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Four Seasons Las Vegas Trip Report

Four Seasons Las Vegas Trip Report

Old Apr 25, 2012, 11:01 am
  #1  
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Four Seasons Las Vegas Trip Report

My wife and I just returned from a quick 3 day trip to Las Vegas. I haven't seen a trip report for a while, so thought I would post one. We had stayed here a few years ago and while the hotel has grown in size (much bigger pool area and restaurant) it is still a nice oasis a bit removed from the other resorts on the strip. We've also stayed at Bellagio, Wynn and Encore a half-dozen times in the last few years. We're not gamblers, so staying at the FS Las Vegas was perfect for us. Great service, beautiful rooms, smokeless environment, but easy access to the restaurants, shows, shopping and other amenities of Vegas.

Pre-Arrival:
DavidO did a great job, as always, getting us set up with a FSPP reservation at FS Las Vegas. A few weeks before arrival we were contacted by concierge. We scheduled several dinners and tickets to a show. The concierge team was very responsive and professional.

Arrival:
There was no line at the FS desk (unlike most Vegas hotels). We arrived early, just after noon, and our room wasn't quite ready yet. We received an upgrade from a Sunrise/Sunset suite to a 180 Strip View suite. We picked up or dinner/show confirmations from the Concierge and decided to get lunch at the Verandah restaurant while the room was being prepared. A few minutes after we sat down, we received a text message that the room was ready. After a leisurely lunch, we walked back to the front desk and got our key along with a few envelopes/notes from the hotel. The front desk staff gave us directions to the elevator and room. One of the envelopes we received was a welcome and confirmation of the FSPP amenities, which is a nice touch. It removes any confusion or miscommunication. Every luxury hotel should do the same.

Room:
The walk to the elevators and room was quite long. As with most places in Vegas, things are spread out. Room was huge, much larger than we needed. It was arc-shaped with a large master suite, King bed, chaise lounge and flat screen TV at one end of the arc. Large bathroom, typical of FS with a tub, shower, water closet, double vanity, Bulgari products. A walk-in closet with plenty of hanging space, a few drawers, safe and padded bench (Our bags had already been delivered and placed in the closet). There is a large common room with a desk on on end, sitting area with couch/chairs/tv and entry in the middle of the arc. A dining room with table for 10, pantry with coffee maker, refrigerator, honor bar etc as at the far end of the arc. One thing that struck my wife and I were the number of plants in the room. It was a nice touch. Shortly after we arrived, someone came up to offer some fresh fruit, which was replenished each day.

Part of the benefit of staying at the Four Seasons is the view, being on the higher floors of the Mandalay tower. The bedroom had a view to the West across The Hotel and the Luxor pyramid. The desk and sitting area with a great view North, right up the strip. The dining room looked East over the Las Vegas airport (and the very active Janet terminal for you military aircraft buffs). All the windows had heavy curtains to block out the lights, when desired. We never had a problem with flashing lights from the strip keeping us awake.

Wifi is available throughout the hotel for an unlimited number of devices. It was reliable and fast. Cost was included in the resort fee.

Location:
FS Las Vegas is at the farthest south end of the strip. It is in the same building as Mandalay Bay with a separate entrance, lobby, etc. There are a couple of 'hidden' doors between the FS and Mandalay hotel so you can easily get to a casino and other amenities. Getting up the strip is pretty easy. Each morning, we went for a walk past west side resorts to Bellagio and back down the east side. The round trip took us an hour, so plan on at least 30 minutes to walk to the Bellagio.

Most would want to take a cab to dinners or if you are going further up the strip. Cabs were plentiful. We took a cab to a show one night and then up to Caesar's for dinner another night. We never had to wait for a cab.

Another option is the Tram out of Mandalay Bay up to Luxor and Excaliber. We took it one evening to avoid the heat. A quick walk through the Mandalay casino, a short wait for the Excalibur express and 5 minute ride was all it took to get part way up the strip. The Monte Carlo/Aria/Cosmopolitan/Bellagio tram was a much longer walk from the strip to the back of the hotel and then a walk all the way back to the front of the hotel. Still better than walking in 100 degree heat.

Pool:
One of the reasons for the trip was to spend time in the sun, by the pool. The FS Las Vegas pool set up is great. Plenty of chairs, lots of options with full sun or full shade. My wife prefers sun and I prefer shade, so the staff found us a spot at the end of one of the covered sections. So we both got what we wanted. The pool itself is large with plenty of room. There were maybe a maximum of 10-15 people in the pool at any one time, so no issues with crowds. It is consistently 3.5 to 4 feet deep. So no diving, but nice depth to float around and cool off.

