/Where revellers chose to party

MANCHESTER was the third most visited city in the country for a new year break, according to new figures.

According to a survey, commissioned by LateRooms. com more than a third of people in the UK preferred to spend the night away from home, with hotels in lesser-known destinations experiencing a big boost in bookings as a result.

Surprisingly, Sheffield topped the list after seeing a major rise in bookings for the special night, with more than three times as many rooms booked for New Year’s Eve than the normal daily average.

Blackpool was the second most popular and had a 132 per cent increase in bookings for December 31 compared to a normal day.

Making up the rest of the top ten were Birmingham, Nottingham, Liverpool, Bristol, Aberdeen, Scarborough and Cardiff.

The reasons people chose to celebrate New Year away from home also varied. According to the survey, Brits were just as inclined to party the night away and save on taxi fares by staying over nearby, as they were to escape the crowds in the comfort of a country retreat.

Katherine Scott at LateRooms.com, said: “The statistics highlight that more people chose to spend New Year’s Eve away from home, celebrating in style and making the most of the occasion.

We also saw this trend reflected in a big increase in hotel bookings across the UK.

“While London and Edinburgh are the traditional favourite destinations for a New Year’s Eve getaway, it was surprising to see Sheffield experienced the biggest boost in sales. We also saw places like Wales and Hertfordshire increase their daily average bookings as people looked to escape the crowds. We wish all our customers a very happy 2018.”