It’s hard to believe today, with nearly 130 hotels in locations around the globe — including Paris, Bangkok and Napa, California — but Four Seasons Hotels was founded back in 1961 with the opening of a single motor hotel in downtown Toronto geared toward business travelers.
More than six decades later, the chain has grown to become one of the most recognized luxury brands in the world, with distinctive properties that run the gamut from a safari lodge to a 14th-century convent, from tented camps to private islands. The company has even expanded to over-the-top Four Seasons Private Jet Experiences and the forthcoming Four Seasons Yachts. Two of its outposts have even been featured in the popular HBO series “The White Lotus.”
But you don’t have to be a Hollywood star or a billionaire jet-setter to enjoy some of the chain’s most incredible hotels. Here are 16 of the best Four Seasons in the world, and what makes each so unique.
Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia
Best for: Exploring Bali’s cultural riches by day and relaxing with a sumptuous spa treatment or leisurely riverside dinner by night.
Why stay here: One of Bali’s most spectacular resorts, this luxurious redoubt is hidden away in a jungle valley, where its enormous villas (many with private pools) perch among boulders leading down to the Ayung River.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to enjoy elitelike benefits and on-property credits.
It’s worth visiting this nonpareil resort — tucked into a jungly valley on the outskirts of Ubud, Bali — for the dramatic entry alone. Guests traverse a wooden footbridge that leads them to the middle of a manmade lily pond, then descend a staircase into the reception area and lounge. There’s truly nothing else like it in Bali, or in Asia.
With just 42 villas and 18 suites arranged down the side of the valley, practically to the banks of the Ayung River, the resort feels intimate and ultra-exclusive. The suites are great for families thanks to their proximity to the hotel’s Pici Pici kids club. But if you can, book into one of the villa categories, which start at a whopping 3,660 square feet of indoor and outdoor space. Alfresco areas include private pools and shaded terraces for lounging and dining. Indoors, guests will find teak floors and furnishings, hand-carved wooden screens and traditional ikat fabrics, not to mention gleaming dark-stone bathrooms with deep soaking tubs and views of the surrounding gardens or the river.
Although you could happily spend your entire vacation in your accommodations, book one of the hotel’s special activities, like a private anti-gravity yoga session in the resort’s lotus leaf-inspired yoga pavilion, or take a cooking class right on the river bank. Be sure to set some time aside for a spa treatment, like a traditional Balinese energy healing ritual or a rejuvenating facial with products from French beauty brand Codage.
It’s easy to head into the heart of Ubud for a meal or two during your stay, but there’s plenty to eat and drink around the resort, too, including traditional Indonesian dishes at the Ayung Terrace, contemporary European dishes and grilled specialties at Riverside by the resort’s main pool, and a seven-course Balinese-skewing dining extravaganza at Chef’s Table at Sokasi.
Rates at the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan start at $1,156 per night.
San Domenico Palace, Taormina
Taormina, Sicily, Italy
Best for: Anyone wanting to live out their “White Lotus” fantasies in an incomparable Mediterranean setting.
Why stay here: Take a cliff-top 14th-century convent, reinvigorate its classic gardens, add a spectacular infinity pool and offer guests a sun-splashed beach club … what’s not to love?
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to enjoy elitelike benefits and on-property credits.
If you start to hear a certain theme song playing in your head when alighting at this Sicilian stunner, it’s no wonder: The hotel was the backdrop for the second season of “The White Lotus.” Your stay will assuredly be less dysfunctional and intrigue-filled, though.
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Located in the cliffside city of Taormina, where ancient ruins, spectacular Baroque architecture and picturesque Ionian beaches have drawn travelers for centuries, the history of San Domenico Palace actually dates back to 1347 when it was established as a small Dominican church and convent. It was transformed into a hotel by a noble family in the late 19th century and became a fashionable stop on the grand tour for decades. The hotel fell on hard times during World War II but reopened as a Four Seasons with 111 rooms and suites in July 2021 and is looking as magnificent as ever.
Rooms are decorated with ascetic simplicity in palettes of white, cream and taupe, start around 300 square feet and might have views of the town, the cloisters or the sea. All have Four Seasons’ famously comfortable beds, though, and stunning black-and-white marble bathrooms.
Guests can start their day with a leisurely gourmet buffet breakfast at the Principe Cerami restaurant, which doubles as the hotel’s fine dining dinner venue with contemporary Sicilian a la carte and tasting menus of specialties such as grilled branzino with purple artichoke and datterino tomato. After a morning exploring the town, wandering the hotel’s fragrant gardens, checking out its historical art collection or getting in a workout at the fitness center, tuck into a lunch of light Mediterranean plates at the alfresco Anciovi restaurant, then find a poolside perch to while away the afternoon, or have the concierge arrange access to one of the popular beach clubs (note that some amenities are only open from late spring to early fall).
