his trip was booked in mid to late January and was specifically planned as a special 40th birthday surprise for me....by my boyfriend.
My boyfriend planned this surprise with the hotel's various senior staff including the concierge team associates, the spa team associates, the pastry chef etc. He called almost every day twice a day for about a week prior to our arrival to make sure everything was going to be SPECTACULAR! he was very concerned that he wanted to make this as special as possible for me because of how much I wanted to go to Disney for my 40th birthday and because he wanted to show me how much he loved me.....he was assured not once but many times...not to worry....that everything would be perfect.....by the concierge and the four seasons team that he had "nothing to worry about because this was the four seasons and they specialize in making experiences exceptional"
My boyfriend gave them the specifics of our arrival time and all the other details in order to make everything be fully realized and ready. In specifics he paid about $2,000 a night for a room for 4 nights..…that he also made very specific/detailed requests for… he paid close to $1,000 for balloons and a few hundred dollars for speciality cupcakes designed with Disney characters in mind…he booked special reservations for a character buffet breakfast, dinners at specialty restaurants, couples massages at the spa and on and on…he also was very specific about why this was all so important….and how much it means that this all go well….primarily because he wanted to ask me a special question on this trip.
SO! We arrive at the hotel…around 3pm?..first thing that happens….our room is not ready and not available….they ask us to sit and wait…..no apologies (remember I’m not supposed to know anything about this surprise) they do not ask us if we would like some water or a beverage while we wait…nothing…they just ignore us….
second thing….room is not decorated with the balloons….the balloons have not arrived yet…..none of the other items are set up in the room either….3rd…about 45 min later he (my boyfriend) is angry and goes to the concierge and says….”WHAT IS GOING ON?!” They tell him it will be ready in 15 min…..as I watch balloons arriving in front of my face (not a surprise anymore) we arrive in the room…the balloons are arranged in such a way that it says “YPAPH IRTHB DAY MY BABE” haphazard and sloppy…the room has a problem with the thermostat….the room has a broken tv in the washroom….the room has none of the requested extra large towels, shower gels, and extra pillows that have been requested. Seem nice for a 5 star FOUR SEASONS hotel? does That seem like a team that was prepared and focused on making this an “exceptional” experience..no, it doesn’t.
Moving on, head to the spa for a couples massage…..where we both receive lacklustre massages…we walk in it’s wide open with the curtains open to ambiance…no candles……nothing that suggests a romantic couples massage….
the older massage therapist yanks my legs back and forth…spends no time on the area I specifically asked him to focus on….washes his towels and hands in the sink right beside me….and basically prevents me from having a wonderful experience….we come out of the room and are presented with 2 plastic flutes..with prosecco….right after a massage? Do they want me to faint? Water should be given immediately after a massage to reduces soreness. One way to boost your odds for not being sore the next day is increase your water intake after your appointment. It helps move out waste products that the therapist worked out of your muscles into circulation this did not happen.
Next day, head to the pool area…IT IS EMPTY….there is no one at the pool area….on any lounge chair…in any cabana….nobody in the pool…just an attendant…so we sit down together on a lounge chair big enough for two …and my boyfriend starts telling me something romantic…..as he begins saying something special to me…a pool attendant comes over and says “you can’t sit here…these have to be specially reserved” I ask “are they reserved for the next 2 hours” …and he says “no, but you have to pay to sit there”
LOVELY!!!! What an incredible morning greeting….
Head to the hot tub…..guess what? 3 jets (out of 6?) are not even working….and the ones that are working are PUMPING COLD WATER into the hot tub! Yes! So now we are sitting in a “hot tub” with 3 jets shooting out cold water….I bring this to the attendants attention “oh, I don’t know….I’ll call the engineer” ……great morning…..so far….
Head for breakfast….I have to stand for about 20 minutes explaining to the juice bar girl how to make our protein shakes…#1 and #2 that she has to make it so we can actually drink it through the straw………
The incidents of negligence, laziness, incompetence, and just plain poor service from our 4 night stay……did NOT stop there…..but I am too tired to type any further…yes, they upgraded us to a suite for 1 night……after I refused the ridiculous offer of a bottle or sparkling wine to make up for this HORROR show…….they have been given one star for one reason only….It’s a BEAUTIFUL property…..but a Beautiful property is not what makes a hotel a 5 star hotel, it’s the small details, the kindness, the execution AND FULFILLMENT of requests AFTER weeks of phone calls/emails……we were both so disappointed…….I was let down….so was my boyfriend….I truly felt worse for him because of how much work and effort he put into all of this for me….to have this 5 star hotel drop the ball so many times….is just unacceptable.
We were told to contact the resort to speak about the situation with someone....they gave us the front desk supervisor....we asked for the GM as this was a serious complaint.....we were told this person would contact us the following day....and LITERALLY NOBODY responded or contacted us...even after giving my direct number and email.
I'm not sure if this had to do with us being gay or because they are just embarrassed by how poorly everything was handled....but we have suggested our businesses and associates to not book here...and I would suggest that you do this as well.
