Review: Four Seasons Napa Valley (Wine Country Relaxation)

What is the privacy situation with the bathtub? It appears there is no window covering and you can see other rooms' windows off in the distance? Or am I missing something? Other than that, looks great!

Interesting all those buildings just look like a new suburb to me. Beautiful inside, but the outside buildings look incredibly unremarkable.

Looks really nice, besides the rates (which were expected). The room decor is cute, even if the first thing I thought was how much it could be a Thompson hotel in terms of design.

I love wine, but did you feel that the $100/pp tasting fee for the wine represented good value? That seems like an awful lot.

I agree. That architecture is incredibly pedestrian and cheap looking. If I didn't know any better, I would guess that it is affordable housing (and actually at the low end, in terms of design quality, of the affordable housing I've seen in California). The interior looks better, but still strikes me as below typical Four Seasons quality. I suppose as long as you drink enough wine, the appearance of everything improves.

There's a lot to like here. But 2 things. $100 for a wine tasting is highway robbery! I lived in San Francisco for 20 years and now Santa Barbara and tasting is life to me. "which is why I always avoided Napa" But even for Napa $100 is insane.
Most of the resort looks incredible, except the design of the room buildings. Just looks like some suburban apartment complex.

I’ve been reading this blog for a decade, and appreciate the tips on how to use points and miles.

Lately, it seems like the blog is full of hotel experiences that cannot be accessed with points. Has the mission of the blog changed? It’s literally called “one mile at a time.” I understand the explanation that some people like to read about a $500+/night hotel room and other overpriced activities for the upper echelon of society because they can afford it after saving money in other ways, but for many of us, something like the four seasons is still significantly too expensive (by a large margin) to justify in this scenario. I also understand that the experiences in a non-points hotel will exceed the points hotels - but who cares? Isn’t the point of this blog on how to collect and use miles?

I’m a long time fan and an avid miles and points collector but find reviews such as this to lack relevance. Perhaps it’s time to change the name and mission of this blog?

I guess since Calistoga Ranch got burned down, this is the best hotel in town. It’s such a shame as that was a beautiful property. This new Four Seasons reminds me a lot of Carneros Resort and Spa right outside of Napa. The decor style is quite similar but obviously Four Seasons is much newer and presumably has better service than Carneros not to mention better location. @Lucky, have you had the chance to try Auburge du Soleil this time? I’m curious which one you like better. Presumably service level should be quite similar. The cafe at Auburge has the best view hands down in all of Napa Valley. Since you are a foodie now, hopefully you had a chance to go to Single Thread in Healdsburg. It’s is three Michelin stars and seem to have gotten their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd stars in record time. I’ve never seen any restaurant gotten their third star this fast.

Calistoga Ranch was the best..The four seasons looks great will have to try it//Our fav for now is The Single Thread for food especially... Solage is Ok but rooms are soooo Minimalistic it is claustrophobic. We like Alilia also (aka Las Acobas) but not all services were available--COvid of course!!

Total agreed on the tasting price. I live in SF and have not been to Napa for years. It looks like the grapes are not even from the vineyard, they are from a different vineyard.

Not remotely worth $1,200 a night. Sonoma is way more enjoyable than Napa anyway, and much cheaper and less pretentious!

The decor of the rooms does not look luxury or Four Seasons. The whole detached buildings design feels like a timeshare or Airbnb.

Looks like a lovely experience. I think the architecture is very disappointing. So bland. Does not really feel like a luxury resort from an architecture and design perspective.

The buildings all look very... bland. They look like apartment buildings where you can stay for 1200 USD per month rather than per night.
The only thing that screams luxury here are the prices.
But at least you get free sun cream...

Ben, a few tips to save some bucks next time!

If you book on Hotels.com, you can earn cash back!

The HGI Faroe Islands has complimentary DYI laundry as well, though they didn't drive me in a golf cart down a hallway to show me. $90/night, great savings.