The plant-based therapies at the hotel’s Botanica Spa pay homage to the healing knowledge of monastic orders and their marriage of local traditions and herb-based medicine. The Taormina treatment, for instance, includes a stimulating exfoliation followed by aromatherapy using Mediterranean maquis and a hot-stone massage — perhaps an allusion to nearby Mount Etna.
Rates at San Domenico Palace, Taormina start at $1,146 per night.
Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
Best for: Travelers who want a safari experience without having to sleep in a tent, no matter how glamping-chic it is.
Why stay here: A swimming pool where elephants just casually drop by? What more do you need to know, other than the accommodations are just as sumptuous as you’d expect at any Four Seasons.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to enjoy elitelike benefits and on-property credits.
Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti combines the traditions of safari-style wildlife viewing with all the familiarity and comfort of a luxury hotel stay rather than a more typical tented camp, all in one of the most spectacular settings on Earth. Also, unlike many traditional safari camps, the hotel accepts guests as young as 2, so you can bring the whole family.
The lodge has just 77 guest rooms, suites and villas with panoramic savannah views. Some overlook the lodge’s watering hole, where you might spot a herd of elephants or other animals coming for a drink on long, hot afternoons. The rooms are decorated much like upscale safari tents, with curtained four-poster beds, bright African textiles and rugs, and wooden decks for animal viewing. Their large stone-tiled bathrooms with deep soaking tubs, separate walk-in showers and enclosed water closets are a step up from what you’ll find at more rustic camps, though.
Guests can book a la carte game drives to suit their schedule (this is a big difference from more traditional safari lodges, where drives are often included in the rate), as well as other excursions like hot-air balloon rides, walking safaris and photo tours. There’s a kids club to keep the young ones busy and a beautiful pool for taking an afternoon nap before an evening activity. The hotel’s spa treatments focus on traditional African healing practices and local botanicals, with signature therapies like the Ubuntu four-handed massage performed with neroli, baobab and wheat-germ oils distilled from sustainably wild-harvested local plants. There’s also a well-equipped gym, which is still a rarity in safari settings (after all, you can’t just venture out for a casual jog in the wild).
While here, guests can arrange lantern-lit dinners in the bush, enjoy grilled meats and other local specialties by the light of a bonfire in the hotel’s open-air Boma Grill, sip cocktails and nibble tapas at the poolside Maji Bar and Terrace, and enjoy buffet breakfast in the morning and gourmet international cuisine at night at the hotel’s main dining outlet, Kula’s.
Rates at the Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti start at $1,150 per night.
Four Seasons Resort Hoi An (The Nam Hai)
Hoi An, Vietnam
Best for: Vietnam visitors who want to be cossetted away from the crowds that swarm the beach resorts around Da Nang.
Why stay here: Long a favorite with the international jet set, this hotel sets the standard for luxury stays in Vietnam and is just a quick ride away from the lantern-filled tourist town of Hoi An.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to enjoy elitelike benefits and on-property credits.
Situated on a spectacular stretch of Vietnam’s central coast, the Nam Hai has been a longstanding favorite with jet-setters in Southeast Asia, but only joined the Four Seasons family in 2016. Its proximity to three of the country’s most noteworthy UNESCO World Heritage sites – the picturesque, canal-crossed town of Hoi An, the temple complex of My Son and the imposing imperial citadel of Hue – make it the perfect launch pad for exploring Vietnam’s cultural treasures.
The 100-villa resort sprawls across 86 tropical acres and features a stunning central complex of three descending infinity pools, one of which is for families, while the other two are for guests ages 14 and older. The resort also has kids and young adults clubs to keep tykes and teens occupied. There are tennis and basketball courts and a variety of complimentary water activities to enjoy the beach and East Sea, such as kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding, plus cultural activities like hat-making and other traditional crafts and cooking courses.
Of course, if you just want to relax, you can book a treatment at the spa, where villas seem to float above a palm-lined pond, and the therapies include a ritual that utilizes eight quartz-crystal bowls to rebalance your energies and a Vietnamese salt scrub designed to leave you reinvigorated.
The guest accommodations are based on classical Vietnamese architecture and start at nearly 900 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, with romantic platform beds shielded from view by gauzy curtains, large living rooms and patios with daybeds. Enormous bathrooms house outdoor rainfall showers. Depending on the category you book, you might have a beachfront view or a private pool, too.
