Every time I drive by that property (it's right next to always busy Hwy 101) I wonder why they made it a Four Seasons. (sorry, don't know the answer to your question)
I have just completed my first FHR booking*, and so the sum total of my experience is derived from an n of 1... That said, I did a good amount of research before pulling the trigger. I predict that the probability of you securing both the wedding rate and FHR benefits is almost exactly zip. You have to be logged in to your AMEX account and accessing the FHR portal to even see the room rates for FHR bookings. I think that there is zero chance you'll be able to pull of that particular double-dip. So, which is the better choice? Well, I don't know what credit card you'll put the room on, but if it were me, 165 * 2 days * 2UR points per dollar (~660 UR points) versus 255 * 2 * 1Starpoint per dollar (~550 Starpoints) would be noise if I think about in the context of a year's spend. Starpoints are more valuable, but I see this as a wash, especially given the money kept in my pocket that is provided by the wedding rate. So these data don't help all that much (I presume here that your own credit card analysis would yield an similarly non-helpful comparison). Okay, so what about the FHR benefits? Well, it's a wedding, so how much time do you predict that you'll actually be staying in the room? The space-available upgrade is nice, but it wouldn't be worth that much to me if I weren't spending much time actually enjoying it. If you're rolling in to the room after a long night at a reception, for example, do you really care what the view is? I'm not sure what the particular upgrade tier structure is at that particular FS, but I see from the FHR portal that there are a lot of rooms between that $255/night "base" room and a suite. So, your upgrade will be a better view or a slightly bigger room or something. It won't be a suite, I don't think. So, nice, sure, but only if you're actually going to spend some time benefiting from it, right? The noon check-in and the 16:00 checkout is GOLD. This is a terrific benefit, especially if you roll in to check-in slightly earlier than 12:00. They will probably shuttle you to the bar or something if your room isn't ready. This benefit is very nice, regardless of how much time you spend in the room, I would think. Looking at the FHR portal, the property-specific benefit at that Four Seasons is a $100 spa credit. Are you going to have time to use it? If not, then it's the same as not getting the benefit. You're paying ~$100 night in part for a benefit you won't use. Breakfast--nice, especially if you get a full breakfast and not a continental (your Platinum concierge can clarify here). But it's a wedding, so there might be a group breakfast at least one of those mornings, yes? If so, then this will dilute that benefit some. Regarding the general "treatment" that FHR bookings get you, I wouldn't personally take that into account unless it's a very special occasion. Little towels and hot cider when I'm checking in and people going out of their way to treat me as if I'm a VIP are nice if I'm going to a property to be pampered, but most of the time I couldn't care less. You might view this differently. Again, based on my single FHR experience, the way that guests are treated during an FHR booking is pretty damn sweet. So, you might see that is unimportant for this wedding stay, or see it as really nice icing on top of it. For me, if it were a 2 day stay for a wedding, then this analysis would tip me toward the wedding rate (as the check-in/out times are the only really superior benefit (I'd be predicting I would only use one FHR breakfast)). I would encourage you to do a similar analysis, using your own particulars, and think hard about how much time you'll actually spend in the room and just puttering around the hotel being an FHR guest. I think that's the key here. If it will be a lot, then FHR is a great way to do a paid stay at a luxury property. If it will be a little, then you might think about pocketing the extra cash for a future FHR booking where you can really dig in to the treatment that you'll likely receive. If you do go the FHR route, then I encourage you to call your concierge and book it that way. They will square you away, and they might have suggestions on how to maximize the frosting on the booking. Good luck either way, and please report back on what you choose. ____________________________ *I'll write up this absolutely spectacular experience soon.
Great points. This is probably an unnecessary attempt to maximize. The biggest draw toward FHR for me is that I don't see myself otherwise booking a FS anytime soon, and I could probably sneak in a massage. No way to know details of the wedding activities for a while (it's in September), but if I do go for it, I'd probably just hedge by booking first night Wedding, second FHR. A bit tacky, but late checkout could come into play then.
Oh, I dunno if it's tacky. Rather, that might be a sound strategy, particularly if you will use the spa credit. And the 4pm check-out is very nice. I wasn't thinking about splitting the two of them up, but I like that idea a lot. That's a good plan.
