Bangkok (Thailand) – January 1, 2015 – At midnight on December 31, the “Bangkok Ball Drop” at lebua once again catapulted the Thai capital into the spotlight as a premier New Year's Eve destination. During the countdown to 2015, the 2.1-meter-diameter Bangkok ball plummeted from a height of 15 meters above Sirocco, the world's highest open-air restaurant. Visible for over a mile, the ball became Bangkok's most prominent landmark for the second year running.

In addition to enjoying the best views over Bangkok, guests were treated to exquisite cuisine and a champagne reception with the CEO of lebua Hotels & Resorts, Deepak Ohri, at lebua's four high-altitude restaurants and bars – Sirocco, Mezzaluna, Breeze and Distil.

Each of the restaurants and bars in the Tower Club at lebua offered an exclusive New Year's Eve menu for one night only: Sirocco, lebua's Mediterranean gourmet restaurant 63 floors high; Breeze, the new face of Asian cuisine; Mezzaluna, lebua's signature gourmet restaurant; Distil, an alternative venue for tantalizing flavor combinations.

Shortly before midnight, Deepak Ohri, CEO of lebua Hotels & Resorts, said: “Following the international attention the Bangkok Ball Drop garnered last year, we are delighted to host the event at lebua for the second year running. We hope it will become an annual tradition, and Bangkok’s reputation as a New Year’s Eve destination will continue to grow.”

With its unparalleled vantage points from which one could witness the record-breaking ball drop in Bangkok, the Tower Club at lebua was the ultimate place to ring in 2015.

Bangkok Ball Drop at lebua – Facts & Figures • Lowered from a 15-meter-high steel pole, which is 266 meters above the ground during the countdown • Diameter: 2.1 meters, consisting of 20 hexagonal and 12 pentagonal steel sections covered with translucent fabric • Equipped with 2,950 LED lights and 50 strobe lights • Visible from a distance of at least 1.8 kilometers • Weight: 1.2 tons • Erected by 50 Thai engineers and craftsmen over a period of 40 days

About lebua Hotels & Resorts: lebua Hotels & Resorts is a growing international luxury brand with distinctive hotels, exclusive restaurants, and bars. Under the visionary leadership of CEO Deepak Ohri, the Bangkok-based company lebua pursues a unique approach to hospitality, aiming to create a deeper connection with guests and forge emotional bonds. lebua's award-winning hotel collection includes Bangkok's most successful luxury hotels (Tower Club at lebua and lebua at State Tower), three boutique hotels in India (Devi Garh by lebua, Udaipur; lebua Resort, Jaipur; and lebua Lodge at Amer, Jaipur), and an exclusive property in New Zealand (Lake Okareka Lodge by lebua). The “Dome at lebua,” the group’s collection of restaurants and bars located on the rooftops of its hotels in Bangkok, includes Sirocco, the world’s highest open-air restaurant, which was awarded “HAPA Restaurant of the Year 2011–2013” ​​by the Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards; Sky Bar, which the New York Times called “the most breathtaking rooftop bar you’ve ever seen” in 2013; Breeze, which USA Today highlighted as one of the “10 Most Innovative Restaurants” in the world in 2014; and Mezzaluna, which was named one of the “Foodie Top 100” of the best gourmet restaurants in 2013. lebua is expanding its culinary concepts into Europe through a strategic partnership with the Steigenberger Hotel Group. This began in 2015 with the opening of Breeze at the Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof in Frankfurt. lebua is also exploring hotel management contracts in cities and resorts worldwide.

Further information can be found at www.lebua.com

Press Contacts Khanut Bunnooklub PR Manager, Lebua Hotels and Resorts E: [email protected] T: +66 (0) 2624 9550