The staff was very attentive, providing water, towels, sunscreen, offering to clean sunglasses or provide samples of smoothie drinks. There is a pretty large bar in the pool area and food was on offer as well.

The pool itself is near, but separate from, the Mandalay Bay pool complex. Looking from the top of the FS, there is a huge wave pool, lazy river and 3-4 other large pool areas. All of which are available to FS guests. It seemed to be extremely busy on the weekends with large crowds, perhaps some music/band playing since there is a stage next to one of the pools. I'm not sure of any additional fees for use of those facilities since we didn't venture over there.

F&B:
We ate breakfast and the first lunch at the Verandah restaurant. Lunch was very good with a variety of salads, sandwiches, pizza and such available. Sunday brunch was very good with a large buffet with a variety of hot and cold items, omelet station, donut station (!), cheeses, fruits and breads. On the other days, typical breakfast items were available.

Overall, very good service and high quality food items well prepared.

Spa/Fitness:
We used the fitness center a couple of times. The room is spacious and clean, with plenty of equipment, cold drinks, towels and such. The machines had large TVs and headsets available.

My wife scheduled a spa treatment and reported it was very good. Great service and very relaxing.

Check-out and Departure:
Our check-out was smooth and easy. The front desk staff was friendly, efficient and professional. The bill was absolutely correct with all credits applied (a problem I've had at other hotels in the past). I did overhear the staff offering a reduced rate upgrade to a guest checking-in next to us. This was similar to our experience at Hualalai a few weeks ago, so it seems to be a common practice. We headed out to the drive and were immediately greeted by the door-staff. We asked for a taxi to the airport and they offered to have the house car (Mercedes S-class) give us a lift, which was a nice touch. A quite 10 minute ride to the airport and it was time to go.

I took a few (poor) photos and posted them here to give a sense of the room, view and pool area: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjz4HYU9

Overall, we find the FS Vegas a quite oasis, set apart from the rest of a town that can be over the top. It is dignified, relaxed and friendly. The staff is great and provides the highest level of service. I highly recommend it if you are visiting Las Vegas. Let me know if you have any questions.
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Old Apr 25, 2012, 1:46 pm
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Thanks for the review. I agree that this a lovely, quiet oasis in Las Vegas. We have had several great stays there, but have not been since they expanded the pool. It looks much bigger.
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Old Apr 25, 2012, 2:08 pm
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Thanks for the TR. What is FSPP?
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Old Apr 25, 2012, 3:23 pm
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Originally Posted by askias
What is FSPP?
Four Season's top partner travel agents are called Preferred Partners. So the code FSPP was born of that.
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Old Apr 25, 2012, 4:02 pm
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I much prefer FS Vegas ...

Thanks for the review. While FS LV is on the low end of the FS chain, it is *much* preferable to the MO and the associated train wreck called City Center. FS is my choice when I'm forced to be in Vegas. I would add that Gallivanter reviewed both the MO and FS in the recent April'12 issue and found the MO to be vastly better. I couldn't disagree more and found the Gallivanter review to be dishonest to the point of being sleazy and unethical. I don't know what Lyn and Dave are thinking here, but FS cannot and should not be reviewed without considering the hotel in the greater context of Mandalay Bay. And MO cannot be review without considering the greater context of City Center. They did neither, coming to sloppy, misleading, and incorrect conclusions. A sorry effort on their part and just wrong.

Last edited by mike_la_jolla; May 1, 2012 at 6:39 pm
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Old Apr 25, 2012, 4:14 pm
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markelp amazing pool pics ^ would be interesting to see during peak summer

Originally Posted by mike_la_jolla
dishonest to the point of being sleazy and ethical

FS cannot and should not be reviewed without considering the hotel in the greater context of Manadaly Bay

MO cannot be review without considering the greater context of City Center.

They did neither, coming to sloppy, misleading, and incorrect conclusions. A sorry effort on their part and just wrong.
MO is stripfront in its own building, with a top tier restaurant.

FS has access to MB gambling, but its MB.

am i missing something required at citycenter or offered by MB?

your comments focused on citycenter and MB, so thats all im referring to.

Originally Posted by mike_la_jolla
greater context of Manadaly Bay
Originally Posted by mike_la_jolla
several top tier restaurants 20 floors below in the concourse at Mandalay Bay

part of the Mandalay Bay complex
Originally Posted by mike_la_jolla
You mean FS? I dislike CC and the MO. It is really an awkward place. I much prefer FS in Vegas.
recently noticed >
http://www.joel-robuchon.net/#/en/restaurants/9/ has a la carte prices (MGM site doesnt)
picasso entry price is down to $75

Last edited by Kagehitokiri; Apr 25, 2012 at 8:04 pm
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Old Apr 25, 2012, 5:11 pm
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Originally Posted by askias
Thanks for the TR. What is FSPP?
Four Seasons Preferred Partner. Here is an extensive thread on the history and amenities:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/luxur...amenities.html


Originally Posted by mike_la_jolla
While FS LV is on the low end of the FS chain, it is *much* preferable to the MO and the associated train wreck called City Center.
We only walked by and through City Center. It seems to be a bit jumbled from the outside (three hotels, roads crisscrossing, massive mall in front, etc). Maybe we'll stop by next time.

