Best Boutique Hotels for Thanksgiving Dinner 2022
Make Thanksgiving as easy as pie by letting the chefs at California’s boutique hotels whip up a gourmet feast for you and your family. Reserve a table at any of the hotels below to savor a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings and none of the dishes to wash. While you’re at it, book a hotel room and enjoy a long, relaxing holiday weekend.
Santa Ynez Inn – The Victor
In the heart of Santa Barbara wine country, the Santa Ynez Inn is hosting Thanksgiving at its brand-new restaurant and bar, The Victor. The elegant five-course prix fixe dinner crafted by Executive Chef Beto Huizar features innovative twists on favorite holiday classics including deviled eggs, roasted beets, mesquite roasted turkey, and pumpkin pie. Seatings are available between 3:00 and 8:00 p.m. The cost is $120 per person. Reservations can be made online. The inn was renovated in 2017 and offers an atmosphere of understated, unspoiled luxury coupled with warm hospitality. Guests can indulge in spa treatments, cozy up to the fire pits, enjoy a whiskey nightcap with dessert, and receive complimentary wine tastings for two with the inn’s exclusive tasting passport.
Downtown L.A. Proper Hotel – Caldo Verde
This Thanksgiving, savor the glamour of dining in downtown Los Angeles against a backdrop of city lights, historic architecture, fine art, and vintage style. At Caldo Verde inside Downtown L.A. Proper Hotel, the Thanksgiving menu offers a sophisticated spin on the traditional classics along with vegan options and a curated spread of desserts. James Beard Award-winning chef Suzanne Goin and restaurateur Caroline Styne opened the restaurant inside the landmark hotel in October 2021. The setting features a wall of windows bathing the historic space in natural light, Morgan Peck ceramics and lighting, and a pair of monolithic Judson Studios stained glassworks. The prix fixe Thanksgiving dinner is $110 per person or $55 per child. Reservations can be made online. In addition to Caldo Verde, the boutique hotel offers an intimate library lounge, a city-view rooftop pool, and one-of-a-kind suites.
Hotel San Luis Obispo – Ox + Anchor
To celebrate the season, Hotel San Luis Obispo’s Ox + Anchor will host a spectacular (and stress-free) Thanksgiving Day dinner as a complement to the restaurant’s à la carte menu. Whether guests crave a traditional turkey dinner with all the trimmings or prefer to feast on steak and seafood, Chef Ryan Fancher has everyone covered. The chef’s special Thanksgiving menu will also feature butternut squash soup with cinnamon beignets, an autumn salad, and a pumpkin spiced ice cream sandwich. Seatings for dinner start at 2:00 p.m. Reservations for dinner can be made online. To make a night of it, also consider reserving one of the hotel’s spacious guest rooms featuring a mix of cozy and high-tech amenities and a playful, modern aesthetic that exudes SLO’s laid-back vibe.
L’Auberge Carmel – Aubergine
At L’Auberge Carmel, a Relais & Châteaux in Carmel-by-the-Sea, the award-winning Michelin-starred restaurant Aubergine celebrates the bounty of the region with Chef Justin Cogley’s skillful, ingredient-driven cuisine. His Thanksgiving menu is a feast of mouthwatering courses served with exquisite wine pairings. The dinner opens with a chestnut buckwheat crepe with caviar and crispy seaweed followed by glazed Maine lobster with black truffle, celery, and cranberry. The third course is toasted rice with white truffle, brown butter, and mascarpone. For the entrée, guests have a choice of heritage bourbon red Pennsylvanian turkey or dry-aged ribeye served with sugar pie pumpkin stuffing, haricot vert, bell pepper, and shirodashi. The finale is a sweet potato Basque cheesecake. The cost is $495 per person. Reservations are available online. Built in 1929, the historic hotel is known for its graceful architecture, personalized guest services, and European style and elegance.
Skyview Los Alamos – Norman
Perched on a hillside overlooking Santa Barbara wine country, Skyview Los Alamos is an iconic 1950’s roadside motel turned luxurious boutique resort. The five-acre outpost in the Santa Ynez Valley merges mid-century style with modern rustic chic. The resort’s full-service restaurant, Norman, will serve a fantastic feast for Thanksgiving. The prix fixe dinner opens with cheese-stuffed dates followed by the choice of winter squash soup, brussels sprouts, or yellowfin tartare. For the main course, guests will have a choice of roasted Cornish game hen, Kurobuta pork chop, or spaghetti squash. Seasonal desserts and tempting add-ons round out the menu. The cost is $75 per person. Reservations can be made online. The boutique hotel features a heated swimming, a fire pit, and a working vineyard. The renovated guest rooms are outfitted with hardwood floors, down duvets, leather club chairs, and marble-clad bathrooms. Several offer private patios overlooking the vineyards.
MacCallum House
Every Thanksgiving, the MacCallum House in Mendocino hosts a festive dinner featuring traditional dishes prepared with local and seasonal ingredients. The MacCallum House set the standard in the early days of farm-to-table dining with Executive Chef Alan Kantor’s long-time focus on sustainable farming. While the menu for this year’s Thanksgiving dinner has not yet been announced, last year’s dinner featured a grilled shrimp cocktail, hearts of romaine salad, roasted organic turkey with bourbon gravy, wild mushroom bread pudding, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin mascarpone cheesecake. Seatings for Thanksgiving are available at 3:00 and 6:00 p.m. For pricing and reservations, please call 707-937-0289. The inn is one of Mendocino’s finest Victorian landmarks and offers 19 beautiful guest rooms, many with spa tubs, fireplaces, private decks, and ocean views.
