tdiddy23

Not too pleased with 4S these days. They cancelled my reservation in Taormina a couple days ago for early November because they didn't have enough volume to stay open (despite this blamed COVID restrictions). Is this standard practice for a luxury hotel?

I usually have 4 or 5 stays in 4S Whistler, however their winter 2021/22 rates have gone up 100-200% from past years. Have rates gone up this much elsewhere? I am guessing there is a large volume of international skiers keen to return that are price insensitive; but as a local return guests in no way can I justify staying with that kind of price increase. If i wanted to pay $2000/night for skiing I would book a heli or cat ski lodge.

oh well, hopefully the Belmond Timeo treats me well (probably a more polished operation but didn't like the soft product on my only other belmond stay in Laos) and plenty of other options in Whistler

scented

Sorry to hear about Taormina cancelling on you... not very FS to do, but they are a seasonal property and it's their first year of operation. Not an excuse, they should have known better, but hopefully you'll get there another time -- I hear it's rather wonderful!

Regarding rates, I am not surprised, rates have gone up all over the place, not really something specific about FS. I never judge prices, good if they can get it, but I always judge quality and frankly I doubt FS Whistler is worth that quality-wise, so I would pass.

jashah

I have found their rates up about 30% compared with March 2020. This is across most of their properties. I have found and booked promotions such as “fourth night free” which helps.

I’ve stayed at their Whistler location several times. 2k/night seems really steep unless you’re in a residence or the absolute peak time (Xmas/New Years).

ABG

With the renovations now complete and with the likely return of US and possibility Aussie tourists, I think the rate increases are going to maintain.
Still worth watching for price drops if pick up doesn't materialize.

You'll be great at Belmond btw

ERtraveler

Hualalai rates have doubled and I doubt they’re coming back down because the place is still packed.

Brandinho1

Just wanted to share my experience at the Four Seasons Bogotá. Some key takeaways below:

- an excellent value used with $200 Amex Travel credit. My rate was $310 but with the credit $110.

- Food and beverage was excellent. The Eggs Benedict with Salmon over arepas may have been one of the best dishes I have ever eaten period!

- $100 USD credit on any food and beverage at any of the outlets on the property is the benefit at this hotel when booked through Fine Hotels and Resorts

- Hotel doesn’t have heat ( many hotels in Bogotá don’t for whatever reason ). Front desk will be more than happy to bring you up a space heater.

kumarshah

Just finished a stay at FS Mumbai, 4th time there. Booked through Amex FHR.

• Noted my FHR booking on check-in, got the comp. upgrade and a nice letter explaining all the benefits.
• Excellent service as always, FS service in Mumbai is next best after Oberoi in my experience.
• They had only one restaurant open but the food there was outstanding. In-room dining was also great. The eggs benedict during breakfast was cooked perfectly, though my wife did not like her waffles. Did not get a chance to go to AER this time but it is by far one of the best rooftop bars in the city.
• Covid protocols being followed, all staff wore their masks in proper fashion.
• FHR includes one-way complimentary transfer to Airport, we were actually taking the train and they dropped us off to the station without any issues.
• The biggest issue we had was the room maintenance has gone down. The nice sofa-chair had a stain on it, the french press wasn't working, the shower door did not close completely.
• Had a little scare with the elevator, we with one other hotel guest were going down, there was a sudden jolt and we started going up. Like someone overwrote the elevator and called it to top floor. We pinged the elevator call button but since post that it seemed to fine we did not say anything more.

All in all a great stay, wish they had refreshed the rooms a bit during Covid though.

Kagehitokiri

some history, came across this - FS 1975 Annual Report
digital.library.mcgill.ca/hrcorpreports/pdfs/6/633752.pdf

and 1988
digital.library.mcgill.ca/hrcorpreports/pdfs/6/633773.pdf

dont recall if i ever updated, noticed alwaleed sold all FS hotels except paris and marrakech, not sure if those sold too

scented

Interesting Kage, thanks!

Marrakech sold just before pandemic - now owned by Westmont (first time FS owner).

