nba1017

Agreed. However, the service and f&b are completely top-notch, and the suites, though dated, are of a very adequate size and nicely furnished.

DrivingRain

It's nice to hear some counter-arguments on some of these properties over the last page or two of this thread. FS YVR, RC Pentagon get criticized often in here (and I have done so too), but in reality properties like RC PC etc. do not wow you, but they satisfy up to a luxury-standard far more often than not.

Larry Siegel

Nor I - I love the place - but when you're paying double the going rate for a business hotel, every little flaw becomes magnified. The bar at the FS Boston closing at 11:30 sharp when almost everyone in my group (we booked 130 rooms) is in there drinking...the annoying lobby music at the FS Chicago, so you can't have an impromptu business meeting in the lobby...I know I am being nitpicky but it's the details that make the experience.

malioil

Worst RC I stayed in has to be Battery Park. I stayed there for 10 days recently and the service felt very artificial to me.

The worst Four Seasons has to be FS Miami.I was in a Premier One Bedroom Suite, which was very pleasant, but some of the staff could not even speak English. Worse, they took over 2 hours to sort out a coffee machine, did not make a third bed though I told them and left the hotel for over 8 hours, meaning that overall it just wasn't a lovely experience. On the other hand the pool service was great as was the breakfast, but just generally not impressed, especially with the rate I was paying.

TRAVELSIG

+1: This is the only Four Seasons I made a complaint about to head office.

I wouldn't go back to the FS Miami. In general hotels in Miami in my opinion are not very good- also the MO we had a terrible and very overpriced dinner in the sushi restaurant with a Chinese chef who told us he "didn't know" what kind of fish we were eating- we were sitting at the sushi bar.....

Both hotels are very forgettable.

malioil

Thanks for your opinion, I was planning on the MO for my next Miami visit but now will think again!

pricesquire

Worst RC I've seen, and I've been to ~12, was the RC Amelia. It's a shame because the staff was so good, but the rooms and lobby looked worse than your typical Marriott.

stimpy

I had a great stay at the MO Miami a couple years ago, but I didn't try the sushi.

But I agree with TRAVELSIG that in general Miami hotels are disappointing. Certainly if you compare them to European hotels. I wonder, are all the larger hotels in Miami staffed by union employees? Maybe it's best to stay at a boutique hotel, like perhaps Cardozo, assuming it is still as good as it used to be.

TRAVELSIG

Worst RC I have seen is RC Naples Golf Resort which my colleague described as "A Marriott with Gold Taps in the bathroom" and he was not far off at all.

vuittonsofstyle

The worst FS is probably FS Sydney. FS should ditch it from the group as the owners need to reduce the number of keys and do a thorough refurb if they want it to reflect the FS ethic. Currently, it is dire.

Also don't like FS Miami - too controlled by the residents, so nobody has any focus.

FS Vancouver? Nice staff but terribly dated hotel.

mike_la_jolla

I've been to 23 Four Seasons and the anchor is FS Sydney. This isn't close actually. You *dream* of FS Vancouver when staying at FS Sydney. I'm not sure it can be fixed.

PS -- The worst meal I ever had was at Thurnher's Alpenhof (Asian night and I'm not going to even try to describe what was served). The second worst was in the newly reopened bar at FS Syndey. There is NO dish that cannot be catastrophically ruined by adding capers, cilantro, or pickled beets. But it takes a true artist to combine all three to make something truly awful. I'm getting sick just thinking about it ...

OT -- Aman Summer Palace is my lowest rated Aman, with 'Yara following.

stimpy

That sounds exactly like the Ritz Kapalua on Maui. What struck me was how the front desk was staffed and behaved exactly like any ordinary US Marriott.

EuropeanPete

I think that I must have been unlucky with Ritz Carltons. I must have stayed in a handful, but haven't liked any of them. The ones that I have been in remind of a kind of Sherton for older, more rich Americans who like giant greek statues and buffets.

Two come to mind:
The RC Marina del Rey - Has been mentioned here earlier, but it's just not particularly a luxury hotel. The concierge was actually extremely proficient (not least in arranging private jet hire!), but for the rest it wasn't distinguishable from a standard 4* hotel
The RC Cancun - The hotel felt a bit grander (with more marble), but they started off on the wrong foot with me when the driver of the RC Cancun van who picked me up at the airport kept trying to push drugs and prostitutes on me all the way to the hotel. He's lucky I was less opinionated in my mid 20s

I've limited experience staying in Four Seasons (more in visiting), but despite the concept not being my style every place I've been to has had notably slick service.

TRAVELSIG

I tend to agree with you that it is rarer for an RC to hit the buttons for me where I have felt:
A) That I received good value
B) That I was staying somewhere which reflected my aesthetic tastes
C) That I was received genuine service as opposed to "going through the paces" type of service with the "It will be my pleasure nonsense". It drives me crazy when I phone and ask- can you set a wake up call for me please and the response is "It will be my greatest pleasure". Really? Very superficial.

Other posters have mentioned the FS Sydney- I have been there for lunch which was quite good- the hotel decor though is very dated. In general though the service levels in Sydney I find to be quite low all around with the exception of a few stars at the PH and the Horizon Club team at the Shangri-La. Sydney is a great city- don't go there for luxury hotel experiences though as if you are lucky enough to get one you will have paid very very dearly for the privilege.

If FS dropped or Vancouver or Sydney it would be a shame in that there would then be even less possibility of finding a reasonable reliable option. The Vancouver hotel is indeed dated yet the service for Vancouver is as good as it gets and a much better option service wise than the Rosewood across the street.

vuittonsofstyle

Agree that FS Sydney can't be fixed. It was quite good years ago when it was Regent, but today it needs demolishing. Like you, I also experienced inedible food there, which takes some doing in Sydney.

Agree about the Amans, too. Maybe Vlad will add a spot of bling