Has the Four Seasons organization lost its advantage
Mar 24, 2006, 9:47 am
#16
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 169
I have been to both Miami and Washington (post rehab) FS hotels and both are wonderful.
I do not agree re the Ritz hotels in the US. At least from a design perspective, I find that most of their properties suffer from the same 'Laura Ashley gone bad' look that many of the old FS properties do. My mother loves them, but the taste of a 70 year old woman may not the taste of most luxury hotel travellers (at least it is not MY taste)
I do not agree re the Ritz hotels in the US. At least from a design perspective, I find that most of their properties suffer from the same 'Laura Ashley gone bad' look that many of the old FS properties do. My mother loves them, but the taste of a 70 year old woman may not the taste of most luxury hotel travellers (at least it is not MY taste)
Mar 24, 2006, 9:55 am
#17
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: USA
Programs: AA2, DL2, Amtrak2, US2, SPG1, MAR2
Posts: 2,550
Originally Posted by plagioia
At least from a design perspective, I find that most of their properties suffer from the same 'Laura Ashley gone bad' look that many of the old FS properties do. My mother loves them, but the taste of a 70 year old woman may not the taste of most luxury hotel travellers (at least it is not MY taste)
What I meant was that RC has many more new US hotels that do not have that "Laura Ashley gone bad" look vs. that of FS which is lagging behind a bit. RC Tyson's, RC PHX, RC ATL, etc. all have the same old-fashioned look as the FS' of the same era. Newer RCs like Boston Common, Philadelphia, New York Central Park, Georgetown, Coconut Grove, Washington on 22nd, even the renovated "old" Boston, Miami- South Beach, Battery Park, Lake Las Vegas, Key Biscayne, etc., etc. are very, very sharp and have none of that old-fashioned RC/FS luxury look.
Mar 24, 2006, 11:01 am
#18
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: YVR
Programs: Hilton*D, Marriott*LG, Hyatt*G
Posts: 6,268
I still hope that FS will either move out of its current building in Vancouver or gut the entire inside and enlargen all the rooms (sort of like the way they did DC) and try to get permission to build Private Residences on the top floors..... we now send our guests to the Pan Pacific...
Mar 24, 2006, 11:06 am
#19
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Portland OR Double Emerald (QF and AA), DL PM/MM, Starwood Plat
Posts: 19,589
Originally Posted by luxury
I still hope that FS will either move out of its current building in Vancouver ...
Mar 24, 2006, 12:08 pm
#20
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Winston Salem, NC USA
Posts: 1,074
[QUOTE=luxury]True... many of the North America FS hotels are considerably worse in terms of physical plant than overseas. That said, FS world is not confined solely to the US and many of their international properties are fantastic.
This is often the case. Overseas, Westin Hotels are incredible while domestic ones are ho-hum. Similarly, Sofitel Hotels in the US are wonderful, but in France, they are very middle brow.
This is often the case. Overseas, Westin Hotels are incredible while domestic ones are ho-hum. Similarly, Sofitel Hotels in the US are wonderful, but in France, they are very middle brow.
Mar 24, 2006, 12:11 pm
#21
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Winston Salem, NC USA
Posts: 1,074
[QUOTE=luxury]A friend showed me his pics of the FS Miami and the room shape and layout looks just like Canary Wharf and San Francisco...... the FS BKK is nearing completion of its renos and I am looking forward to seeing this in May.
The FS San Francisco is fairly new but I was really disappointed. The service is terrible. I felt like I was staying at the Marriott.
The FS San Francisco is fairly new but I was really disappointed. The service is terrible. I felt like I was staying at the Marriott.
Mar 24, 2006, 2:47 pm
#22
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: YVR
Programs: Hilton*D, Marriott*LG, Hyatt*G
Posts: 6,268
Originally Posted by trvlr70
The FS San Francisco is fairly new but I was really disappointed. The service is terrible. I felt like I was staying at the Marriott.
Mar 24, 2006, 5:44 pm
#23
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP 3 MM
Posts: 4,576
Originally Posted by DrivingRain
In the US, Ritz Carlton and Mandarin Oriental generally have newer, shinier hotels with better physical features and close to equal...if not equal service.
Originally Posted by trvlr70
The FS San Francisco is fairly new but I was really disappointed. The service is terrible. I felt like I was staying at the Marriott.
Mar 24, 2006, 7:00 pm
#24
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: USA
Programs: AA2, DL2, Amtrak2, US2, SPG1, MAR2
Posts: 2,550
Originally Posted by francophile
In the US, RC has inferior service compared to FS. I find RC service in the US to be inconsistent. Either the service tends to be doting, almost to the point of being obsequious, or shockingly indifferent.
