How To Maximize Value At Four Seasons Hotels

How To Maximize Value At Four Seasons Hotels

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EXTRA PERKS AVAILABLE Enjoy breakfast, upgrades, & more

Want to take advantage of Four Seasons Preferred Partner benefits, including a space available room upgrade, complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, and more? Contact Ford ([email protected]) for more details. He may even be able to help if you already have a stay booked.

Four Seasons is consistently regarded as one of the world’s best hotel groups, and many people consider it to be the Holy Grail of hotels and resorts. As you’d expect, this quality comes at a price.

Fortunately there’s a best way to book Four Seasons properties — that’s by stacking the Four Seasons Preferred Partner program (available through select Travel Advisors) with promotions offered directly by Four Seasons. In this post I wanted to go into that in a bit more detail on how to stack offers to maximize value for stays at Four Seasons hotels around the world.

Get extra perks with Four Seasons Preferred Partner

One of the best hospitality preferred partner programs I have come across as a Travel Advisor is the Four Seasons Preferred Partner program. For those of you loyal to Four Seasons, rejoice. For those of you that have eschewed Four Seasons because you were skeptical of the value, perhaps this is a turning point for you!

The Four Seasons Preferred Partner program is similar to the Hyatt Privé program. Booking your hotel stays through this program is a simple way to maximize value at no additional cost, as the rates are the same as the best available rate (and you can even combine this with virtually any promotion being offered directly by Four Seasons). While Four Seasons doesn’t have a formal loyalty program, think of this as the closest thing to getting elite-level benefits at Four Seasons properties.

Four Seasons Preferred Partner rates may include amenities like daily breakfast, room upgrades if available, property credits, and more. You can contact your Four Seasons Preferred Partner Travel Advisor to find out more (learn more below below), since they vary by property. These are even valid for stays at Four Seasons Private Retreats.

Four Seasons Florence

While most Four Seasons properties are bookable through American Express Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) as well as Virtuoso, booking through the Four Seasons Preferred Partner program comes with several advantages:

  • Room upgrades are prioritized for those booking through Preferred Partner over other programs
  • Those booking through Preferred Partner can receive breakfast in the restaurant or via room service, while other programs typically only offer restaurant breakfast
  • Preferred Partner perks can be combined with virtually any promotion offered directly by Four Seasons, while other programs are typically only combinable with the “standard” rate
Four Seasons Paris George V

How to book Four Seasons Preferred Partner rates

In order to book a Four Seasons Preferred Partner rate, you’ll need to contact an affiliated Travel Advisor. While these rates cannot be booked directly by guests, the Preferred Partner rate is typically the same as the best available rate you can see online for the property you’re considering.

By booking with a Travel Advisor, you can often combine the Preferred Partner amenities with special offers available at Four Seasons properties. There’s simply no reason not to take advantage of these opportunities if booking through Four Seasons.

Travel Advisors are there to personalize the stay for you, and are meant to be your single point of contact for your trip… planning can be fun when you don’t have to fuss over the details! Personally I don’t charge any booking fees for Four Seasons bookings, so you won’t pay anything extra by booking through me.

Four Seasons Seychelles

Furthermore, in many cases Four Seasons Preferred Partner Travel Advisors can even help you with adding perks to existing reservations, so you can reach out to ask.

Find Four Seasons free night & promotional offers

As a general rule, Four Seasons, like many luxury hotel brands, seldom discounts its room rates. Instead, Four Seasons regularly offers incentives like a third or fourth night free or a large hotel credit to be used during the stay (for example, I recently wrote about some of the offers available at Hawaii properties, which are among Four Seasons’ most popular). These incentives, when taken advantage of, offer value similar to a discounted room rate.

While the promotions vary depending on the property and season, the good news is that Four Seasons publishes all available promotions on the individual website of each hotel, under the “offers” section at the top of the page.

This should give you a good place from which to start planning your next Four Seasons vacation. Furthermore, any deals should automatically show up when you search for a stay.

It goes without saying that different promotions will hold different value depending on your budget and the type of traveler you are. In other words, some people might say “wow, $1,000 per night at the Four Seasons Bora Bora is a steal” (given that it’s significantly below the normal rate), while others would understandably say “I’d never spend $1,000 per night on a hotel.”