Secondly, why have a push button fireplace, that seems like too much effort. I stayed at the Residence Inn located in Wichita and they had both DIY laundry, and a fireplace operated by a switch! $93/night. Switches > buttons

This blog has lost its way. This post is clearly sponsored in some way, and the constant schilling for your husband's company is tacky at the least. I used to like reading reviews, but with the pandemic, clearly you're stretching for content. Maybe start reviewing hotels ACTUAL people stay in.

Ben, what all did you do in Napa? Visit other wineries during the day, or mostly hang at the resort? Surely you tried some of the nicer restaurants. I thought after Paris you’d start posting more restaurant reviews.

Great review, as always. I will say though that it always amuses me when you’re delighted by DIY laundry or free coffee in the lobby, both of which are literally offered in 95% of all US budget and mid-tier hotels (eg HGI, Hampton, Fairfield, Springhill, …, …, …, ).

I don't really understand why anyone would stay there at this price point. I understand it is aimed at US domestic tourists, but still.... the exterior looks like an upscale trailer park / student housing for the price of the George V in Paris. I love vineyard estates in general, but this one seems very blend, and it will not age well, not something I expect from a Four Seasons.

There's been a noticeable change in hotel reviews on this site this year from points and miles properties, to independent $1,000+ per night properties. I assume it is because Ben is trying to generate business through Ford's hotel booking services.
I agree it doesn't fit the name or brand of OMAAT - maybe time for a rebrand to 'The Luxury Traveller', or something like that?

It's absolutely amazing to me that a property that's quite literally a winery can charge $1,200+ a night and STILL charge $100 for a wine tasting. Obviously I'm not the uber rich target market for this hotel, but it's still amazing to me the amount they charge for everything in addition to the crazy room rates.

Ben, I feel you went very easy on this property. For $1200 plus per night there should be zero “kinks”. I would also be interested to hear about the service. My experience in Napa has always been that it lacks the refinement of service in bigger luxury markets

I feel like you've stayed at a couple of properties lately that aren't fully open yet but charging rates as if they are. Granted you have to pay extra to eat in the restaurants, but at $1200/night all dining options should be available. Also agree with the comments that $100 for a tasting is crazy, especially when it's not something baked into the room rate already. Finally, felt it looked like an apartment complex when you were showing what all the buildings look like. The interiors look nice, but it feels like a small neighborhood rather than a luxury hotel.

There is a motorized drape that goes over the window in the bathroom (at least the one I stayed in), though even when open I couldn't see in from the outside.

This very much reads like an advertisement for Four Seasons. Besides this "review" would have slightly more value, if you reviewed an entry level room. Everything is nicer in a suite.

As others have highlighted one way or the other, under the motto of "One Mile at a Time" your hotel "reviews"/adverts have become almost useless.

$1200/night to stay in what appears to be an over-55 condo development with an astonishing lack of privacy. No thanks!

An addition with regards to the food: By european standards the breakfast is not exactly earth-shaking, and that "pizza", I just don't want to go into details.

Yep, I live in Marin and $100 a tasting is flat out ridiculous. I avoid Napa unless I'm with a friend who's in the industry and we get our tastings for free.

Really underwhelming.

My opinion sooo isn't needed here, but I am not understanding the hateration in this dancery (iykyk). One commenter spoke about a hotels.com discount and how Ben is "shilling." Actual people do look at and value these reviews. Without anything substantive why comment on a story if you don't connect with it (or dare I say, can't afford to stay at this level of hotel). It sounds like pure trolling. This was an excellent review for those that stay in this type of place. I was at the Solage (across the street) today for lunch and saw the Four Seasons and was super happy to see this review as I wanted to know what it was like. Perhaps when Ben reviews a Motel 6 that he found on budget hotels.com, he will call you and you can identify the most with it. Sorry for the rant, but seriously man you're on a site that caters to many audiences. That may have been a wine rant. lol

What, Ben? You were in Napa and didn't stop by my winery to say hello??? LOL. As Sean points out, $100 is a lot of money for a tasting. (e.g.: Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, one of the most legendary wineries in Napa, charges $75 for a sit-down wine tasting of current releases, and $125 for a Legacy tasting of older vintages.) Be that as it may, the property does sound lovely and -- despite being a local -- I look forward to a "staycation" getaway!