The Fearrington House Inn
Photo Courtesy of Fitch Creations
Say so long to staid, standard buffets and so-so egg hunts this year. Instead, step up your holiday at one of these seven extravagant Easter celebrations held at luxury hotels both here and abroad.
Sheraton Macao Hotel, Cotai Central
While you might not think of Macau’s Cotai Strip, famous for over-the-top casinos, as a choice spot for commemorating Easter, this mega resort might just change your mind. Over the holiday weekend, there is an array of celebratory feasts to enjoy. Bene, a cozy Italian haunt, will host an Easter Day Brunch and a family-style dinner. (Kids can paint eggs at the restaurant, too.) The international cuisine/buffet at Feast will include an Easter smorgasbord with options like Macanese roast suckling pig, lamb masala and a slew of sweet offerings at the dessert island. And in Palms, the lobby lounge, a special tea will include wood-fired ham, foie gras terrine and yuzu tartlets.
Panache, Photo Courtesy of Auberge Saint-Antoine
Auberge Saint-Antoine
This Forbes Travel Guide Recommended boutique hotel is every bit the charming escape you’d want in Québec City’s historical Old Port neighborhood, and it serves as an excellent spot to toast the weekend. Book the Easter package and you’ll get accommodations for two nights, a chocolate egg made by the hotel’s pastry chef, brunch for two at the Forbes Travel Guide Four-Star restaurant Panache, indoor parking and access to an Easter egg hunt on Sunday morning.
The Fearrington House Restaurant
The bucolic setting of the Five-Star restaurant near Chapel Hill, North Carolina, — it’s set among rolling hills and flower gardens — is an ideal backdrop for a long Easter lunch. Housed in a 1927 farmhouse, the eatery consistently serves outstanding seasonal dishes, and this year’s holiday menu is no different. Smoked duck breast, Parmesan crème brûleé, barbecue lamb shoulder and brown butter shortbread are a few of the items that will be available. Bonus: You can take a lingering stroll through the surrounding green space after dining.
Mandarin Oriental, Boston
The urban Five-Star hotel must have had families in mind for the Easter Escape package. It includes a personalized in-room egg hunt, accommodations for one night, and brunch for three at the Forbes Travel Guide Soon-To-Be-Rated Bar Boulud Boston (additional children can be added to the reservation). Those who won’t have kids in tow for the weekend can still book a table at the restaurant, which will feature a three-course meal with mouthwatering choices like smoked salmon served with scrambled eggs and chives on brioche, and French toast plated with poached rhubarb and pistachios.
Peninsula Grill’s Coconut Cake, Photo Courtesy of Peninsula Grill
Peninsula Grill
Sophisticated Southern fare awaits diners at Charleston’s Four-Star Peninsula Grill, a refined little spot with an oh-so-charming outdoor courtyard. (Trust us, you’ll want to book an outside table, if you can.) The special Easter dinner menu offers guests a choice for each of the three courses. Possibilities include lobster salad on a bed of frisée, roasted lamb porterhouse and milk chocolate peanut butter cake. Can’t make it for dinner? You can order Peninsula Grill’s famed coconut cake for your own Easter table — the restaurant will ship it overnight.
The Grand Del Mar
This San Diego resort might just have something for everyone come Easter Sunday. Kids will undoubtedly want to take part in The Grand Hunt, an egg hunt to end all others, on Sunday morning. Amaya, the Five-Star resort’s Mediterranean-influenced restaurant, will host a three-course brunch and a separate three-course dinner. The more casual Clubhouse Grill will serve brunch on an outdoor patio alongside live music. Guests looking to truly indulge can hit up a lavish champagne brunch held in the Elizabeth Ballroom. And those who envision a more cozy celebration can head to the library for an elegant afternoon tea.
The St. Regis Atlanta
Head upstairs to the graceful Astor Court to dine in grand style at this Four-Star hotel in Buckhead. The court overlooks a spiral marble staircase and has comfortable seating scattered above the luxurious lobby, making it the perfect brunch scene. The day’s menu is massive, with options ranging from eggs and waffles to sushi and charcuterie. The extensive list of pastries on offer also sounds particularly tempting. Kids can take part in an egg hunt and meet the Easter Bunny, while adults can toast the holiday with a glass of champagne.
