We warned you last year and the year before, but you didn’t listen. Three years ago we offered a word of caution, but you didn’t heed it. One last time, do not wait until the last minute to plan your end-of-year travel! Don’t be the guy or girl sprinting through the internet looking for “Last minute,” this and that. Plan ahead to be heroic, and your best travel planner! How do you do that, and do it well? Thanksgiving traveling the Gildshire way is your one-stop best hope to get this done right.
Fontainebleau, 4441 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, Florida.
That’s the address, but you didn’t really need it. Get to the beach and follow the beautiful people, because they will lead you to this iconic Miami Beach hotel (pictured above) as it goes all-out for Thanksgiving. If you want to have a poolside watch party, plan to enjoy a football-cabana package. A traditional Thanksgiving feast at StripSteak or a Thanksgiving buffet at Vida with a dessert station includes crème brûlée, (a Gildshire favorite) assorted pies, and a superb spiced carrot cake topped with toffee crunch. There’s more! Hotel guests celebrating Thanksgiving on the actual sand can grab a special housemade turkey burger flavored with cranberry mostarda and truffled turkey gravy. Pizza & Burger Restaurant by Michael Mina offers up that non-traditional meal-on-the-go. Two-nights (Wednesday-Friday) for $542.00.
Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, 300 S Doheny Dr, Los Angeles, California.
Okay, obviously all the beautiful people aren’t in Miami Beach, because L.A. is a gathering spot for many. Within a cheap Uber from Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive, find The Four Seasons, offering guests who stay over the holiday the third night free. Preparing the finest Thanksgiving dinner on the coast is the hotel’s modern Italian restaurant “Culina.” Come to see, be seen, enjoy the food, or just to enjoy the freshly laid interior floral arrangements that are new for the season. Three-nights (remember the third night is free) for $1016.00.
Ritz-Carlton, 1 Ritz-Carlton Dr, Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii.
Do you want to stretch your legs? Does Los Angeles seem too constricted? How about Thanksgiving on a Hawaiian beach? Maui’s Ritz-Carlton Kapalua is a spacious 54 acres next to the sacred Honokahua Preservation Site. The hotel is transformed each year into a holiday retreat complete with sweet treats, sparkly lights, and special holiday events. Choose from the four-course Thanksgiving dinner at the Banyan Tree, or the three-course Thanksgiving Dinner served at the Alaloa Lounge. Keep your eyes open for pop-up holiday treats! These include Thanksgiving-on-a-bun burgers, pumpkin pie milkshakes with sweet pie dough crumble, and a hot cider station. End the day with the Ritz’ proprietary Feast of Thanks cocktails. Two-nights for $1998.00
Castle Hill Inn, 590 Ocean Drive, Newport, Rhode Island.
If you are interested in Thanksgiving travel the Gildshire way, you can’t go wrong at this Rhode Island resort.
These forty acres in Newport are all one Relais & Châteaux property. This would be our Thanksgiving traveling the Gildshire way recommendation for a classic New England celebration of thanks and food. About the food: Chef Lou Rossi (formerly of three-starred Per Se) showcases the local Rhode Island harvest with native littleneck clam appetizers. Rossi follows them with Matunuck oysters and chilled white shrimp, just because he can. Next, bring on the herb-roasted turkey and sage gravy. Cleanse your palate with some cranberry sauce, on your way to a selection of pastries, pies, and tarts. The hotel features a selection of rustic/romantic rooms or cottages overlooking the harbor. Two-nights for $990.00.
One note of caution, dear reader. Don’t delay, because these rooms and packages are selling out as we speak.