Cafe Nam Hai serves a bountiful breakfast buffet along with European and Indian dishes throughout the day. The Beach Bar shakes up tropical tiki cocktails along with a menu of Asian tapas right on the sand, while the Bar is moodily lit by lanterns and serves snacks and signature libations like a lychee martini. For Vietnamese classics at lunch and dinner, book a table at the beachfront La Sen restaurant.
Rates at Four Seasons Resort Hoi An (The Nam Hai) start at $730 per night.
Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora
Bora Bora, French Polynesia
Best for: One of the most romantic getaways in one of the most romantic destinations on earth.
Why stay here: Along with the brightly colored fish and jungle-covered atolls you might view from your overwater villa, chances are you’ll spot a celebrity (or a dozen) at this South Pacific A-lister favorite.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to enjoy elitelike benefits and on-property credits.
Once you arrive at this South Pacific sanctuary, it’s easy to see why it’s such a hit with Hollywood heavy hitters, including Jennifer Aniston and Jason Bateman. Its thatch-roofed overwater villas frame some of the best views of the atoll’s famous Mount Otemanu, and the concierges can arrange for everything from solo beach yoga sessions to romantic dinners on a private island to yacht charters to explore the lagoon’s teeming marine life. For families, there’s also a kids club with a full roster of activities and babysitting services.
The 100 accommodations include classic overwater bungalows, some of which have private plunge pools, and one- to three-bedroom beachfront villa “estates.” All start at more than 1,000 square feet and are decorated with teak wood furnishings, framed pieces of French Polynesian crafts and artwork, huge soaking tubs with lagoon and mountain views, large living rooms and expansive outdoor decks to enjoy those trade wind breezes.
Guests can settle in at the beach or stake out one of the thatched pool cabanas for the afternoon. There’s also a well-equipped fitness center, tennis courts and other activities such as scuba diving. Stop by the resort’s boutique to pick up local craft items or some of its famous black pearls as souvenirs. The Te Mahana Spa fields a full menu of Tahiti-inspired treatments, including a stretching massage that utilizes a pareo, or traditional fabric wrap, and a rebalancing ritual using black pearl powder and algae to reinvigorate the body.
Casual Tere Nui serves breakfast alfresco along with weekly themed dinners that might feature local entertainment, while Fare Hoa Beach Bar and Grill cooks up seafood and steaks right on the water’s edge. For upscale Mediterranean cuisine, there’s Arii Moana, where the dramatic decor might make you feel like you’re dining amid Bora Bora’s reefs. Vaimiti is perched above the water and entices guests with Asian classics like sashimi, kung pao chicken and steamed fish with mango and tom yum sauce.
Rates at the Four Seasons Bora Bora start at $2,000 per night.
Four Seasons Hotel Casa Medina Bogota
Bogota, Colombia
Best for: Travelers who want to get a small taste of history in the Colombian capital.
Why stay here: Housed in a fabulous former mansion designed by a preeminent Colombian architect in 1946, each accommodation at this small-footprint hotel in one of Bogota’s most dynamic districts is unique and boasts original architectural features.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to enjoy elitelike benefits and on-property credits.
This Four Seasons takes the slight edge from its sibling in the Colombian capital thanks to its setting in a historic 1946 mansion designed by one of the country’s foremost architects, Santiago Medina Mejia (hence the name), who incorporated Spanish Colonial-era materials, such as columns from demolished convents, into the structure.
No two of the 62 rooms and suites are identical, and starter category superior rooms are a mere 258 square feet and have queen-size beds. Work your way up, though, and you’ll quickly find interesting elements, including exposed-beam ceilings, dark wood-paneled walls and even fireplaces in some accommodations. All have Four Seasons’ signature beds dressed in crisp, white linens, leather armchairs and ottomans, carved wooden furniture, bedside tables designed like vintage suitcases, 55-inch flat-screen televisions and Nespresso machines. Their marble bathrooms are compact but stocked with plant-based products from Colombian beauty brand Loto del Sur.
The hotel has a small fitness center that’s open by appointment only (so no one will be hogging your preferred machines or weights), and its tranquil spa proffers experiences like the Citrus Paradise Ritual, which begins with a grapefruit body scrub and a gold body wrap to restore the skin’s radiance.
Although the hotel is in the trendy Zona G district, where restaurants and bars abound, stick around for at least one meal at its Spanish restaurant and bar, Castanyoles, which is set in a greenhouselike atrium and serves irresistible bites like fried calamari with mandarin lime aioli and 72-hour beer-braised short ribs with cauliflower puree and roasted baby vegetables.
Rates at the Four Seasons Hotel Casa Medina Bogota start at $260 per night.
Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru
Baa Atoll, Maldives
Best for: Well-funded wanderers looking for an island idyll with a castaway-chic vibe.
