IN THE NEWS

Old word grandeur and good ol' Southern charm make this Marion Square hotel irresistible.

Make sure to book an afternoon tea experience at the pink-adorned Camellias located in Hotel Bennett on King Street.

Presented by Kwame Onwuachi, chef, restaurateur and author, in collaboration with Sheila Johnson’s Salamander Collection and Food & Wine, the multi-day event crosses culinary boundaries and combines thought-provoking panel discussions, topical cooking demonstrations, inspiring recreational activities, daily “family” meals and vibrant evening parties.

After a day on the town, plunge into the spa's lavish embrace or toast to the twilight at the rooftop bar. Bag a table at Gabrielle, where Southern hospitality collides with culinary genius (the scent of their steaming “Carolina Gold Rice” will make your mouth water before it lands on the table).

“Hotel Bennett is truly Charleston’s best full-service luxury hotel, in my opinion,” says Elizabeth Rhodes, digital special projects editor at Travel + Leisure and native South Carolinian.

Remy Funfrock, La Pâtisserie, Charleston, SC

Thanksgiving — that most American of holidays — causes visions of bountiful turkey and gravy, wild rice, sweet potatoes, dressing (or stuffing, depending on your tradition), cranberries, pecan pie, pumpkin pie, pie pie and everything in between.

Do I love a hotel or resort that’s all dressed up for the holidays? If the number of photos I have of my now-teenage daughter standing by an elaborate gingerbread house display, perched by an array of poinsettias, or posed in front of an over-the-top Christmas tree in a hotel lobby throughout the years is any indication, then the answer is a resounding yes.