Mar 28, 2006, 11:59 am
#25
In memoriam
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Near Jacksonville FL
Posts: 3,987
I think it's difficult to compare the older luxury properties in a city with the newer ones - especially if you're pitting the Peninsula in Chicago against anything else (I've only stayed there once but thought it was fabulous). If any of the hotel chains read these threads - I guess the conclusion they should draw is there's only so much you can do in terms of refreshing an older property if the rooms/bathrooms/hallways/common areas are small/inadequate to start with. Which I guess is why we're seeing places like the Plaza being 100% ripped apart and turned into condos. Robyn
Mar 28, 2006, 12:39 pm
#26
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Programs: AA Gold, PAL Million Miler
Posts: 42
Originally Posted by bearbrick
great food ??...hmm
i have never been impressed with the 4 seasons group generally ..... in the americas in the 90s ..maybe a 4 seasons is something out of the ordinary but when you see such luxury hotels like regent and new park hyatts etc the 4 seasons dontcome across well.and most certainly dont impress..... the desecration of regent by 4 seasons was IMO nothing short of slow torture .
why all the fuss over 4seasons chiangmai? [ a former regent ] most definately overrated .
the george V was such a desecration of a classic that i think we ought to sentence 4seasons to life without parole !!!
service ..blah blah ...lets face it ..unless its really bad or incompetent..it isnt such a BIG deal....i find 4 seasons service eg SPore to be mechanical and almost forced / contrived !
for sure 4seasons never impressed me in the first place and for some reason came charging into the limelight .[ c/o the HRH ] more through hype i suspect...i think in this category the new generation park hyatts will appeal more.
th 4 seasons HK was...ok .generous yes but ok..NOT OK ! ..something clinical about 4 seasons luxury
will be visiting geneva soon ...will check out de bergues...and if they did what they did to george V then i might seek instant justice !!!
i have never been impressed with the 4 seasons group generally ..... in the americas in the 90s ..maybe a 4 seasons is something out of the ordinary but when you see such luxury hotels like regent and new park hyatts etc the 4 seasons dontcome across well.and most certainly dont impress..... the desecration of regent by 4 seasons was IMO nothing short of slow torture .
why all the fuss over 4seasons chiangmai? [ a former regent ] most definately overrated .
the george V was such a desecration of a classic that i think we ought to sentence 4seasons to life without parole !!!
service ..blah blah ...lets face it ..unless its really bad or incompetent..it isnt such a BIG deal....i find 4 seasons service eg SPore to be mechanical and almost forced / contrived !
for sure 4seasons never impressed me in the first place and for some reason came charging into the limelight .[ c/o the HRH ] more through hype i suspect...i think in this category the new generation park hyatts will appeal more.
th 4 seasons HK was...ok .generous yes but ok..NOT OK ! ..something clinical about 4 seasons luxury
will be visiting geneva soon ...will check out de bergues...and if they did what they did to george V then i might seek instant justice !!!
Perhaps a bit of sour-graping against the world's finest, and always will be, luxury hotel company? Hmmmm.... does he work for Hyatt Corp.? or maybe for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company LLC, "a Marriott corporation"? Believe me, sounds like me when I used to work for a delusional "luxury" hotel company (which is about to go to bed with Raffles).
Mar 28, 2006, 12:40 pm
#27
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: YVR
Programs: Hilton*D, Marriott*LG, Hyatt*G
Posts: 6,268
Originally Posted by number_6
Fat chance (isn't YVR one of the few hotels that Four Seasons actually owns rather than just operates?).
Mar 28, 2006, 8:23 pm
#28
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: Seat 1A, Juice pretty much everywhere, Mucci des Coins Exotiques
Posts: 34,339
Is the FS chain too large to manage? Maybe that is the problem. These days, I much prefer MO hotels to FS. Of course I don't always have the opportunity since MO is a much smaller chain. But perhaps that is why MO hotels often have a higher standard of service quality?
Mar 28, 2006, 8:27 pm
#29
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,298
wrong by a long shot
Originally Posted by ravsquad
Perhaps a bit of sour-graping against the world's finest, and always will be, luxury hotel company? Hmmmm.... does he work for Hyatt Corp.? or maybe for the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company LLC, "a Marriott corporation"? Believe me, sounds like me when I used to work for a delusional "luxury" hotel company (which is about to go to bed with Raffles).
good one ravsquad. but sorry to tell you that i am not even in the hospitality industry or travel industry for that matter . i am as objective as it gets , no favours no fear just want to ensure that my stay at luxury hotels remains good all round...to get not only my monies and values worth but my well being when i stay there.period