With that in mind, I wanted to share a few examples of promotions that I think some might find useful, even if they wouldn’t otherwise consider staying at a Four Seasons property. These are just examples and rates vary by date. Some dates will be more expensive, while other dates may be cheaper.

For example, the Four Seasons Bali at Jimbaran Bay has a fourth night free promotion, so you can book a ~2,700 square foot villa (including interior and exterior space) for $560 per night.

The Four Seasons London Ten Trinity Square has a third night free promotion, so you can book a room there for 367GBP per night.

The Four Seasons Santa Fe has a third night free promotion, so you can book a casita for $333 per night.

The Four Seasons Beijing has a fourth night free promotion, so you can book it for around $200 per night.

There are dozens of other offers, though these are just a few examples to give you a sense of the range of deals that Four Seasons has.

An example of a Preferred Partner stay we made

In 2018 Ben and I went to the Four Seasons Desroches Island, which had just opened at the time. It’s located on a private island in the Seychelles, and we had an incredible time.

At the time we stayed we booked an “opening rate” that was over 700EUR, though over time rates have gone down over many dates. For example, I see a rate of 585EUR for next March, which uses a 30% off promotion.

That rate actually includes breakfast, but by booking through Preferred Partner you’d receive additional amenities, like a space available upgrade, a generous resort credit, and more.

Four Seasons Desroches villa
Four Seasons Desroches villa
Four Seasons Desroches villa

Bottom line

There are deals to be had at Four Seasons properties. Preferred Partner rates are a great way to get perks like free breakfast, hotel credits, and upgrades. These rates can also be combined with free night promotions offered by Four Seasons to maximize value.

If you would like to book a room or confirm a rate is available for your dates, are curious about ongoing promotions, want to compare Preferred Partner, Virtuoso, or Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts pros & cons, or have questions, feel free to contact me at [email protected].

I’m a Four Seasons Preferred Partner, a Virtuoso agent, and can also help with Amex Fine Hotels & Resorts bookings as needed. Other Travel Advisors are also welcome to leave their info below.

EXTRA PERKS AVAILABLE Enjoy breakfast, upgrades, & more

Want to take advantage of Four Seasons Preferred Partner benefits, including a space available room upgrade, complimentary breakfast, a hotel credit, and more? Contact Ford ([email protected]) for more details. He may even be able to help if you already have a stay booked.

Read Four Seasons reviewsAthens, Bogota Casa Medina, BostonCap-Ferrat, Costa Rica Peninsula PapagayoDenverDesroches Island, Florence, Fort Lauderdale, GenevaHualalai, KyotoLanai, Los Angeles at Beverly HillsLos CabosMadrid, Maldives at Landaa GiraavaruMaui, MegeveMiamiNapa Valley, Naviva, NevisOahu at Ko OlinaParis, Punta MitaSan Francisco at Embarcadero, ScottsdaleSeychelles, and Surfside

Learn about Four Seasons deals & offersAnguillaAthens, AtlantaAustinBahamasBora BoraBostonCap-FerratCosta RicaDubaiFort LauderdaleHawaiiJackson HoleLondonLos CabosMaldives, Mallorca, Minneapolis, Nashville, NavivaNew YorkNapa ValleyNew OrleansOrlando, OsakaPalm BeachParisPhiladelphiaPunta Mita, RabatSan FranciscoSanta FeSeattleSicily, Tamarindo, and Vail

Learn about Four Seasons basicsFour Seasons Preferred PartnerFour Seasons Private Retreats, Four Seasons YachtsFour Seasons Private JetFour Seasons travel agentsFour Seasons loyalty program, and maximizing value at Four Seasons

Conversations (27)
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  1. Jo Guest

    @Ben - I actually talked to the Four Seasons agent via chat, he mentioned that hotels.com also has 3rd night free promo rate on there as well

  2. Jo Guest

    Has anyone experienced looking at a total price from booking Four seasons directly with 3rd night free promo is the same price as booking from Hotels.com with no 3rd night free? Seems odd to me

    1. Ben Schlappig OMAAT

      @ Jo -- It's probably just a difference in how they're displaying prices. If you email Ford ([email protected]), he would take a look at it for you.

  3. Kristina Guest

    Thanks for highlighting the benefits of working with a Four Seasons Preferred Partner advisor! I totally agree that we get the best perks and deals for our clients at Four Seasons properties. If anyone would like another option for booking Four Seasons Preferred Partner rates, I too am a FS preferred advisor [email protected].

