you that are closely guarded. Maybe they have a secret love of disco and rollerblading – buy them a disco music collection and take them to a rollerblading rink. Maybe they collect rare stamps or love bird watching. Use that knowledge to your advantage and give them something that shows you pay attention to the small personal details.

 

·       Give the gift of time – it is one of the most priceless commodities in the modern age. Make up a voucher for a weekend away just with you, or an afternoon of uninterrupted personal time.  It can mean more than anything you can buy, and then you just need to make sure to put that time aside.

 

·       Diamonds – you can never ever go wrong with diamonds. Be it classic cushion cut diamond studs for a lady, or classy cufflinks for a gentleman, diamonds always promise to bring a special sparkle to Christmas.

 

Hopefully this can help you spoil the nearest and dearest to you without too much toil on your behalf. With your shopping taken care of, go out and have yourselves a marvellous and merry Christmas. 

Single this Christmas? Embrace and celebrate.

Being in the ultimate relationship rather than any relationship is the goal for most of our elite clients, and is certainly our aim as matchmakers here at Seventy Thirty. However, that’s why we can often find ourselves single and holding out for the right person when Christmas comes around.  For some of us, this can be a tricky time of year when it seems like everyone else is paired off and with a range of Christmas festivities to look forward to.  However, with planning and the right attitude, Christmas can be a time of anticipation and excitement whether we’re attached or still dating.  Here’s how:

 

Plan and prepare

The best approach to Christmas and New Year’s is a pro-active one.  Without prior-planning, we can default to staying home and channel-surfing, a pass-time which quickly loses it’s charm.  Planning early enables us to build a schedule with plenty to look forward to.  The key point is that, paradoxically, those who are the most happy and fulfilled with a life they love when they are single are those that have most to bring to a relationship and subsequently build a rewarding partnership.  Therefore creating great times for yourself, whatever your status and whatever the time of year, is vital for your own success and well-being.

 

Accept invitations

How often do you regret accepting an invitation?  Probably rarely if ever.  Usually there are always experiences, introductions and conversations which make us feel glad we made the effort to engage in the social scene.  As Oscar Wilde once said, “Nothing annoys people so much as not receiving invitations”, therefore take every opportunity of enjoying new places and social encounters which could prove to enrich your life.

 

It’s not what happens, it’s how we respond to it

People can often fall victim to thinking negatively about the Christmas period if their circumstances do not match their ideal.  Try and avoid the thinking trap of ‘compare and despair’ where we feel that our situation does not measure up to those of others, and avoiding ‘over-generalisation’ with thoughts such as ‘it looks like I’ll be single every Christmas’.  These styles of thinking are distorted rather than reality-based, so challenge these thoughts if they arise and focus on what you can do to make this a special time.  

 

Do something completely different

If you are free from obligations over the Christmas period, it can be a great opportunity to travel, volunteer or do something completely different than in previous years.  This can be especially helpful if the festive period is associated with painful memories which will be reignited by being in the same setting.  In day to day life, our brains get accustomed to similar experiences and routines, therefore a complete change or a new adventure serves to ‘re-boot’ the system.  Doing something novel not only engages all the senses but can also restore and inspire, which is an excellent way to begin a new year.

 

A time for reflection.

Following on from the last point, this is a great time of year to reflect on what to take from the previous year and what hopes, aspirations and goals we have for the year ahead.  Throughout the year, we often long for time to reflect on our lives and have time to ponder, but pressing engagements, business, and family all place great demands on our time.  Therefore, this is a good time to contemplate and plan in readiness for the psychological boost that comes with beginning a new year.  On New Years Eve, remember the words of Brad Paisley, “Tomorrow, is the first blank page of a 365-page book.  Write a good one”.

Matchmaking in Singapore

Our Exclusive Review of Singapore’s Dating Scene

 Singapore is the ultimate dating hot spot – with its sensual year round tropical weather, this island country is a haven of both natural beauty and definitive luxury, and this does not stop when it comes to its exclusive dating scene. Although its colonial history is evident in some of the distinctive architecture, today the city boasts a free and booming economy. Based on several indicators, the World Bank named it as the easiest place to do business in the world (2015), it has one of the world’s highest percentage of millionaires per households and accordingly boasts some of the world’s most expensive real estate. It is no surprise then that it has attracted an international and eclectic mix of affluent individuals, and this is reflected in its exciting and high-end dating scene.

There is a strong expatriate community, while the traditional patriarchal culture is still evident. In a diverse mix of cultures from Malay to Indian, Chinese, Australian and British, to name a few, this cosmopolitan city has an array of dating ideas and tastes. In many ways, the traditions of the gentleman hold true - men are still expected to pay for dinner and dates and behave with good old fashioned manners. Family values still play an important role and Singaporeans can be cautious before committing. Dating in Singapore can at times be a bit of a sweaty dilemma, with the clash between traditional values and westernised hedonism. Many of the influential trendsetters turn to elite introduction agencies, such as Seventy Thirty, to provide exclusive matchmaking as a means to overcome these challenges, providing high-end introductions between suitable and compatible individuals.

When it comes down to it, Singapore boasts some stunning backdrops for romantic dates. The singles in the city are truly spoilt for choice when selecting an elite date setting. For those looking to keep it more natural, a picnic or symphony performance along one of the lakes in the gorgeous 186 year old Botanical Gardens, is guaranteed to get the date off to a good start. However, when dressed to impress, the famous Marina Bay Sands Hotel is the ultimate date destination. It has over 60 restaurants, including multiple celebrity chef offerings from Wolfgang Puck to Gordon Ramsey, and a wide range of the finest local and international cuisine, you simply can’t go wrong. Just try end the evening at the highest infinity pool in the world, overlooking the city for a truly magical touch.

Singapore itself is a sensory experience and dating in the city offers rich and exciting prospects with varied locations, cultures, cuisines, traditions and languages. It asks only for you to open your eyes and open your heart, and partake in all it has to offer, with equal portions of delight and decorum. 

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