Which is best, Four Seasons or Park Hyatt? These two hotel brands occupy the 5-star lux category of hotels with room quality and size, service, restaurants, and the hotel as a whole offering an ultra-luxurious setting. The main difference between these brands is that Four Seasons tends to be more leisure-orientated, whereas Park Hyatt tends to lean toward business travelers.
This is further represented in the locations of Four Seasons hotels vs. Park Hyatt hotels. The best hotels in Hawaii are Four Seasons hotels. Park Hyatt doesn’t have a Hawaiian hotel. There are three Four Seasons in the Caribbean, soon to be four, whereas Park Hyatt has just one property on St Kitts. Park Hyatt hotels tend to inhabit major cities.
Certain cities have both Four Seasons and Park Hyatt hotels, so it is essential to know which hotel is the best in these destinations. There is a Four Seasons and a Park Hyatt in Milan, Paris, London, and New York. While the best hotel choice varies between individual hotels, Four Seasons hotels are generally more service-oriented and leisure-oriented and attract families.
Four Seasons hotels often have more facilities than Park Hyatt hotels. In particular, Park Hyatt hotels often don’t have pools, whereas Four Seasons hotels usually do. If you’re traveling with your family and need an activity for your kids, if you want to indulge in an amazing spa, or if you simply like to do laps for exercise, you will usually find more useful facilities at Four Seasons hotels.
Park Hyatt also has the advantage of having their World of Hyatt loyalty program, so you can collect points during your stay. There is no Four Seasons loyalty program although you can get free benefits such as free breakfast, hotel credit, room upgrades (subject to availability) and more from your very first Four Seasons or Park Hyatt stay by booking with our luxury travel concierge. You also get World of Hyatt loyalty points too.
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 it takes style accents from its classic and historic French architecture and is designed like a palace perched on the edge of the Mediterranean.
There is both a Four Seasons and a Park Hyatt in Paris. The Four Seasons is an ultra-luxurious art deco landmark just off the Champs-Elysees. The feel is oh so Parisien with a more formal style, beautiful flower arrangements, arched windows, and incredible chandeliers. This hotel also has one of the best hotel pools in Paris. The service here is second to none. The Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme has a creamy decor with many pillars and a more modern look but no pool. A highlight at this Park Hyatt is the courtyard garden, where you can enjoy a morning coffee or an evening cocktail al fresco. If you’re looking to impress, the Four Seasons will knock your socks off, but the Park Hyatt still offers a high level of luxury in a more modern design that does not disappoint.
There’s a Four Seasons and a Park Hyatt in Milan. Here, the Four Seasons Milan wins hands down. The Park Hyatt is undoubtedly a gorgeous hotel and is on the doorstep of the Piazza del Duomo, but there’s no outdoor space other than a restaurant that spills out onto the street. The Four Seasons Milan is only a few minutes’ stroll away from Piazza del Duomo up a beautiful cobbled street in the heart of the designer stores. It has the most wonderful courtyard garden, which its main restaurant looks out upon. This gives the whole hotel a green, less urban feel. This Four Seasons offers an escape from the frenetic busyness of Milan and space to breathe.
The Park Hyatt in Zurich is particularly good and is again a good example of a city Park Hyatt with beautiful rooms, gorgeous communal areas, a modern feel but no pool. This hotel is one of the best hotels in Zurich and is a great choice as there’s no Four Seasons hotel in Zurich.
2. Location
As we outlined above, Four Seasons tend to be positioned in tourist destinations, whereas Park Hyatts tend to populate the world’s major cities. As both brands are ultra-luxury, they tend to be housed in very centrally located properties in each city, and the location of the hotel is not usually a deal breaker.
That said, when comparing the Four Seasons vs. Park Hyatt Sydney, the Park Hyatt has the better location if you want to be waterside so the best choice depends on the individual property.
3. Size
Although this is not always the case, generally, Park Hyatt hotels tend to be larger and more impersonal than Four Seasons hotels.
4. Grounds
Usually, Four Seasons hotels and resorts offer glorious grounds. A typical example is in Milan, where the Park Hyatt has no grounds to speak of, whereas Four Seasons offers a beautiful courtyard garden. For hotel grounds, Four Seasons almost always wins.
5. Beach
Again, beaches are more property-specific than brand-specific. But there are many more Four Seasons beach hotels than Park Hyatt beach hotels. Park Hyatt St. Kitts Christophe Harbour in the Caribbean is one of the few Park Hyatt beach hotels.
6. Ski
Four Seasons Whistler is a truly epic ski hotel and one of the best ski hotels in the world.
There are currently five Four Seasons ski hotels whereas Park Hyatt currently offers just one ski hotel; Park Hyatt Beaver Creek Resort and Spa. We have compared this Park Hyatt vs. Four Seasons Vail separately. Four Seasons wins overall, and all their ski resorts are stunning.
7. Rooms
Both hotel brands offer equally luxurious and large rooms. As a general rule, the rooms at the Four Seasons tend to embrace the local setting more than Park Hyatt hotels, which tend to offer modernity wherever they are located.
We also like the large sink counter area in the bathrooms at Four Seasons hotels, which tend to be larger than the Park Hyatt hotels. That said, there is an exception to every rule, and Park Hyatt Vienna offers rooms that ooze with history.
8. 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.
9. Family Facilities
Four Seasons has a particularly amazing kid’s program with gifts and special touches in the rooms. We feel Four Seasons is the best child-friendly hotel brand in the world. Park Hyatt is much more of a business brand.
10. Conclusion
Both of these hotel brands offer magnificent hotels, and the best hotel very much depends on the specific hotel, as each individual property will vary hugely. Four Seasons usually has the edge, with more atmospheric and location-relevant character, better spas, usually with pools, and Four Seasons hotels tend to better cater for leisure travelers.
Park Hyatt hotels are also exceptional. Some are deeply historic and are definitely worth picking, so it’s worth researching both options, but overall, Four Seasons wins for my family.
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