Generic Marriott hotels simply aren’t as good as Four Seasons hotels in any way, but they are cheaper and may be a good reason to choose them. However, individual luxury Marriott subsidiary hotels may be as good or even better than Four Seasons hotels in particular locations.
We often get asked whether Four Seasons is part of Marriott? Spoiler alert! No, they are not the same brand, and you can’t collect or spend Marriott Bonvoy points at any Four Seasons hotel because Four Seasons has no loyalty program.
We have previously compared Ritz-Carlton Vs. Four Seasons. Ritz-Carlton is a luxury Marriott brand. Now, we compare all luxury Marriott hotels to Four Seasons hotels.
Marriott hotels like the JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton generally adopted a more generic, modern look with good but not perfect service. The Luxury Collection, St. Regis, and Bvlgari are also currently part of Marriott and tend to offer more historic or unique hotels that fit their individual brands, so comparing these brands to Four Seasons is quite complicated.
1. Style
Four Seasons offers a variety of styles across their hotels according to the destination and the property itself. For example, Grand Hotel Du Cap Ferrat by Four Seasons is a historic property, so takes it’s style accents from its classic and historic french architecture.
On arrival, guests are greeted with check-in on one of the plush white sofas in the grand foyer, offering panoramic sea views over a canopy of lush treetops. After check-in, guests embark on a tour of the hotel to discover hidden gems such as the wine cellar housing an impressive collection of vintage wines, the path to the beach club, and the secret tunnels leading to the spa, adorned with photographs of esteemed past visitors including Roger Moore and Liza Minelli. The presence of Winston Churchill, famed for his love of champagne, adds a delightful touch, knowing he, too, savored a drink on the terrace of this magnificent hotel.
Accommodations are available in the main historic building with sweeping sea vistas or facing inland towards the serene pine woods and in a newer building reminiscent of the Thunderbirds house. While the latter offers contemporary rooms with expansive balconies, they lack the historical charm of the main building.
Similarly, The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, Bahamas, is another good example of the Four Seasons brand’s commitment to blending traditional architecture with timeless modern furnishings. Others, such as the best Four Seasons resorts in Hawaii offer a more modern architecture and feel.
Four Seasons Milan is another brilliant example of a unique Four Seasons hotel. This Milan property is housed in a former 15th-century convent that is situated up a tiny side street in the heart of Milan.
Discover a unique and inviting pool nestled within the former cellar of the convent. Accessible via steps flanked by sturdy pillars, you’ll swim in its warm waters beneath 19th-century vaulted ceilings. The Four Seasons in Florence and the soon-to-open Four Seasons Venice are also both steeped in history.
Marriott hotels tend to offer a more consistent classic American style. The Ritz-Carlton Maui, Kapalua is a particularly good example of an outstanding and recently refurbished Ritz-Carlton hotel with an incredible setting, pools and club lounge. While we love Ritz-Carlton hotels, overall, I think that Four Seasons hotels tend to offer more unique and historic surroundings.
Bvlgari hotels are also subsidiaries of the Marriott brand, and these hotels have their own unique style, as pictured above. We recently reviewed their flagship Bvlgari Milan, which blew us away. It was just so elegant and trend-setting and is easily one of the best Marriott hotels in Italy.
If you’re unfamiliar with Bulgari hotels, imagine a blend of the sophisticated ambiance of a Park Hyatt and the serene luxury of an Aman hotel. The rooms exude opulence and charm, featuring lavish bathrooms and ample storage space. The Bulgari amenities are, as expected, exquisite, with delightful fragrances and generous offerings. The bar and restaurant radiate an unparalleled ambiance in Milan, making it arguably one of the finest places to spend an evening anywhere in the world.
The Luxury Collection hotels, which are part of Marriott, are perhaps most similar to Four Seasons in style, as each hotel is very individual and often packed with historic features. But Four Seasons hotels are all consistently immaculate and perfect, whereas some Luxury Collection hotels are brilliant, and others are not quite as good. They tend to be more hit-and-miss.
St. Regis is another Marriott brand, and we have tried. We recently reviewed the St. Regis Florence that was oozing with history but lacked the ultra-luxury finish that you would expect at Four Seasons.
There are some beautiful Ritz-Carlton JW Marriott hotels such as the Ritz-Carltons in New York and the JW Marriott Venice. These hotels are gorgeous, but the JW Marriotts we’ve experienced lack the Four Seasons’ immaculate edge. The hedges and lawns at these hotels are less well-pruned than at Four Seasons. The insects are not kept quite as well under control. The decor is not usually quite as immaculate. There are exceptional Ritz-Carltons and JW Marriotts, but as a general rule, Four Seasons hotels are slightly better.
And how about Four Seasons Vs. bog standard Marriott hotels? I’m afraid there’s no competition. Marriotts are a step below in style and in every other way. However, Marriott hotels are cheaper and remain decent, so if you’re on a budget, they remain a very good choice.
2. Location
Goodness, this is so dependent on the individual hotel and will usually dictate which brand to choose. If you want to stay in Waikiki, there is no Four Seasons hotel, so the best choice is the Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach, a Marriott subsidiary hotel. The Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, is also very beautiful, and the Royal Hawaiian is part of Marriott’s Luxury Collection and is also a great luxury choice.
