*Image: The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat (Jeff's Cellar)*
> Quick view: The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat in Ipoh has put its whole 2026 festive programme online with nett prices. If you want the experience without paying for a villa, the Christmas Day brunch at RM198 is the realistic entry point. The cave dinners at Jeff's Cellar (RM790, or RM990 on New Year's Eve) are the reason people drive up from KL. Everything is for guests aged 12 and above.
We read every offer page on The Banjaran's festive season page on 13 November 2026, along with the retreat's Day Pass page. All prices below are nett per person unless we say otherwise.
Everything on the 2026 festive list
- Christmas Day Brunch, Pomelo, 25 December (Friday), 12pm to 3pm. Japanese Magaki oysters, snow crab, tiger prawns, A3 Wagyu striploin, Lobster Thermidor Benedict, roast turkey and honey-glazed turkey ham, then Christmas pudding, yule log and crêpes Suzette. RM198 with non-alcoholic drinks, RM268 with selected free-flow alcohol.
- Jeff's Cellar Festive Feast, 21 to 30 December, 6pm to 11pm. Two 8-course menus. The Noël Feast runs through foie gras, turkey, kinmedai and Miyazaki A5 Wagyu, ending with Mont Blanc. De Saison goes through shiro-ika, Poulet au Sel d'Ipoh, kinmedai, duck and caviar. RM790, wine pairing +RM398 (100ml pours).
- New Year's Eve Masquerade Gala, Jeff's Cellar, 31 December, 7pm till late. 8 courses with live music, then a midnight toast at Jeff's Cellar Bar. RM990, wine pairing +RM495.
- New Year's Day Celebration Dinner, Jeff's Cellar, 1 January 2027, 6pm to 11pm. An 8-course no-menu Chef's Table by Chef Boon. RM790, wine pairing +RM398.
- Starlit Festive Barbecue, 21 to 30 December. Rib-eye, tiger prawns and Christmas turkey on the Star Deck or in your villa, two seatings (6pm and 9pm). RM885, in-house guests only.
- Christmas Afternoon Tea, 1 to 31 December, daily 2pm to 6pm. RM150. We covered the menu in our Banjaran afternoon tea guide.
- Festive Glow Ritual, 1 November 2026 to 5 January 2027. Two hours: 60-minute massage, 30-minute scrub and a 30-minute Natura Bissé facial. RM899, and each booking comes with a Natura Bissé gift set the spa values at RM570.
The two villa packages
A Season to Celebrate (Christmas). 4 days 3 nights, stay 21 to 30 December, book by 28 December. From RM10,775 for two adults per stay. It includes daily Champagne breakfast, one festive afternoon tea, one sundowner at On The Rocks, one Jeff's Cellar festive dinner, a 90-minute massage for both of you, the daily wellness classes and the hot springs, steam cave, ice bath and caves.
The Grandeur of New Year's Eve. 3 days 2 nights, stay 30 December to 1 January, book by 30 December. From RM8,230 for two. It includes Champagne breakfasts, the New Year's Eve dinner at Jeff's Cellar with Champagne and canapés first, a sundowner, a 90-minute massage each and a late recovery breakfast on 1 January.
Worked examples
- Couple at the Christmas brunch: 2 x RM198 = RM396, or 2 x RM268 = RM536 with free-flow. The free-flow upgrade is RM70 a head, so it pays off only if you will have more than a couple of glasses over three hours.
- Four adults (or teens aged 12+) at the brunch: 4 x RM198 = RM792.
- Couple at the Jeff's Cellar Christmas dinner: 2 x RM790 = RM1,580 for food, or RM2,376 with wine pairing.
- Couple at the NYE gala: 2 x RM990 = RM1,980, or RM2,970 with pairing.
- What the Christmas package really charges for the villa: RM10,775 over three nights is about RM3,592 a night for two. Take out the dinner (RM1,580 if it matches the RM790 menu) and the afternoon tea (RM300), and roughly RM8,895 is left for three nights, breakfasts, two massages and the sundowner. The page does not list the villa's standalone rate, so ask for the room-only price for your dates before you decide the bundle saves money.
- The New Year package: RM8,230 for two nights is about RM4,115 a night. If the included dinner is the RM990 gala, that alone is RM1,980 of it.
Can you do it as a day trip?
Yes, and for most people this is the smarter plan. The Banjaran sells a Day Pass at RM350 to non-hotel guests, 10am to 7pm, covering the geothermal pools, steam cave, ice bath, meditation and crystal caves, the gym and the pool. It includes a RM150 cash voucher for full-priced spa treatments or Pomelo food, used the same day. Book ahead, since passes are subject to availability.
Pair it with the Christmas brunch at Pomelo and you pay RM548 each (RM350 + RM198) if the voucher cannot be used on the brunch, or RM398 if it can. The terms say "full-priced" items, and a festive set may not count, so ask when you book. For a cheaper bed nearby, Sunway Lost World Hotel is next door in Sunway City Ipoh.
Who it is good for, and who should skip it
Good for: couples marking an anniversary or a milestone over the holidays, anyone who wants a New Year's Eve dinner somewhere quieter than a hotel ballroom, and Ipoh or KL food lovers who rate tasting menus. Ipoh is about two and a half hours from KL by road, so the brunch works as a long day out.
Skip it if: you are bringing children under 12 (they will not be admitted), you want a big buffet for a group on a budget (Ipoh hotels like TUI BLUE Haven cost far less per head), or you would rather spend RM790 on something other than one meal.
Fine print that trips people up
- 12 and above only. The retreat's own terms say so, and it applies to dining and the day pass alike.
- Prices are per person. The packages are the only items priced for two.
- Wine pairing is not small. At RM398 to RM495 a head, it adds about half the food price again.
- The barbecue needs a stay. You cannot book it as a walk-in diner.
- Book early for the cave. Jeff's Cellar is a small room inside the rock, so the 31 December gala in particular will not take walk-ins.
- Reservations by phone or email: +605 210 7777, tbhr.pomelo@sunwayhotels.com for dining, tbhr.wellness@sunwayhotels.com for the spa.