1859 National Historic Hotel and Restaurant
In the Gold-Rush town of Jamestown, the 1859 National Historic Hotel will be serving up Thanksgiving dinner from noon to 8:00 p.m. The ala carte menu includes a range of entrees including traditional slow-roasted turkey with sourdough herb dressing and cranberry sauce, blackened prime rib and prawns, garlic roasted prime rib, scampi Mediterranean, filet of salmon, and spinach ravioli. A children’s option is also available. Start the meal with the hotel’s signature toasted garlic and gorgonzola cheese served on crostini or escargot vin blanc and finish with a slice of pumpkin pie. Reservations are strongly recommended and can be made by calling 209-984-3446. The hotel features an authentic Gold Rush-era saloon with the original back bar and a stamped tin ceiling. Upstairs, nine charming guest rooms offer high-coved ceilings, dark-stained wood trim, antique furnishings, and period details.
Noyo Harbor Inn – HarborView Bistro & Bar
Perched above the Noyo River in Fort Bragg, the beautifully restored Noyo Harbor Inn features Craftsman details and lush gardens winding down to the water’s edge. The inn’s inviting restaurant, the HarborView Bistro & Bar, overlooks the scenic river and has a fabulous menu on tap for Thanksgiving. The five-course dinner starts with a gruyere and crab palmier followed by roasted butternut squash soup and a harvest salad. For the main course, guests have their choice of traditional roasted turkey, braised beef brisket, local ling cod, or a vegetarian meatloaf. The dinner is capped with a choice of seasonal desserts. Craft cocktails and wine pairings are also available. The cost is $78 per person. For reservations, call 707-961-8000. Guests can also book a stay in one of the inn’s 15 guest rooms featuring fine woodworking details, stunning views, and luxurious soaking tubs.
Orchard Hill Country Inn
In the mountains east of San Diego, Orchard Hill Country Inn is nestled on five acres above the town of Julian, a charming Gold-Rush era town known for its apple orchards and wine vineyards. The elegant, Craftsman-style inn has a long tradition of hosting holiday dinners for its guests. This year’s Thanksgiving dinner will include herb-roasted fee-range turkey, mashed potatoes, apple-topped sweet potatoes, traditional dressing with sausage and apples, scalloped cream corn, creamed cabbage, fresh green beans, freshly baked rolls, bourbon cranberry sauce, and harvest pumpkin cake with caramel pecan sauce. The cost is $70 per adult and $25 per child. Seatings are available at 2:00 and 6:00 p.m., but reservations are limited; please call 760-765-1700 for availability. The inn offers 23 guest rooms and cottages scattered around the property featuring whirlpool tubs, fireplaces, and private patios.
Elk Cove Inn & Spa – Sibo Restaurant
Enjoy stunning ocean views with an intimate Thanksgiving dinner prepared by Chef Victor Passalacqua at the historic Elk Cove Inn & Spa. Perched on a secluded bluff, the inn and its restaurant offer breathtaking views of the driftwood-strewn beach, majestic sea stacks, and the ocean beyond. This year’s Thanksgiving menu will include homemade smoked salmon rillettes, roasted turkey, baked ham, crab cake with roasted red pepper coulis, and more. The dinner will be served family-style and include an array of sides and desserts. The cost is $85 per person. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 707-877-3321. After dinner, be lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves. The inn offers 16 guest rooms scattered between its 1883 mansion, bluff-top cottages, and luxury oceanfront suites. All the rooms feature fireplaces and luxurious amenities.
McCloud Hotel – Sage Restaurant
At the historic McCloud Hotel at the base of Mount Shasta, Sage Restaurant serves an incredible five-course Thanksgiving feast in an intimate, elegant setting. While the menu for this year has not yet been posted, last year’s dinner included a choice of three entrees: orange sage roasted turkey with sausage and mushroom stuffing, prime rib with au jus and horseradish, or mushroom wellington with tarragon cream. The dinner also featured a seasonal flatbread, butternut squash soup, an array of sides served family style, and a choice of dessert. The cost is $59 per adult and $29 per child. Reservations are very limited; please call 530-964-2822 for availability. The 1915 Art-and-Crafts-style hotel offers 16 elegant guest rooms with period details and furnishings. On chilly nights, guests can curl up with a book and a glass of wine beside the warmth of the crackling fire in the lobby.
Stanford Inn by the Sea – Raven’s Restaurant
For a sublime vegan Thanksgiving holiday, book a stay at the Stanford Inn by the Sea in Mendocino. The five-course, prix fixe menu features all plant-based foods with gluten-free and nut-free options. Featured entrees include mushroom crepes with grilled asparagus, sweet potato, and a sauvignon blanc reduction, an almond-hazelnut encrusted tofu or portobello with sage-chestnut stuffing, mashed potatoes, mushroom gravy, roasted seasonal vegetable, and cranberry-orange sauce, or autumn squash ravioli with cashew-cauliflower alfredo and braised greens. The cost is $75 per person. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 707-937-5615. Perched on a hillside with ocean views, the inn is nestled amid a verdant cascade of organic gardens and trees. Guest rooms exude a cozy, understated luxury and feature wood-burning fireplaces, hardwood floors with Persian rugs, fine linens, and beautifully crafted furnishings.