On property level Kingdom only owns George V and Savoy

wanderlustFL

We are visiting Sicily in April 2022, arriving Saturday April 9 and until yesterday had a booking at the FS San Domenico Palace. Out of the blue we just received an email from the hotel cancelling our reservation. The communication claimed the reservation was made “due to human error” and the property is only “available for exclusive use”—-whatever that means. This is an outright lie as when we made the original reservation we had intended on arriving Thursday April 7 but the rate for Thurs and Fri of that week was over 1400 E per night. Starting Saturday, the starting rates dropped below 700 E. We separately contacted the hotel to inquire whether they could extend the reservation for 2 additional nights at a rate below the online generated price of 1400E. They offered us a slightly better rate but still very high. We communicated back and forth several times and at no time did they make any indication of a special event or that the hotel was “available for exclusive use”. Quite frankly, I am appalled by this treatment. On the hotel’s website the seasonal opening is shown as April 1. I sent a polite but rather forceful reply to the hotel calling them out on the “human error” lie. No response yet. At this rate, even if the hotel is open for dinner I will decline to set foot on the property. In my view, if the hotel has elected to close for whatever reason, at the very least they should have the decency to be truthful. Using the “human error” excuse is a joke. We are staying at the Belmond instead.

Kagehitokiri

could be buyout, reschedule, or oversell. hotel has 111 rooms. became FS on july 1 2001.

your email did not offer anything, and it was not from a manager ? need to talk to management level

could also try calling FS call center and seeing if they can transfer your call or do conference call

owned by Gruppo Statuto, who own FS milan, which was closed for first half of 2021 for renovations

fourseasons.com/meetings-and-events/exclusives-and-buyouts/chart
63 FS listed there as available for "exclusives"
taormina so far blank, and other 2 newest here >
fourseasons.com/newopenings
do show details re buyouts on chart

taormina calendar
apr 1-20 "restrictions apply"
apr 15 "no availability"

2 questions just re availability - what room/suite categories are available on what dates ?

btw, FS website is not real time availability. i have been able to book on website when in-house reservations at the hotel itself (not FS call center) could not make a booking. presume this applies to most luxury hotel brands. explains not booking top suites online.

FS Taormina also closed early this year. rescheduling does happen at properties with seasonal closures.

that was posted Oct 12 2021

wanderlustFL

Thanks for the quick reply. The email offered no options other than “try again post April 21” and did not appear to be from a manager, just the general reservations account. And, I wouldn’t have been so peeved by the “human error” excuse except that I had been in direct communication with the hotel about extending the reservation. And, they were willing to do it for a very steep price, literally doubling the rate we were paying for the existing reservation. Of course, I have.no proof, but the cynical in me believes that if we were willing to pay up for the extra nights (we had one of the lower room categories at about 700 E, and the new rate quoted us was well north of 1200 E) our reservation would not have gone poof. I don’t have an email for anyone in management at the hotel. As a result, I am left with responding to the general reservation account which sent me the original email. If you have a contact you are willing to share, would you mind iM’ing me?

Aventine

You should probably send an email to
Lorenzo Maraviglia (the GM) and ask for an explanation.

Kagehitokiri

as on example, i have talked to regional sales office for luxury hotel brand that had no idea what they were talking about re one of their hotels, let alone potentially entry level employees who may be given a list of booked guests and told to email them

you have the email/phone/text records of your communications at least in terms of when you talked to them. don't know when following (etc) happened >
- buyout happened
- schedule changed
- oversell noticed - i've seen many comments re room allocation being done basically by hand(writing) at luxury hotels (maybe below certain size?)

it may not be possible to get concrete information as to why.

luxury hotels should at least appear to offer service and the best will offer options if not recovery.

EDIT - regardless of what/when, it is at least better to be informed now instead of closer to next april. which has also happened.
EDIT - re rooms and FS website, i have also been given a room (category) that had not shown as available online

wanderlustFL

Thank Aventine for providing this information! I sent another email on Christmas Eve to the general reservations account, cc'ing Mr. Maraviglia. I wasn't sure what response I would receive and certainly did not expect any answer until post holiday. Well,, on Christmas morning the GM responded directly to my note. He apologized for the poor treatment and promised to resolve himself next week. That is service indeed. Of course, I don't yet know what he will offer, but the very fact that he responded so quickly to a non-VIP potential guest speaks volumes. I will report back what he says.