Why stay here: Snorkeling with manta rays and turtles, Ayurvedic wellness treatments (or entire regimens) at the spa and some of the most stunning overwater villas in the Maldives are all reasons to put this resort on your bucket list.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to enjoy elitelike benefits and on-property credits.
One of two Four Seasons resorts in the Maldives, this one requires a seaplane flight from the international airport in Male, but is well worth the extra effort to get there. Set in the pristine Baa Atoll, which is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru offers world-class activities and accommodations that make a vacation here the trip of a lifetime.
Guests can spend their days snorkeling the atoll’s reefs, scuba diving, windsurfing, chartering sunset sails or fishing excursions and enjoying romantic dinners on secluded sandbanks. High rollers can bookend their trip with a journey aboard the resort’s three-level luxury catamaran. The hotel even has a “Manta On Call” service (part of its efforts to protect these gentle giants) that will alert guests when manta rays are in the area and promptly whisk them away to have a snorkel with the enormous creatures.
Of course, you should also spend some quiet time by one of the four unique pools, including the main 50-meter infinity-edge one, the beachside Blu pool or the family-friendly, free-form children’s pool, which has slides and a watery playground to keep kids entertained (as will activities at the resort’s kids club).
Wellness is a focus at this resort, and guests can work with on-staff Ayurvedic doctors, yoga therapists and naturopaths to design multiday health regimens through the garden-set AyurMa Spa.
There are 103 accommodations set on the beach and over the water, including several two- and three-bedroom specialty suites, and you’ll want to check carefully whether you have a sunrise or sunset view, depending on your preference. The beach bungalows start at nearly 1,000 square feet of indoor space and almost another 1,000 square feet of private outdoor space, while overwater villas have even more outside space, with private pools, sun decks, overwater nets for sunbathing and large lounging areas. The aesthetic is beach-chic: Rooms have minimalist four-poster beds, and the stone, wood and upholstered elements are mostly in sandy hues with a few dashes of cerulean and coral. Enormous bathrooms feature dual sinks, egg-shaped soaking tubs and organic bath products by Ila.
Since the resort is so remote, it’s a good thing there are plenty of dining options to keep guests enticed. With menus by decorated chef Gaetano Trovato, Blu Beach Club serves all-day Italian fare, from abundant breakfast spreads to Neapolitan-style pizzas. Al Barakat proffers sumptuous, Arabian-inspired meals (a nod to the Maldives’ position on ancient trading routes), including seafood tagines and Lebanese small plates. By the resort’s reflecting ponds, you can order pan-Asian cuisine at Cafe Landaa (think: Indian tandoors and Japanese teppanyaki). Be sure to spend at least one sunset enjoying tapas and chilled cocktails at the overwater Seabar (there’s also a vibey shisha bar below Al Barakat), while for something simple, head to the beachfront Fuego Grill for grilled catch of the day or steaks along with fresh vegetables and salads.
Rates at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru start at $1,700 per night.
Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Otemachi
Tokyo, Japan
Best for: Luxury lovers who want a quick introduction to the sights of Japan’s capital.
Why stay here: Fabulous views of the city and Mount Fuji from the high floors of a soaring tower, a location adjacent to the Imperial Palace and one of Tokyo’s most decadent afternoon teas all recommend this relative newcomer to the city’s hotel scene.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to enjoy elitelike benefits and on-property credits.
Even frequent visitors to the Japanese capital might not know about this new Four Seasons, which opened in September 2020 at the height of the pandemic. It occupies the top floors of a 39-story tower in one of Tokyo’s oldest neighborhoods, adjacent to the Imperial Palace.
Its 150 guest rooms and 20 suites start at more than 500 square feet and overlook either the city’s financial district or the palace grounds. Designer Jean-Michel Gathy’s aesthetic is ultra-modern, with clean lines, slim-profile furnishings and stark, black-stone bathrooms with traditional screenlike dividers. However, huge windows for plenty of natural light and abstract wall murals with nature-inspired themes bring the beauty of the palace gardens indoors. Of course, tech touches like iPads to request services, Nespresso machines and Bose speakers don’t hurt, either.
Travelers can stay fit in the gym with personal training or arrange for yoga and stretching sessions, or take a few laps in the 20-meter indoor pool with skyline views. Start a spa session with a traditional ofuro (Japanese bath) experience, which is available in the men’s and women’s locker rooms, then ease into a yakusugi massage, which uses fragrant oil from Japan’s famous cedar forests to combat jet lag.
