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Which hotel brand is best, Four Seasons or Aman hotels? While the choice between these two hotel brands varies between individual hotels, Four Seasons hotels are generally larger, more consistent in design, and tend to offer more facilities making them better for families. Aman hotels tend to be smaller and more individual. They are the perfect boutique hotel but tend to have fewer facilities than the Four Seasons.
Hotels in both chains tend to be immaculate with incredible levels of service. They all have large rooms and all offer an amazing experience which you choose depending on where you are heading, what hotel brands are available in that destination, and what you want from your stay.
Amanjunkies who are fans of Aman hotels tend to be quite passionate about this hotel brand. However, I argue that both brands are incredible, and if you can afford a stay at either, you are blessed and should be blown away by your experience at whichever brand you choose.
1. Style
Four Seasons offers a variety of styles across their hotels according to the destination and the property itself. For example Four Seasons Grand Hotel Du Cap Ferrat is a historic property, so takes it’s style accents from its classic and historic french architecture.
Check-in takes place on one of the plush white sofas in this magnificent foyer, which overlooks the sea across a cloud of soft treetops. Following check-in, it is worth taking a tour of the hotel to ensure you don’t miss out on the wine cellar packed full of almost priceless bottles of vintage wines; the route to the beach club; or the tunnels that lead to the spa, adorned with photos of past visitors like Roger Moore and Liza Minelli. Winston Churchill caught my eye (well-known for his penchant for champagne). It tickled me that he, too, had enjoyed a tipple on the terrace of this fabulous hotel.
Rooms are either in the main historic building with views out to sea or back inland towards the pine woods or in a newer building that must have been modeled on the Thunderbirds house. The latter, more modern rooms, offer marvelous large balconies but lack the history.
Other examples of Four Seasons hotels that embrace a historic setting with modern furnishings are The Surf Club in Miami, The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, Bahamas, and Four Seasons Geneva. Others, such as the Four Seasons resorts in Hawaii offer a more modern architecture and feel.
Aman hotels are much more individual hotels, each offering a very different experience from the next. We will be returning to the Aman Venice this year, and this hotel is set in a Palace with expensive modern furnishings surrounded by layers of incredible history complete with murals on the ceilings and cherub and gargoyle detailing.
Aman Tokyo is a particularly gorgeous Aman hotel and we have compared this to Four Seasons in more detail below.
2. Location
Goodness, this is so dependent on the individual hotel and will usually dictate which brand to choose. In fact, there are very few locations that offer both an Aman hotel and a Four Seasons hotel in the same resort or city. There are now two Four Seasons hotels and one Aman hotel in New York, so if this is your destination. You need to choose between these hotels.
Other locations that have or will have Aman and Four Seasons hotels include Venice. In Venice, I would personally consider staying at the Belmond Cipriani rather than either of these hotels if you have a family as the Cipriani pool is very special and neither the Four Seasons or the Aman have a pool.
An Aman is about to open in Los Cabos just up the beach from the Four Seasons resort, which is currently open, so again, here you have to choose the setting and hotel brand. But usually, Amans can be found in one resort area, and Four Seasons in others, so you are not forced to choose between brands and can simply pick the hotel relevant to your destination. After all, both brands offer magnificent hotels.
3. Size
Aman hotels tend to be smaller than Four Seasons hotels.
4. Grounds
As a consequence of their sizes, Four Seasons hotels tend to have larger grounds. Just look at the grounds of the Four Seasons Hampshire pictured above!
5. Beach & Pool
Again, beaches and Pools are more property-specific than brand-specific. In Venice, neither Aman or Four Seasons has a pool.
6. Rooms
Both hotels offer equally luxurious rooms. As a general rule, I find the rooms at the Four Seasons to be more consistent in size and decor, but the Aman rooms are more unique and characterful.
7. Food
Both brands offer excellent and not-so-excellent restaurants. You will need to review the specific property to determine whether a particular property has an award-winning restaurant.
8. Family Facilities
Four Seasons is the best for families. Usually, properties offer pools, kids clubs, menus, and room amenities all designed to make your children feel welcome. They are just wonderful with children and don’t usually charge extra for a child bed in the room either. I would say Four Seasons is the best child-friendly hotel brand in the world. Aman hotels tend to be more suited to couples.
10. Conclusion
Both of these hotel brands offer magnificent hotels, and the merit of the hotel is very dependent on a specific property and varies hugely. I personally am blown away when I stay at either brand and genuinely think they are both brilliant.
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