The main Marriott in Waikiki is a massive tower block with amazing views, but it looks pretty ugly from the outside, and the rooms are small. It is well located but falls down on all points when it comes to quality and luxury compared with the other Marriott subsidiary hotels in Waikiki. Don’t forget to take a look at the Halekulani in Waikiki too. This excellent hotel is not Four Seasons or Ritz-Carlton, but it’s a gorgeous waterfront property.
There are some brilliant Ritz-Carltons in Florida, and they are in different locations from the Four Seasons hotels, so you can choose the hotel according to where you want to spend your time location-wise.
In Geneva, the Ritz-Carlton is just up the road from the Four Seasons Geneva. In Geneva, the Four Seasons has the edge with hugely ornate communal areas, whereas the Ritz-Carlton feels more modern.
Another exciting location with both a Ritz-Carlton and a Four Seasons is Maui. The Four Seasons Maui is in the sunnier location and is a brilliant property. The location of the Ritz-Carlton in Maui can be windy, but this remains an incredible hotel that has just been refurbished.
In Dubai, the Four Seasons on the beach is better in location and quality than the Ritz-Carlton on the beach and is head and shoulders above the Marriott choices. If you want to be in the city, the Bvlgari Dubai is an incredible property and is well worth trying.
3. Size
Although this is not always the case, generally, Ritz-Carlton hotels tend to be larger and more impersonal than Four Seasons hotels. Luxury Collection and Bvlgari hotels tend to be small and boutique, and JW Marriotts and Marriotts can be absolutely huge and are often used as convention hotels, which can make them unappealing for leisure travelers.
4. Grounds
Both Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons resorts offer glorious grounds. The Bvlgari in Milan has great gardens, and the Bvlgari in Bali has a superb infinity pool. The St. Regis Florence has no grounds at all. neither do the Four Seasons in Madrid and the Four Seasons in Paris.
The JW Marriott in Venice has enormous gardens on its exclusive island, whereas the soon-to-open Four Seasons in Venice will have no grounds at all. Grounds are very property-specific, so neither brand wins on this point.
5. Beach
Again, beaches are more property-specific than brand-specific. In Maui, the beach at the Four Seasons is closer and less windy than the beach at the Ritz-Carlton, and the Ritz-Carlton in Maui has amazing grounds, but the Ritz-Carlton in Waikiki has no grounds at all. The best Four Seasons in the Caribbean all have amazing beaches and as do all the Ritz-Carlton’s in the Caribbean. In contrast, the cheaper Marriott hotels in the Caribbean tend to have less exotic grounds and smaller beach areas.
As a general rule, if you book a Four Seasons or a Ritz-Carlton resort in an area that embraces beaches, you can expect gloriously maintained grounds and direct beach access. The other Marriott brands are more hit-and-miss when it comes to their outdoor space and beach.
6. Rooms
Both Ritz-Carlton hotels and Four Seasons hotels offer equally luxurious rooms. As a general rule, we find the rooms at the Four Seasons to be more consistent in size and decor, but again, this is very property-specific. The rooms at Ritz-Carlton Maui are, for example, large and modern.
St. Regis, Bvlgari, JW Marriott, and Marriott rooms can be smaller and can vary in quality. You have no guarantee of a massive Four Seasons bathroom at these hotels. Although their bathrooms may be lovely, Marriott and Marriott subsidiary hotel bathroom probably won’t be quite as large.
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. The Ritz-Carlton in Vienna, for example, has an excellent steak restaurant and a rooftop terrace, which attracts guests to this hotel.
8. Family Facilities
Both brands are family-friendly, but Four Seasons has a particularly amazing kids program with gifts and special touches in the rooms. I would say Four Seasons is the best child-friendly hotel brand in the world.
9. Service
Four Seasons almost always wins on service over any other hotel brand in the world. They care and have the staff to deal with any problems. Four Seasons are almost always the best in this aspect.
10. Price
Four Seasons are always more expensive than Marriott hotels in similar locations. Bvlgari, Luxury Collection, St. Regis, Ritz-Carlton, and JW Marriott can be similarly expensive to Four Seasons, but St. Regis, JW Marriott, and Marriott hotels are usually cheaper. We have detailed the cheapest Four Seasons in the world in case you are looking for a bargain.
11. Conclusion
Both Four Seasons and the luxury Marriott brands offer magnificent hotels, and the merit of the hotel is very dependent on a specific property and varies hugely. Four Seasons has the edge as a general rule, but please do your research regarding where you specifically want to travel to, as Ritz-Carlton may offer a brilliant and sometimes a better overall package.
Bvlgari hotels tend to be gorgeous but more compact. Luxury Collection hotels can be as good as Four Seasons but can be worse; this is very property-specific. JW Marriott and St. Regis don’t usually match up to Four Seasons hotels in any way but can be more convenient location-wise and are usually cheaper.
Generic Marriott hotels aren’t as good as Four Seasons hotels in any way, but they are way cheaper, which may be a good reason to choose them. After all, nothing is stopping you from staying at a Marriott and drinking, dining, and spa-ing at the Four Seasons hotel up the street.
Copyright Luxury Travel Diary 2014 - 2024. Duplication outside of luxurytraveldiary.com is forbidden.
Note: Benefits & upgrades subject to availability. Benefits offered correct at the time of writing. Terms & conditions apply. Enquire for more information. Posts may be sponsored by the proprietor or brand being appraised. All opinions remain our own & are in no way influenced.