But stay awake long enough to enjoy a specialty sip like a gin-and-cognac-based Yuzu Nagi at the hotel’s cocktail bar, Virtu, a bite of Michelin-starred French fare (95% of the ingredients are sourced locally) at chef Guillaume Bracaval’s Est or family-style Italian with fabulous views at Pigneto.
Rates at the Four Seasons Tokyo at Otemachi start at $950 per night.
The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, Bahamas
Paradise Island, Bahamas
Best for: Four Seasons devotees who want an island getaway that doesn’t require long-haul flights.
Why stay here: This resort is classic Caribbean luxury at its best, sitting on a prime stretch of white sand with lush, green lawns, a challenging (but not overly so) golf course, various fine dining restaurants and one of the region’s best spas.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to enjoy elitelike benefits and on-property credits.
This storied resort, with its colonial-style architecture and Versailles-inspired gardens, has been a magnet for sun-seekers since the Ocean Club first opened in 1962. It only became a Four Seasons, however, in 2017. Its Hartford Wing of accommodations was renovated at that time, while the renovation of the Crescent Wing was completed in 2023.
The Hartford rooms have a more plantation-style aesthetic with brown and white wood paneling, limestone floors and breezy lanais or balconies. The Crescent Wing faces the ocean and has a more contemporary look with wicker accents, curved headboards and bed benches, and subtler marble flooring but bathrooms with stunning mosaic art and granite accents.
Guests can take their pick of three pools: a family-friendly lagoon, the turquoise Ocean pool and the quiet, tree-shaded Versailles pool. Families can also take advantage of the complimentary kids club for children 4 to 12 years of age, and babysitting services are available.
Treatments at the spa hew to their island surroundings and include a massage that incorporates frangipani-monoi oil and heated coconut poultices to ease away your tension. Of course, guests can also take advantage of both land- and water-based activities such as sessions in the fitness center, tennis and golf at the Ocean Club Course.
The resort is home to four restaurants and bars, including Dune by celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, which serves everything from mango brioche French toast at breakfast to Bahamian lobster curry with fried plantains for dinner. Enjoy an oceanfront lunch of international and Caribbean specialties like jerk pork carnitas with pineapple pico de gallo at Ocean Blu, or a signature Vesper martini, chilled to perfection, at the Martini Bar and Lounge.
Rates at The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, Bahamas start at $1,715 per night.
Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort, Punta Mita, Mexico
Punta Mita, Nayarit, Mexico
Best for: Trend-makers and trend-spotters hoping to stay in one of Mexico’s most exciting new resort concepts.
Why stay here: Kitted-out luxury tents perched on jungly rock outcrops above the crashing Pacific, with personalized service and an anytime, anywhere, anything service philosophy.
Best way to book: Book directly with Four Seasons for the best rates and packages.
The second tented camp in Four Seasons’ globe-spanning portfolio, Naviva opened in late 2022 adjacent to the Four Seasons Punta Mita outside Puerto Vallarta. Spanning 48 jungly acres along the sweeping Bahia de Banderas, Naviva’s 15 luxury tents perch atop rocky cliffs above the crashing Pacific.
Expect informal, high-end service here, where guests are meant to feel welcomed into the Naviva community (you even cross a cocoonlike copper and bamboo footbridge over a ravine to arrive) and encouraged to create their own bespoke experience. Basically, whatever you want, whenever you want it and however you like it. In practice, that means sharing your preferences well ahead of time and in detail … but also letting go and trusting the hands-on staff to create moments of spontaneity and delight along the way since nearly everything, including all food and beverages plus one 60-minute spa treatment per person per stay, is included in the astronomical rates.
As for those kitted-out tents, there are just two categories. Regular tents have over 1,200 square feet of both indoor and outdoor space, while the grander versions can top 1,700 square feet. All feature enormous outdoor decks with areas for lounging and dining plus private plunge pools (Grand Tents’ decks have sunken living areas with fire pits for breezy evenings). The interiors can open almost completely to nature thanks to enormous sliding glass doors and canvas flaps that can be raised or lowered. There are huge living rooms and separate bedrooms, plus light-filled bathrooms with elliptical soaking tubs with coastal views (not to mention outdoor showers).
The staff will tailor all meals to your preferences, but you can also settle in for locally sourced produce and proteins, including fire-grilled fresh seafood at Copal Cocina paired with fine wines or tequilas. Guests can spend days in their tent or lounging around the shared freeform Selva pool, though a stroll to La Solana beach for sunrise yoga might also be on the docket.
There are hiking trails galore, and personal training is available in the resort’s outdoor gym. Guests can enjoy the aforementioned complimentary spa treatment (and book others a la carte) in one of the resort’s cozy, forest-set spa pods. Treatments are tailored to each visitor and might include gemstone or marine collagen facials, rehydrating massages or energy healing sessions. Naviva is also home to a specially designed temazcal (a traditional Mexican heat lodge) for guided meditations.