  4. Emma Stow Guest

    A very useful article, thank you. I'm a Virtuoso advisor and Four Seasons Preferred Partner based in the UK. Happy to provide any further info / quotes. You can contact me at [email protected]

  5. DNN Guest

    Testing to see if this works now.

  6. Charlie Guest

    @joey Lucky wrote an article.

    https://onemileatatime.com/how-to-maximize-value-at-aman-resorts/

  7. ZZ Guest

    Can this be FSPP combined with BRG?

  8. ron Guest

    @ Potato

    Yes. There is a much better beach at the St Regis and the Mulia.

  9. Winston Guest

    Unrelated news but Garuda appears to have a new product on its London routes.

    English link
    https://www.garuda-indonesia.com/id/en/special-offers/sales-promotion/escort-dan-premium.page?

  10. Winston Guest

    https://www.garuda-indonesia.com/id/id/special-offers/sales-promotion/escort-dan-premium.page

    Unrelated but Garuda has introduced a new Economy Skycouch like product on its London routes.

  11. Potato Guest

    The 4S Bali - Jimbaran IMO isn't the best property in that region. It's beach is much rockier than for instance the beach further north (Where the Hyatt(?) is).

    The best 4S on Bali is in Ubud and truly amazing.

  12. waleed Guest

    What is the food and beverage credit if booked with FS preferred partner ?

  13. Lolo Guest

    We are staying at the Four Seasons Ko Olina for Spring Break - I find the best deal to be had is to book early; however, often the FS will charge two nights upfront which I don’t like. We managed to secure our room for $649 per night with a $50per day credit. The same room is now $850 with no credit.

  14. Ron Guest

    Not bad. But quite frequently I still find better deals on local sites from esp Expedia and Trip.com.
    Typically I prefer to book directly with airlines and hotels but sometimes much lower prices can be found elsewhere. I even had Agoda matching a few times a better price found elsewhere.
    Amex fine hotels never comes out good for me.
    So in other words if hotels prefer the direct bookings it would not harm to put some more effort into it.

  15. traveller Guest

    can you stack Citi 4th night free with Virtuoso benefits?

  16. Jay Guest

    F a Four Seasons!!

    Airbnb FTW!

  17. Omar Guest

    My agency has access to almost all the preferred hotel agent affiliations. If someone wants a one stop shop send me an email [email protected]

    American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts (plat and cent), Amex preferred rates, and Amex hotel collection
    Four Seasons Preferred Partner
    Hyatt Prive
    Ritz Carlton Stars
    Rosewood Elite
    Pen Club (Peninsula hotels)
    Shangri La Luxury Circle

    And one that I find the best all around program...

    My agency has access to almost all the preferred hotel agent affiliations. If someone wants a one stop shop send me an email [email protected]

    American Express Fine Hotels and Resorts (plat and cent), Amex preferred rates, and Amex hotel collection
    Four Seasons Preferred Partner
    Hyatt Prive
    Ritz Carlton Stars
    Rosewood Elite
    Pen Club (Peninsula hotels)
    Shangri La Luxury Circle

    And one that I find the best all around program and haven't seen it on any blogs is the Altour Collection which is similar to Virtuoso except available at a lot more hotels (and also has benefits at lower end 3 and 4 star properties around the world). I also find that this one is often more rewarding than some of the native hotel programs even at the same property.

  18. Kevin Guest

    Sometimes staying at Four Seasons isn’t as expensive as people make it out to be especially if you want to venture outside of Hawaiian properties. For example I stayed at Bogota Four Seasons not too long ago. The cheapest rate was like $350. Plus “stay longer than” rate which gives you third night free. Add that onto Citi Fourth night free.... you are basically getting half off for four night stays!

    Sadly from Sept...

    Sometimes staying at Four Seasons isn’t as expensive as people make it out to be especially if you want to venture outside of Hawaiian properties. For example I stayed at Bogota Four Seasons not too long ago. The cheapest rate was like $350. Plus “stay longer than” rate which gives you third night free. Add that onto Citi Fourth night free.... you are basically getting half off for four night stays!

    Sadly from Sept on, Citi fourth night free will only be usable for two time a year so I’ll be switching to Amex FHR to look for good deals there. I agree with Ford that once you reach the two Citi stay limits, it makes sense to book your Four Season stays through agent like him to get additional things like free breakfast which can easily be worth $100 daily.

