We stayed at the FS for three nights over July 4 weekend, after finding a great deal on the chain’s website. We loved the hotel, the room and the pool, but what stood out most was the friendly and impeccable service.
The hotel’s layout provides a sense of seclusion despite its vicinity to the Scottsdale sprawl, and clearly a lot of thought was put into blending the buildings with nature. Our room was located outside of the main complex, which we found added to our seclusion experience, which was fantastic. Waking up to the magnificent desert view in our room and on our terrace was certainly worth the 3-4 minute walk to the main complex, where the lobby, restaurants, pool and gym are located. Nonetheless, for those who prefer not to make the journey by foot, the hotel offers golf-cart rides to and from the more secluded rooms.
We took advantage of the early morning hike up Pinnacle peak (offered daily), though would recommend the two hour drive to Sedona for more scenic and intense hiking experiences. We were disappointed not to be able to take part in the stargazing offered by the hotel. We were very surprised to learn that Arizona has a monsoon season in July-August, which brought about short but very intense showers in the early-to-mid evening throughout our stay and resulted in overcast skies every evening.
The pool was wonderful, and we really appreciated the separate, adult-only section, which allowed us to relax without the shouts and splashes of kids. At the same time, this allowed kids to be kids in other pool areas. We also loved the pool casitas with cool mist constantly sprayed to keep us cool. The only thing is – you had better get up very early if you want to get a hold of one of the casitas, as they are limited and extremely coveted. We were impressed by the fact that no fee was charged for the casitas, as opposed to other hotels we have stayed at. An added perk at the pool was the constant pampering by the staff, which offered complementary water, sun-screen and snacks.
The rooms are large, with a nice fireplace, nice terrace with a magnificent view, a huge bathroom and walk-in closet. The king-size bed was very comfortable and the large LCD screen added a nice touch. The only minor snag we had during our stay was the long red hair I found on the shower wall, courtesy of the prior guest, I assume. Otherwise, though, the room and hotel were clean.
I cannot conclude without a elaborating on the fantastic service, which went above and beyond our expectations. One evening, water from the heavy rain crept into our room, and within minutes two staffers came by to dry up our foyer and put sandbags outside our door. Moreover, due to religious obligations, we had dietary restrictions as well as special requests for Saturday. While I do not doubt that some of these requests sounded strange at best to the staff, they accommodated every single one of our requests (including sending someone to our out-of-the-way room to open the door for us several times on Saturday) with a smile. The concierge was very knowledgeable and well-prepared, with handy maps, directions and recommendations for hiking and activities in Sedona and Scottsdale, and tailored their recommendations to accommodate our style. I would add that the hotel was full to capacity and it appears that many of the guests were there on the same deal we found, namely at less than $160 a night. Still, every guest was treated as if they were the only guest on the property and had paid $500 per night.

We stayed at the Four Seasons for one night to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. We wanted to stay somewhere special and we couldn't be happier with our choice.

As soon as you get to the resort you are greeted by such wonderful staff. From the bellman, to the front desk staff, pool attendants, groundskeeper - nothing but excellent customer service. The staff in this place are very friendly and they make you feel at home.

Our casita was also great. It is very spacious and there's a patio with incredible views especially at night. There's a small sitting area with flat screen tv and fireplace. There's a decent size walk in closet with ample of hanger space. There's also plenty of space in the bathroom - separate tub/shower area, his/her sink and a private toilet area.

We also had a chance to go the pool and once again - excellent customer service. They have cabanas everywhere and it's on a first come basis. When we got there the pool attendant went ahead and set up our cabanas (putting covers on the chaise lounge, providing towels and pitcher of ice cold water). Once in a while they had someone walk around offering samples of their smoothies. The drinks are kinda overpriced but they're good.

The best part of our stay is when the General Manager of the resort had someone deliver a bottle of champagne and some chocolatet truffles to our room and we celebrated our anniversary in style :-)

A great secluded hotel. You have to give time to this place: then you fall in love with it and you just wish you could stay there for a long time.

I'm fairly difficult to impress and it's quite rare for me to stay anywhere without finding at least a few nits and picks - but frankly our 5 day stay here during August left me with only the smallest of complaints.

I'm not able to respond to other's comments as to how this resort stacks up against other Four Seasons properties. Certainly this is a relatively small resort without a huge range of features. Those that are provided however were top notch. Only once during our stay did we hear anything other than "yes sir, I'll take care of that sir". Much more typical were "Yes of course".

The resort is really centered around the pool / spa / golf experiences. It'd be difficult to fault the near by Troon North golf courses. Conditions were perfect, service matched. A bit further from the hotel than I expected (5 minute drive).

The spa was rather basic, I would have liked at least a plunge pool or hot tub - but the absence didn't ruin the experience for me. Spa services were well done. Staff was very attentive and prices while high, weren't as outrageous as I might have expected.

Service around the pool was fantastic. Staff rushed to help "set-up" your cabana with chair covers, towles and pitchers of water (which they refilled all through the hot day). Water and towels were constantly refreshed. Bar service was attentive and prompt. Drinks and food were well prepared. Finally a place where you don't have to "reserve" a chair with a book at sunrise. Regardless of the time we arrived there were always both chairs and cabanas available. Staff was quick to clear unused chairs - something I very much appreciate.

Our room, in building 11, was quite nice and clearly recently refreshed. It was more than fine given the summer rates. I was told that the same room would go for $800 on a winter weekend - I'd have trouble feeling good about spending that much. The refreshed rooms were tasteful, clean and efficient. Still it's clear that this property has been around a while and that price WAS an object in the remodel (I suppose it always is), some corners were clearly cut here and there.

Breakfasts at Crescent Moon were good - we had a breakfast package and made the most of it. Dinner at Talavera was very good, but perhaps not a good value. Undoubtedly eating Al Fresco at Onyx bar struck a better balance between service and cost.

Finally, the rate we booked had decreased by the day of travel. Without even asking, my rate was reduced at check-in to the currently available rate!

I look forward to returning soon.

So, what didn't I like? Well building 11 is about as far from the lobby as one can possibly be. At checkin a golf cart was provided to get up the hill, at other times it just wasn't worth the wait to get a ride up / down. The walk through the desert heat wasn't always welcome. Servicing of the room was a bit hit or miss. Some days things went missing (creamer for the coffee one day, shampoo the next) - I suppose some would deduct more than I have for these oversights - but frankly the total experience was so great that I just can't bring myself to take much away for these small errors.