Guests can take advantage of the amenities at the Four Seasons Punta Mita, too, including its restaurants, spa and golf courses.
Rates at Naviva, a Four Seasons Resort, Punta Mita, Mexico start at $3,950 per night based on double occupancy and require a two-night minimum stay.
Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest
Budapest, Hungary
Best for: Recreating the glamour of the grand tour but with all the contemporary comforts you’d expect in one of Europe’s hottest destinations.
Why stay here: Old World grandeur abounds in this 1906 landmark, but modern-day guests can enjoy nonpareil Danube views and the city’s famous spa culture with signature Omorovicza treatments.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to enjoy elitelike benefits and on-property credits.
With its bustling boulevards, extravagant baths, captivating museums and imposing historical landmarks, Budapest is a city where imperial grandeur is fully displayed. But even among its mix of medieval, neo-Gothic and art nouveau edifices, the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace still stands out. Originally completed in 1906 as a foreign office of the Gresham Life Assurance Company of London, the building had a checkered past during which it served as an army barracks and public housing before seeing its majesty restored as a classic luxury hotel. It joined Four Seasons in 2004 after a $110 million renovation.
In the heart of the city, on the Pest side of the Danube and directly across a parklike plaza from the famous Szechenyi Chain Bridge, the hotel is an ideal spot to base your stay in the Hungarian capital. Its public spaces include dramatic original features like its famous wrought-iron peacock gate, mosaic floors and a breathtaking glass and iron vaulted ceiling in its new lobby bar, Muzsa.
The 179 rooms and suites start at over 350 square feet and are bright and airy with decorative wall accents in an art deco style, comfortable sitting areas and bathrooms clad in gold and black marble. Although you’re liable to spend your days walking the city’s history-filled streets, there’s a large fitness center and a seven-room spa with an infinity-edge pool. Treatments are enhanced with coveted Hungarian skincare brands like Eminence and Omorovicza.
Stop in for an evening cocktail at Muzsa, with its marble-topped bar, mirrored spirits shelves and bankers lamps (an ode to the building’s history), or for a traditional Hungarian afternoon tea on the weekends. But take your time over breakfast or dinner at Kollazs — Brasserie & Bar, where morning specialties include an ultra-rich French toast with quince and walnuts and dinner skews classic French with caviar, oysters, white asparagus and sole meuniere — though you can find a few Hungarian must-eats like hearty chicken paprikash.
Rates at the Four Seasons Hotel Gresham Palace Budapest start at $420 per night.
Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island
Desroches Island, Seychelles
Best for: A private island escape where relaxation and wellness are the orders of the day.
Why stay here: The only thing more exciting than the opulent villas that guests can enjoy are the 100-plus Aldabra giant tortoises you might spot roaming the island, lending the experience here a genuine ends-of-the-earth ambiance.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to enjoy elitelike benefits and on-property credits.
A private coral island, ultra-romantic villas, roving giant tortoises … what more do you need from a trip to paradise? If it’s fine dining, indulgent spa treatments and water activities galore, you’ve come to the right place.
Embracing a castaway-chic vibe, Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island’s 71 suites and villas start at over 2,000 square feet and top out with the seven-bedroom presidential villa, which boasts nearly 106,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space. Even the starter ocean-view pool villas entice with enormous indoor accommodations that include separate living room and bedroom spaces, where netted beds have hanging canopies and footboards reminiscent of ancient seafarers’ wooden trunks. Palatial bathrooms feature dual vanities, deep egg-shaped soaking tubs and African textiles as well as outdoor showers. Guests will also be delighted by private plunge pools and relaxation cabanas cooled by the Indian Ocean breezes.
Visitors can spend their days enjoying the complimentary activities at the Castaway Centre, including snorkeling, paddleboarding and kayaking, plus land-based pursuits like tennis and petanque, or luxuriating around the main pool or on the beach. Surfing lessons and scuba excursions can also be arranged (and be sure to feed the resident giant tortoises, of course).
The resort’s Circle of Connection Spa takes a holistic approach to health inspired by the four elements of earth, air, water and fire, and can tailor treatments to your specific constitution, though some, such as the soothing and reinvigorating lavender-ginger poultice massage, seem like they’d be suited to pretty much anyone.
Guests take breakfast at Claudine, a Mediterranean-leaning restaurant with plenty of patio dining, including poolside tables. Later, check out the resort’s new Japanese-inspired izakaya restaurant or opt for a full-on supper experience at its landmark Lighthouse restaurant, where dinner includes items like yuzu tuna tartare with smoked eggplant cream and pistachio-crusted black cod with parsnip puree and beurre blanc. You can also opt for beachside beverages at the Bar and the Castaway Bar.
