Play in the City : 3...2...1...

Happy New Year!

Even though it’s belated, that greeting will be said and heard for at least the first couple of weeks as the New Year gets under way.

Last week, I was sad that Christmas was winding down, but the anticipation of an all-inclusive party package, care of 103.7 KISS FM and the Olympia Resort, kept me in high spirits.

I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’m not too keen on the excessive rap that KISS FM tends to play, it’s a little too much for my tastes. Needless to say, I was a little wary of the crowd this party would draw and the music that I’d be subject to all night. However, KISS’s deal - $300 for two guests including one night stay at the Olympia Resort, host drinks, three rooms of entertainment, a balloon drop, a brunch buffet and late check-out – was just WAY too superb to pass up.

My friends and I wanted to go all out this year and this all-you-can-eat-and-drink type package was everything we were looking for as it involved minimal planning and avoided outrageous cover charges, crowded bars and overpriced drinks.

Our group of nine met at the hotel to take advantage of the early check in. Eric and I arrived around 4 p.m. and since the event didn’t start until 8:30, we had plenty of time to get situated and ready for our night of overindulgence.

Once everyone was accounted for, we threw a modest pre-party in one of the hotel rooms. Amid pastel walls and floral linens, we kicked off the evening’s celebrations with hotel glasses brimming with bubbly as we made a toast to friends and the prospect of a fun night.

As said, there were three rooms: the Olympia Center where morning show personalities Wes, Rahny and Alley milled about and a DJ played top 100 music, the Grand Ballroom where Ben Janzow and the Dirty Boogie played swing music and Club Indigo that had DJ entertainment. We agreed to start in the Olympia Center since it was the least crowded – by least I mean 200 attendees at the time – and we were able to grab a table right next to the dance floor and near one of the drink stations.

The Olympia Center was bustling with eager party-goers. To my surprise there was a wide variety of people in attendance, a good mix of all ages (over 21 of course) and personalities. For instance, there were the twenty-somethings who were decked out in sparkling attire and never stopped dancing, and then there were the 40-year-old couples who took advantage of the food and seating over the beer and dance floor. I appreciated the diversity since our group wasn’t the youngest and definitely wasn’t the oldest, though we may have been the loudest.

The room was elegantly decorated with large round tables garnished with flickering candles, top hats, noise makers, black and gold balloons and shiny confetti. It was very classy. At the front of the room was the DJ’s stage and VIP lounge and dance floor, at the back was a dinner buffet, and along the walls were several drink stations serving either domestic beer, house wine, or rail drinks and soda.

After claiming our seats and testing the bells and horns, we donned our complimentary party hats and went to survey the food. I was under the impression that hors d'oeuvres meant fancy "finger foods", so I was flabbergasted by the selection. There were three buffets that offered a choice of scrumptious beef sirloin, mashed potatoes and assorted veggies or chicken Parmesan, pasta and salad, or shrimp, crab and sushi; and a plethora of divine desserts. The food was just as marvelous as the décor and, of course, very appetizing.

I made sure not to stuff myself so that I’d still be able to dance and drink the night away. As expected, the remaining hours were spent dancing and snapping photos and sipping on stiff cocktails. We met Wes and Rahny who were really friendly and willing to socialize with everyone in the room. Unfortunately, time flew by so quickly that we never made it to the ballroom or club and despite spending one-third of the night standing in line for drinks, we had an incredible time.

It seemed like we had only been there for an hour when we were given a ten minute warning for the oncoming New Year. As the clock neared midnight, anticipation ran high and we pushed our way towards the middle of the dance floor where dozens of balloons were waiting to be released.

10…9…8… We began to countdown with the KISS FM crowd and I could feel myself holding my breath. Then, in one isolated moment, we threw up our hands in a whirlwind of confetti and balloons and joined in the uproar of cheers as the clock struck twelve. New Year’s Eve is quite the affair as everyone in the world is united in bidding a collective farewell to the departing year, and perhaps expressing similar joys and hopes for the year ahead.

As quickly as 2008 came, 2 a.m. was upon us and we were ushered out of the room and headed for bed.

When I woke up early the next morning I was kind of bummed that it was all over. The KISS FM celebration definitely set high standards for whatever we do to ring in 2009. Then again, it’s almost guaranteed that it’ll be fun next year if we are all together again – we are a pretty fun group!

I highly recommend looking for an all-inclusive deal for your next New Year’s Eve celebration, especially if a hotel room is included. We were free to relax and enjoy the night indulging without the worries of how much money we were spending or whether or not we would be safe driving home if we had another drink.

After rubbing the sleep from our eyes and reluctantly changing from our pajamas, the nine of us met for breakfast in the hotel’s restaurant. Brunch was just as delightful as dinner, although I think I appreciated this meal a little more. As we consumed unholy amounts of pancakes, eggs, hash browns and bacon, we reflected on the night and shared the photos saved in our digital cameras.

Before we knew it, it was time to head back to Milwaukee and take a nap.

I love New Year's Eve! It’s a time to stop for a moment and look back to remember past times and old friends. It’s another year Auld Lang Syne, but New Year’s Eve 2008 won’t be forgotten.