This year we bypassed tradition and, for the first time, spent the Thanksgiving holiday at a hotel. Nestled downtown next to the Mississippi River and the famous Arch, the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis was such a treat. I didn’t quite know what to expect or how I would feel spending such a big holiday away from home and our extended family. It was just the three of us, but we made it our own… and honestly (sorry family), I loved it.

Let me just say that I am officially sold on spending Thanksgiving at not just a restaurant, but at a restaurant in a nice hotel. There’s no turkey to baste, no dishes to clean, and no jello salad to pretend to enjoy. Just straight up, over-the-top-deliciousness and a beautiful setting to boot. It probably helped tremendously that the particular restaurant where we ate was fabulous, as was our hotel experience. An elevator ride away from our room, the Cielo Restaurant is located in the five-diamond property and did not disappoint. There were different stations – from salad (sorry, no jello) to Asian (sushi on Thanksgiving? Yes, please!), and then an entire room devoted to the traditional goods. There were people carving all sorts of meat, sweet potatoes to hoard, and stuffing to stuff. Oh, and plenty of mimosas to down. We finished it all off with a trip (or five) to the dessert table, where each little dish was unique and delish.

All in all, if you are ever considering taking a break from tradition and spending a holiday in a new place, do it. One of my most memorable Christmases was back in 2003 when I went with my mom to New York City from Washington D.C. on the Chinatown bus. Over a decade later and I still think of it every year. I have a feeling it will be the same for this past Thanksgiving. If you ever find yourself in St. Louis (or perhaps with a holiday that you want to do something a little different), check out the events that the Four Seasons offer. We took a stroll on their roof-top deck after our meal and took in the view, which already made me start thinking… I bet that’s the perfect location for the 4th of July (sorry family).

Special thanks to the Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis for hosting our stay and meal! While our experience was sponsored, all opinions are my own (and I can’t wait to go back).