Rates at Four Seasons Resort Seychelles at Desroches Island start at $950 per night.
Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle
Chiang Rai, Thailand
Best for: Newlyweds whose dream honeymoon includes glamping, elephants and delicious, authentic Thai food.
Why stay here: These Four Seasons tents are more like miniature mansions in the lush forests of northern Thailand — an experience you’ll never forget.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark for elitelike perks and on-property credits. Book through American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts for a guaranteed late checkout, $100 spa credit, room upgrades when available and more.
When it opened in 2006, Four Seasons Tented Camp near Chiang Rai in northern Thailand’s Golden Triangle was an entirely new concept for the brand – a safari-style all-inclusive lodge set against a wild and rugged backdrop and designed by hotel impresario Bill Bensley.
The aesthetic is expedition-eccentric, reminiscent of a 19th-century explorer’s encampment, albeit with many fanciful touches. Each of the 15 tents and the two-bedroom Explorer’s Lodge has its own distinctive character and theme. All, however, feature hardwood floors, panoramic decks overlooking the jungle or the Ruak River (a tributary of the Mekong), sumptuous beds screened by diaphanous white curtains, outdoor showers, hand-carved wooden furniture, colorful Thai textiles and wall flaps that completely unzip into screens for uninterrupted views of the surrounding nature. Some have hand-beaten copper bathtubs to luxuriate in after a day of frolicking with the resort’s resident rescue elephants, while others have oversize hot tubs on their decks.
Among the a la carte activities guests can arrange are tours of Chiang Rai, countryside cycling excursions, fishing with locals, cruises on the Mekong in a longtail boat and hikes through nearby villages or to waterfalls. The hotel’s secluded spa, nestled in a bamboo forest, has specialty treatments, including a time-tested Thai poultice massage with aromatics including ginger, lemongrass, lime and camphor.
The hotel’s all-day restaurant, Nong Yao, serves a selection of international, Thai and Lao dishes, such as Caesar salad, fresh spring rolls and pad Thai, among other dishes. Guests can unwind at the nostalgic Burma Bar, where the vibe feels very “Indiana Jones” in the evening with signature cocktails such as a lemongrass vodka martini. The hotel will also arrange private dinners with pairings in its wine cellar.
Rates at the Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle start at $2,500 per night based on double occupancy, and a two-night minimum stay is required.
Four Seasons Resort and Residences Jackson Hole
Teton Village, Wyoming, USA
Best for: A luxurious family vacation at any time of the year.
Why stay here: A year-round heated pool in an aspen grove, an expansive library and a naturalist ready to advise are just a few of the features distinguishing the Four Seasons Resort and Residences. With the Bridger and Sweetwater gondolas just steps away, you’ll be happy staff is on hand for ski tuning and boot warming.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to enjoy elitelike benefits and on-property credits, or via American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts with your Platinum Card from American Express.
Incredible skiing in the winter, unparalleled mountain adventures in the summer, and fabulous rooms and amenities to enjoy year-round … what more could you want from an American mountain retreat?
The Four Seasons Resort and Residences Jackson Hole leans into an alpine-chic aesthetic, with wood and stonework galore, convivial dining rooms and a panoply of fireplaces to warm the public areas and accommodations.
During the winter, guests can count on ski concierges to curate the perfect powder experience, while in summer, outdoor experiences abound, including hiking, mountain biking, fly fishing and more. Among the special excursions on offer are exclusive tours of the hidden gems of Yellowstone National Park and a private flight safari to view North America’s wild wolves in their natural habitat.
There’s a kids club to keep tots occupied year-round, and whether you’re enjoying wintry climes or summer highs, you can always pop into the mountain-inspired spa for treatments like a hot river stone massage or a rejuvenating wrap that incorporates soothing chamomile, sage, wild arnica and willow bark.
Accommodations start at 500 square feet and have wood paneling and beams, pine-green furniture pieces and either balconies or fireplaces to enjoy or escape the chilly mountain air, respectively, plus full marble and stone bathrooms.
For mountain panoramas and hearty breakfasts of buttermilk pancakes or smoked wild king salmon on toasted bagels, as well as contemporary chophouse dinners of jumbo shrimp cocktail, Idaho trout almondine and various chops from Western ranches, book your table at the chalet-chic Westbank Grill. For lighter pan-Asian fare, there’s Ascent Grill, but nowhere beats the cheekily named Handle Bar for apres-ski drinks thanks to its impressive beer and whiskey selection.