Originally Posted by Kagehitokiri
recently noticed >
http://www.joel-robuchon.net/#/en/restaurants/9/ has menu prices
picasso entry price is down to $75
We visited Joel Robuchon a few times in the past, but much prefer Guy Savoy (Caesars). Better food, more attentive service, more traditional French experience. Also tried Aureola this trip, but were not impressed. We tried, but couldn't get into .

---Mark
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Old Apr 25, 2012, 5:29 pm
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Originally Posted by Kagehitokiri
markelp
MO is stripfront in its own building, with a top tier restaurant.

FS has access to MB gambling, but its MB.

am i missing something required at citycenter or offered by MB?

your comments focused on citycenter and MB, so thats all im referring to.
Lyn and David reviewed MO and FS Vegas wholly without the context of the immediate environment. That means that they didn't even consider the unbelievable awkwardness of City Center and ignored the several top tier restaurants 20 floors below in the concourse at Mandalay Bay. And this couldn't be more misleading. You cannot judge the FS LV as if it were a resort on a desert island, as you would with the other hotel reviewed in this issue: Amangiri. It is part of the Mandalay Bay complex. I'll post a complete fisking of the Gallivanter review when I get a chance. I've stayed at both hotels. This Gallivanter review is a sorry piece of travel journalism: unfair, dishonest, and wrong.
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Old Apr 25, 2012, 7:06 pm
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Nice review and pics show a great room. By the way, FS guests have free access to the Mandalay pool complex.

I like both the FS and the MO and will stay at both again in the future -- where depends on the context of that visit.

I will say that Mandalay is suffering demographically from the emergence of City Center so I'm surprised by Mike's strong preference for MB.
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Old Apr 25, 2012, 7:53 pm
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Originally Posted by Yahtzee
Nice review and pics show a great room. By the way, FS guests have free access to the Mandalay pool complex.

I like both the FS and the MO and will stay at both again in the future -- where depends on the context of that visit.

I will say that Mandalay is suffering demographically from the emergence of City Center so I'm surprised by Mike's strong preference for MB.
You mean FS? I dislike CC and the MO. It is really an awkward place. I much prefer FS in Vegas.
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Old Apr 25, 2012, 8:04 pm
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Originally Posted by mike_la_jolla
You mean FS? I dislike CC and the MO. It is really an awkward place. I much prefer FS in Vegas.
I meant the reference to MB environs being > CC environs. Not sure I agree with that. CC is sort of weird but MB is becoming increasingly downscale.
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Old Apr 28, 2012, 3:38 pm
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Thanks for the report.

I find the FS decor and style terribly outdated ('grandma's home') and in urgent need for major refurbishment. MO design and room hardware is miles ahead and top notch even in international comparison.

The only reason for me to return to FS for a night under current conditions would be to watch the Janet terminal activity (during the week for action - the views are formidable) and maybe for the pool area. Otherwise, I'd take the MO any other day.
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Old May 1, 2012, 3:48 pm
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Originally Posted by mike_la_jolla
found the Gallivanter review to be dishonest to the point of being sleazy and ethical.
Mike,

Where did the review cross into sleazy and unethical terriotory?

Thanks
DR
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Old May 1, 2012, 3:55 pm
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DrivingRain, mike_la_jolla said he was discussing citycenter and mandalay bay

https://twitter.com/#!/Gallivanters/...33571588554752
Apparently @FSLasVegas is spending $30 million on a much needed major refurb, starting with the rooms/suites, then public areas in 2013.

5 Feb 12

Last edited by Kagehitokiri; May 1, 2012 at 5:41 pm
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Old May 1, 2012, 8:23 pm
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Originally Posted by ngfan
Thanks for the report.

I find the FS decor and style terribly outdated ('grandma's home') and in urgent need for major refurbishment. MO design and room hardware is miles ahead and top notch even in international comparison.

The only reason for me to return to FS for a night under current conditions would be to watch the Janet terminal activity (during the week for action - the views are formidable) and maybe for the pool area. Otherwise, I'd take the MO any other day.

Agreed... FS is very dated.. My preference is for Wynn Towers or MO..

Never liked the FS LV even when we were upgraded to their top suites
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