The Four Seasons Resort and Residences, Anguilla
AN HONEST GUEST REVIEW 🛁🛁🛁🛁
Didn’t I just say I can’t stand humidity? Didn’t I just say I prefer cool, mountain air? Then what the heck am I doing at the Four Seasons Resort and Residences, Anguilla? Let’s just say that I am willing to “suffer” through the heat and humidity of a Caribbean paradise every once in a while, especially when the accommodations are 5-star...but are they 5 shower curtains?
We heard about The Four Seasons Resort and Residences, Anguilla, over and over. Friends, colleagues and acquaintances recommended it through the years. What kept us away was the travel. This Four Seasons is not easy to get to from Southern New Jersey. First an indirect flight through Miami to St. Martin, followed by a boat ride through open ocean to Anguilla (2 sets of customs). The seasick scaredy cat in me always votes for a trip with the direct flight, but somehow, there I was, white-knuckling it on a speedboat crashing through chop, all drugged out on Dramamine and motion sickness patches. By some miracle we made it, but all I could think was, “Oh no, I have to do this again in 5 days to get home!”
The Four Seasons Resort and Residences sits between two coves of white sandy beach and calm turquoise water. It is so beautifully picturesque that it makes the crazy boat ride worth it! The property is huge, with a couple of pools, restaurants, and tons of options for accommodations from single hotel rooms to 1-, 2-, or 3-bedroom suites to 5-bedroom beachfront villas! We stayed in a 1-bedroom ocean front suite. This place was huge—full kitchen with all the accoutrement, living area, powder room, bedroom, and the biggest master bathroom I’ve ever seen in a hotel! The suite had a serene outdoor space overlooking one of the main pools with a catty-corner view of the beach (their definition of ocean front is a little looser than mine). The deck had a small plunge pool in the corner—just a pool, not a hot tub. Our deck was shady most of the day, which was great when we wanted to escape the sun and heat, but it kept the pool pretty chilly, so we didn’t use it as much as we would have liked.
Upon arrival, we were greeted with cold towels and their signature drink, a fruity punch drink that they spiked for you from small rum barrels on the tables. It was a cute gimmick and an absolute godsend after that ocean commute. A bellman carted us to our room where we found a welcome gift of (cheap) white wine (not champagne or prosecco) and a bowl of whole fruits with a personalized note. In the pics, you will notice gorgeous flowers and chocolate-covered strawberries. They were not part of the welcome gift. My husband ordered those and paid for them ahead of time. We did find another gift in the kitchen by the coffee maker, homemade banana bread mini muffins. They were delicious, but only a one-time treat. They replaced the coffees, teas and creamers, but not the banana bread.
OK, so you have the basics…and therein lies the problem. Something about this stay was just…basic. Yes, the resort was stunning. Yes, the room was beautiful. (I’ll get into my usual nit-picking in a moment, but at first glance the room was beautiful.) So, why aren’t my socks knocked off? The Four Seasons, Anguilla has a lot to offer and is certainly luxurious, but somehow it was just basic luxury. I mean, I’m even struggling to write about it. It’s like you follow a recipe for a perfect meal and it’s everything you could possibly want, but in the end the dish tastes bland. That’s the Four Seasons, Anguilla. It has everything you could want for a perfect vacation, but it needs salt.
Back to the one-bedroom suite. The décor was as expected—travertine floors and counters, creams and whites, lots of mirrors…your typical early aughts luxury hotel room. Don’t get me wrong, it was all lovely, but it was a little beat up. The wear and tear was noticeable throughout: a big chunk of wood broken off the bathroom door, stained leather on the kitchen chairs, peeling window tint by the tub, pilling couches with a few stains. The room was starting to look its age. I mentioned a giant bathroom. Yes, it was a huge open space with separate his-and-hers sinks. The bathroom was so big that it had a big glass foyer table in the middle and another console table against the back wall. This was all fine and dandy because it gave us space for our suitcases and toiletries and allowed us to spread out without using the bedroom. There was a separate room for the toilet next to the stall shower and a small walk-in closet at the other end of the room next to the tub. Not a shower curtain in sight. So, now you understand that this bathroom is massive, tons of real estate, but then they went with a standard tub and small stall shower. Basic. The shower had one small showerhead, no handheld, no rain showerhead, no side jets, not even a seat! Just a tiny little shelf for the shampoo, conditioner and body wash. It was so basic I might even call it builder grade. Even my shower at home has a few shelves, a handheld and a corner seat!
