Free Range Explorer

Fall is rapidly approaching and that means the fall harvest and a chance for families to get together and celebrate and indulge in natures bounty.

Thanks to Conde Nast Traveler magazine and its editors, for this list of some of the best places to enjoy. John McFadden

Here we go…

There’s a lot to love about Thanksgiving: uncorking the first Beaujolais at noon, spoonfuls of gravy all over your meat and veggies, wearing elastic-waistband pants without shame… But the prep? Not so much. Ditto the dishes. Luckily, you can skip the dry turkey and a pile of dishes in the sink by heading to a luxury hotel that will do it all for you. Here are 17 hotels and resorts across the country—and a few abroad—offering a gourmet Thanksgiving meal with all the deliciousness and none of the hassle. Make a weekend out of it and book yourself a room, too.

United States

Ocean House, Watch Hill, Rhode Island
There’s something about being in New England for Thanksgiving that feels right. Especially if you get a table inside one of our all-time favorite Rhode Island retreats, the Ocean House. This year, the hotel will be offering a homestyle buffet—with an Atlantic twist—in its seaside ballroom, complete with local sea bass, butternut squash tortellini, and a full raw bar. That’s all in addition to the classic turkey and sides, of course. Reservations are $85 for adults and $37 for children.

Thompson Chicago
Turns out there’s a new reason to visit one of the best hotels in Chicago—the Thanksgiving dinner from on-site restaurant Nico Osteria. They’re putting a light Italian spin on the pre-fixe menu this year (also available à la carte), with highlights like turkey bolognese, winter squash tortelloni, and pesto soup. Even better? There’s apple butter gelato for dessert. Four-course dinner, $80 for adults and $35 for children.

Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tennessee
This rural retreat on 4,200 acres in the Smoky Mountains might—might—be our favorite foodie hotel anywhere on earth (pretty much nothing, from the bread to the butter, comes from a packet). And they go all out for Thanksgiving, turning the one-day holiday into a five-day eat-a-thon that often books out months in advance. This year that means fried turkey, peanut soup (don’t knock it till you try it), and angel biscuits on the lawn at lunch time, while dinner—a spread of turkeys (plural) and platters of sides in all the colors of autumn—is served in the regal, wood-paneled Dogwood restaurant. Prices vary.

Gramercy Park Hotel, New York
Chances are, it’s nothing like what your mama used to make—the Italian-American Thanksgiving men) at Maialino at the Gramercy Park Hotel is probably better. Much more than just another hotel dining room, Danny Meyer’s smash restaurant offers four refreshingly non-traditional courses—potato and leek soup and butternut squash ravioli are followed up with a traditional turkey dinner, complete with sausage stuffing and cranberry mostarda. Diners can also opt for the “Maialino Classics” menu, which offers roasted lamb and tiramisu. Four-course dinner (both menus), $115 for adults and $65 for children.

The Conrad, New York City
The Conrad opened with a top food-and-drink game two years ago in downtown New York (its rooftop Loopy Doopy is one of our summertime go-to’s for sunset margaritas). And this year, Atrio (the restaurant in the lobby) has created a special Thanksgiving menu featuring fresh, seasonal ingredients in dishes that manage to leave you feeling like you appropriately indulged (as we all should on Turkey Day) without the guilt. The three-course menu includes apple tarte tatin, braised short ribs, and a dreamy butternut squash soup with brown butter crumble. Three-course dinner, $65 per person.

Park Hyatt, Washington, D.C.
An almost-stark dining room inside a Tony Chi–designed hotel might not be your first pick for a cozy holiday, but the Michelin-starred Blue Duck Tavern has been wowing even the most skeptical since its debut a decade ago. Already firing on all cylinders nearly year-round, the kitchen takes on the most American of meals with a certain gusto—think classic preparations, but with the utmost precision, not to mention a wide variety of top-notch, regional ingredients (whipped boiled peanuts, anyone?). Three-course dinner, $135 for adults and $55 for children.

21c Museum Hotel, Bentonville, Arkansas
A short walk from one of the country’s most talked-about art museums, Crystal Bridges, the Bentonville’s 21c Museum Hotel is drawing Thanksgiving travelers yet again this year. Its smart, Southern-inflected restaurant, The Hive, is offering a pre-fixe menu headlined by smoked turkey with house-made cornbread stuffing (and all the trimmings). Four-course dinner, $47–$56 per person. (Tip: Don’t miss the highly unusual rotating exhibitions in the hotel’s first-floor gallery spaces.)

Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort, Florida
Spending the holiday at the House of Mouse this year? Upgrade your experience to a level you probably weren’t expecting in those parts with a stay at one of Orlando’s best hotels, or simply pop by for the epic buffet at Ravello. Already known as home to the tastiest (and least-crowded) Disney character breakfast, the restaurant will serve a more-than-just-turkey dinner, featuring charcuterie, oysters, sushi, and pasta, as well as all the classics. Dinner buffet, $115 for adults and $45 for children.

The Allison Inn and Spa, Willamette Valley, Oregon
This wine country favorite not far from Portland offers a hyper-local Thanksgiving dinner in Jory, the award-winning restaurant at the The Allison Inn and Spa. Much of the produce that makes its way to your plate comes from the property’s sizable garden, with trusted Northwest farms picking up the slack. Four-course dinner, $70 per person. (And don’t forget the vineyards—supplement your meal with thoughtful pairings of regional wines for an additional $55.)

Windsor Court Hotel, New Orleans
The Big Easy’s finest address is also home to one of the city’s best special-occasion restaurants. Thanksgiving in the Grill Room of the Windsor Court Hotel offers a regional spin on the classics: think roasted turkey breast with andouille dressing, blue crab bisque, and caramel apple bread pudding with bourbon sauce. Four-course dinner, $100 per person.

Salish Lodge and Spa, Snoqualmie, Washington
More than 1.5 million people visit the Seattle area’s iconic Snoqualmie Falls each year; a relatively select few are fortunate enough to fall asleep listening to the falls’ inspired thundering from cozy rooms at the Salish Lodge and Spa, made world-famous by cult-classic TV show Twin Peaks. Book a room, then immediately book a table at the dining room for a Thanksgiving dinner of Dungeness crab bisque followed by sea salt brined turkey. Four-course dinner, $105 for adults and $35 for children; wine pairings for an additional $35.

International

45 Park Lane, London
Wolfgang Puck gets in on the turkey action at CUT at 45 Park Lane, where the four-and-a-half-hour feast on Thanksgiving will include favorites like roasted squash soup, turkey with wild mushroom stuffing, and pecan pie with maple ice cream for dessert. Three-course menu, US$141 per person (Wagyu beef entrees for an additional US$83–$122).

The Curtain Hotel and Members Club, London
For American expats in London, head to The Curtain Hotel this November 22. Red Rooster Shoreditch (the London outpost of the famous Harlem restaurant of the same name) will host a Thanksgiving-with-soul menu crafted by chef Marcus Samuelsson. We’re guessing no Thanksgiving dinner outside of New Orleans will have dishes like these: deviled eggs and chicken and waffles for starters, followed by roasted turkey breast, and bourbon ice cream for dinner—all washed down with the restaurant’s signature pumpkin spice espresso martini. Three-course dinner, US$70 per person.

The St. Regis Singapore
Thanksgiving dinner in a French restaurant in Singapore? We say go for it. Proof that you truly can celebrate Thanksgiving in every corner of the world, Brasserie Les Saveurs will hold an exquisite dinner buffet on November 22 in one of Singapore’s best hotels. The menu includes a seafood medley with Fine de Claire oysters and Alaskan king crab, French cheeses, lobster macaroni and cheese, and a carving station with roasted turkey and leg of lamb. Buffet dinner, from US$100 per person.

Hotel Eden, Rome
We’ve come to expect classic Italian luxury at Hotel Eden, but the renovated Il Giardino Ristorante and Bar also impresses. Case in point: the seasonal dishes served up by executive chef Fabio Ciervo this Thanksgiving. Expect tradition with a gourmet twist: turkey breast stuffed with brandy-flavored prunes and pumpkin pie with Tahitian vanilla ice cream. Four-course dinner, US$91 per person.

Hassler Roma, Rome
At Hassler Roma, the five-star hotel (one of the best in Rome) near the Spanish Steps, Thanksgiving is distinctly Italian. Served on Thursday evening at Hassler Bistrot at Salone Eva, the menu will include pumpkin lasagna and a selection of Italian cakes (plus turkey and veggies, of course). Five-course dinner, US$97 per person.