  19. Stuart Guest

    Isadore Sharp. Sorry.

  20. Stuart Guest

    Here is my take. For 10 years+ I was a loyal Four Seasons guest and achieved for a number of those years the special black and nicely packaged card that was given to a small percentage as being an elite guest. This I guess for the 100 nights a year I was staying at varying properties. What did I get for that in the end? Very little. Upgrades were few. I occasionally got a welcome...

    Here is my take. For 10 years+ I was a loyal Four Seasons guest and achieved for a number of those years the special black and nicely packaged card that was given to a small percentage as being an elite guest. This I guess for the 100 nights a year I was staying at varying properties. What did I get for that in the end? Very little. Upgrades were few. I occasionally got a welcome in person by the GM (so what). My dedicated concierge was elusive and often took days for a response on a stay request. In time I started to realize that the premium FS charges is not worth ignoring points and what was a marginally better level of service for twice the price.

    With that I doubt this service you are touting will actually translate to anything beyond the usual quality service FS provides.

    Sure, I stay at FS here and there now. And as you provide I do so only on the readily available 4th night free program. But I would much rather, if given the choice, opt for a Park Hyatt, LHW, St. Regis, etc. As a Globalist with Hyatt, as an example, my stays now at an Andaz or Park Hyatt are catered to with amazing response from my personal concierge...usually no more than 3 hours for an email return. Just today they actually and proactively let me know that the rate on my room category for a stay tomorrow dropped in price and they are changing it for me. Now that is value. And, sure, while Andaz is not FS by a long shot guess what, my concierge let me know ahead of time that they got me blocked in a top level suite with an early check-in. I would get that maybe once every 40 stays at a FS.

    Four Seasons is special. I am not arguing that. But they have failed consistently over the years to REALLY recognize loyal patterns. No points. No bonuses. And a VIP program that is basically a heavy shiny card only.

    In the end I am having a far better time now trying new hotels as part of the growing alliances. Design Hotels with Marriott and the even better luxury Hyatt portfolio as two examples. I predict this will be a growing pattern with many under the 2%...which might just work for FS at their current number of properties...remembering Isolde Sharpe in an interview pointing to the street below and saying "See those people? I do not make Four Seasons for them." That's fine, but investors want growth and FS is not Aman. They are at a turning point and I predict they will have no choice but to open the kimono or remain where they are now in size. I am a perfect example of a defection that does not see the value. I am sure there are more.

  21. Joey Guest

    Thank you for this! I’ve only stayed at the Four Seasons in Seattle (cousin’s wedding was held there) but I do hope to stay at a four seasons resort someday.
    Is it also possible for you to please write a similar post but for Aman hotels?

  22. adi_t Guest

    I haven't stayed at that many highest-end hotels but from my limited experience, Four Seasons tends to be the most consistently good. Ritz Carltons tend to be a bit more hit or miss overall and they have a few clunkers in their portfolio.

    There is something amusingly oxymoronic about the title of the thread :)

  23. Donna Guest

    Some of those properties look amazing and I could see spending that much for a special holiday. In some of those cases, the prices are less than I thought they would be. Thanks for the insights.

  24. Clarita Guest

    Couldn’t agree more! Im also a Four Seasons Preferred Partner as well as a Virtuoso agent and would be happy to help book any stay at Four Seasons or Virtuoso properties. Just shoot me an email to [email protected] and i’ll respond to you promptly.

  25. Stvr Guest

    How to maximize value: get a Citibank prestige card.

    Though to be fair you did mention it briefly, which is holding yourself to a higher ethical standard than I have seen in other posts before on this blog. Kudos.

  26. Frank Guest

    Amex FHR Pay with points is now a great option for 4 seasons .

Featured Comments Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ).

The comments on this page have not been provided, reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser, and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered.

Jo Guest

@Ben - I actually talked to the Four Seasons agent via chat, he mentioned that hotels.com also has 3rd night free promo rate on there as well

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Ben Schlappig OMAAT

@ Jo -- It's probably just a difference in how they're displaying prices. If you email Ford ([email protected]), he would take a look at it for you.

0
Jo Guest

Has anyone experienced looking at a total price from booking Four seasons directly with 3rd night free promo is the same price as booking from Hotels.com with no 3rd night free? Seems odd to me

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