There are few commendable aspects of this hotel. The hotel is situated directly facing the sea. Upon looking from the balcony, one might be under the impression that the beach is within walking distance. However, this is misleading as a highway separates the hotel building from the beach. To reach the sea, and subsequently the breakfast restaurant, gardens, villas, and beach, one must traverse a tunnel.
It would be unjust to label this passage to the beach as a mere tunnel. Despite its physical form, it is far from a typical tunnel. It is an air-conditioned passage adorned with artwork and marble floors. However, this also implies that vehicular noise is a constant presence in any open area, contributing to significant pollution. If your idea of a beach vacation involves a pristine, natural beach and fresh, clean air, this location will not meet your expectations.
The beach is one of the most significant issues the hotel faces. It is littered with various forms of human waste, including plastic bags, bottles, and more. Despite personally reaching out to the Four Seasons via their website, I received no response, and the beach remained unclean throughout our stay.
The hotel staff maintained a courteous demeanor throughout our visit. The hotel houses several restaurants, although some were closed during our stay. The Mediterranean restaurant, Fresco, serves pizzas among other items, but the quality was subpar. The Lebanese restaurant was satisfactory, and the bar also offered reasonably good food.
To access your room, you must swipe your card in the elevator before selecting your floor. The cards provided are only functional for a few hours. There were instances where the room card would allow elevator access, but fail to unlock the room, necessitating a return to the lobby for a replacement card. This inconvenience occurred multiple times daily, to the point where we were reluctant to leave our room.
It appears that the hotel has Four Seasons residences, and residents utilize their balconies for storage and laundry, which is not visually appealing. More unusually, some residents hang their rugs on the balcony rails and beat them to remove dust. This results in both noise and dust pollution.
The hotel provides WiFi internet access, but the service was unreliable and slow. We stayed at the hotel for six nights, and while we found some aspects enjoyable, we were largely disappointed and dismayed.
Unless the hotel addresses and rectifies its numerous deficiencies, I cannot envision a return visit.
In summary, the pros include :
a good location, excellent sea view (if available), excellent staff service, beautiful decorations and artwork, and spacious open areas throughout the hotel.
The cons, however, include dirty beaches, noise from neighboring residents cleaning carpets, unsightly balconies cluttered with unused furniture and laundry lines, poor internet speed and service, and defective card readers in elevators and rooms, necessitating frequent card replacements.
While it bears the name of a Four Seasons hotel, do not anticipate the amenities, attention to detail, and beauty typically associated with other Four Seasons establishments.