How about those toiletries? Absent. This was probably the biggest disappointment and quite shocking for a 5-star luxury resort. They provided the shampoo, conditioner and body wash as I mentioned earlier, all “Lush Palm” scent, which was very floral, like a perfume. There were hand soap and lotion containers by each sink, and wrapped packs of cotton buds, cotton pads and a shower cap in one container by the sinks. They left a bar of soap and a loofah by the tub. That’s it. No dental kit, no nail file or shaving kit. Basic. They had laundry and shoe service bags in the closet, along with an ironing board and iron, but my husband had to ask for a steamer to be brought up. Basic. The blow dryer was a decent brand with a diffuser, but huge and heavy. No matter, it was way too hot to dry your hair.
They provided filtered water in glass bottles, which was a blessing because it was hot and humid all day and night. The bottles were replenished daily and at turndown service. At turndown, they put out slippers (basic) and water next to the bed and closed the blinds. No treats or chocolates. Basic. On the subject of sleep—the bed really bummed us out. So old and lived in that it felt like I was sleeping in a hammock. The pillows were thin and flat, the kind where it feels like you are sleeping directly on the mattress. The sheets and towels were basic, not bad, just basic. How can this be? It’s a Four Seasons! Maybe my expectations were too high? I couldn’t help but compare it to our stay at the Ritz-Carlton, Dorado Beach in Puerto Rico last year—they provided you with anything and everything you could think of in terms of toiletries, local candies at turn down, aromatherapy and little surprises like frog-shaped chocolates or fresh fruit left for you to enjoy throughout your stay. In comparison, the Four Seasons was kind of a dud.
Did they do anything right? Well, yes, the grounds are stunning. Lush, tropical foliage surrounding white buildings connected by breezy, outdoor hallways. It was all very zen. The pools were pretty and well-maintained, and the beach was just gorgeous. White sand, clear, calm water. The downside to the beach, however, was that it is right next to a public beach club that blasted (and I mean blasted) the same songs over and over every day starting at 1pm. I swear to you, they played a reggae birthday song for 20 minutes one of the days. I could hear it in my sleep. The Four Seasons does provide you with a beach bag to borrow during your stay, and complimentary sunblock at the beach and pools. That is a very nice perk and helpful when packing. The people at the resort were extremely friendly and accommodating. They got to know your name and your order. On that note, the restaurant choices on campus were OK. Basic. Our best meals were had at other resorts and restaurants on the island. Oh, also I have to mention that every restaurant was outdoor eating—even if there was an indoor section, there was absolutely no air conditioning. We experienced this everywhere, not just the Four Seasons. So, prepare to sweat through your meals in Anguilla.
I will leave you with one final thought, and you can decide if it is a plus or a minus. The Four Seasons, Anguilla is a family resort. I was there for a romantic getaway with my husband, and we were in the vast minority. In fact, the Four Seasons is not just family-friendly; it is FAMILY FIRST. They make a point of letting you know there is only one adult-only pool on the property when you arrive. The other pools have kid-sized lounge chairs, Adirondacks and picnic tables. They have a gorgeous kids’ club. They have kayaks and paddle boards for kids to use on the beach, and they offer complimentary catamaran rides. Everywhere you turn, there are families with children, from babies to teenagers. It makes sense why they offer all the multi-bedroom accommodations. Families go to the Four Seasons.
So where does this leave us, Four Seasons, Anguilla? The resort itself is gorgeous, and the beach is heavenly. The room definitely showed wear and tear, and the extras, well…there really weren’t any. Perhaps my expectations were too high? I expected our room at the Four Seasons to be pristine, and I expected there to be the luxury-hotel upgrades that I am used to having, like mouthwash, a rain shower, or some bubble bath or bath salts. Instead, I got the basics. Don’t get me wrong, it was still light years better than a mid-level hotel, but it missed the mark on being extra special. For those reasons, the Four Seasons, Anguilla ends up with 4 curtains. It is luxurious, but it is basic luxury.
AN HONEST GUEST REVIEW 🛁🛁🛁🛁 Four Curtains—Stunning beach, family-first vibe, but a bathroom that made me miss my shower at home!