Rates at Four Seasons Resort and Residences Jackson Hole start at $485 per night.
Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris
Eighth Arrondissement, Paris, France
Best for: Travelers who appreciate traditional luxury and want to shop at famous fashion boutiques.
Why stay here: Old World luxury and hands-on hospitality make this one of the most beloved hotels in the French capital.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to enjoy elitelike benefits and on-property credits. Or reserve through American Express Fine Hotels + Resorts or Chase Luxury Hotel & Resort Collection for value-added benefits.
One of Paris’s most famous hotels, the Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris is also one of its best — and has been since it first opened its doors to the public (and international luminaries) back in 1928.
The hotel’s 159 guest rooms and 59 suites have benefited from a recent restyling by hotel designer du jour Pierre-Yves Rochon in the over-the-top style of the ill-fated Louis XVI, so expect crystal light fixtures, gilt accents, Versailles-like marble bathrooms and pastel palettes that will induce anything but ennui.
The renovated spa includes an indoor lap pool and an Arabian-inspired marble hammam, along with treatments crafted by Swiss spa brand Dr. Burgener and inspired by haute couture, among other options.
Paris has no lack of excellent restaurants, but you might want to stick around the hotel for more than a few meals since its three restaurants boast an astonishing five Michelin stars among them. At his Michelin three-star Le Cinq, with its filigreed chandelier, chef Christian Le Squer serves memorable meals that might include gnocchi with sea urchin and cauliflower cream, or Breton blue lobster with black truffles in a cabbage shell. For lunch, the gardenlike L’Orangerie is one of the city’s see-and-be-seen spots, though that shouldn’t detract from the unparalleled quality of dishes like the langoustine seared in its own juices and adorned with citrus and olive oil foam.
Rates at the Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris start at $1,934 per night.
Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea
Maui, Hawaii, USA
Best for: Glamorous digs and top-notch service guaranteed to make you feel like Hawaiian royalty.
Why stay here: White-glove treatment, spectacular scenery and alluring experiences combine to make the filming location of “The White Lotus” Season One a perennial favorite on Maui.
Best way to book: Book through our partner Skylark to enjoy elitelike benefits and on-property credits.
You might not guess it from its turn as the backdrop for the first season of “The White Lotus,” but Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea is one of best family resorts in the U.S. Since it opened in 1990 as the chain’s first tropical resort, it has developed a devoted clientele of repeat visitors who come for its welcoming ambiance, its assortment of kid-friendly activities, unique excursions and excellent restaurants.
The 380-key hotel is in the popular Wailea development along Maui’s southwest coast, so there’s plenty to explore and do, both at the resort and at its doorstep. Families tend to spend their days at the central Fountain Pool, which anchors the resort complex, or at the splashy Waterfall Pool, both of which have dispensers with reef-safe sunscreen.
Guests can also borrow snorkeling equipment or enjoy excursions like outrigger canoe paddles arranged through the activities center. Adults gravitate to the Serenity Pool. The resort has 80 cabanas sprinkled throughout its grounds, which are complimentary for guests to use, so be sure to take advantage (though if you’re splurging, consider one of the two specialty Missoni cabanas by the Serenity Pool). Golfers have access to Wailea’s Blue, Gold and Emerald courses, but more adventurous visitors can book one of the hotel’s bespoke adventures like a Kona coffee helicopter tour or the “Fire & Wine” experience at historic Haiku House (a former sugar plantation) with a master sommelier pairing wines with dishes cooked over an open flame.
The spa is among the best in Hawaii, with an extensive menu of treatments, including a traditional rhythmic lomi lomi massage performed with pohaku hot stones, and a Celestial Black Diamond nonsurgical lift facial.
Rooms and suites start at 600 square feet and boast mountain, garden or ocean views from their private lanais. Consider a club-level upgrade for value-added amenities like complimentary buffet breakfast, snacks and nibbles throughout the day, wine and cocktails in the evening, and a complimentary candy drawer that should delight kids and adults alike. The room decor is bright and breezy with a white and taupe palette and Pacific blue accent art and pillows (plus amenities like Nespresso machines and 65-inch televisions). Enormous marble bathrooms feature soaking tubs and separate walk-in showers, plus dual vanities.
While here, guests can order grilled steaks and local seafood at the hotel’s main restaurant (which also serves breakfast), Duo; dig into coastal Italian cuisine at Ferraro’s Bar e Ristorante; sip creative craft cocktails at the lobby lounge; or book a table at an outpost of Wolfgang Puck’s Spago for Hawaiian-Californian fusion specialties like Kona and Maine lobster ceviche with papaya and tangy nam pla fish sauce.
Rates at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea start at $990 per night.
