Which is best, Four Seasons vs. Waldorf Astoria? While the choice between these two hotel brands varies between individual hotels, Four Seasons hotels generally have the edge, and we outline the reasons for this below.
Waldorf Astoria hotels usually have a generic look and feel that fits their luxury Hilton brand. This is unlike the luxury Four Seasons brand, whose hotels often have unique decor and service. Each Four Seasons hotel is entirely unlike any other Four Seasons hotel in the world and offers exceptional service in unrepeated settings.
That said, Waldorf Astoria has exceptional properties, so let’s break the comparison down into the different hotel parts to compare the two brands.
Book your next Four Seasons, or Waldorf Astoria stay with our luxury travel concierge, and you will get all our free VIP benefits, including free breakfast, prioritized room upgrade, hotel credit, and more.
1. Style
Each Four Seasons hotel has a unique style, reflecting its destination. For example, Grand Hotel Du Cap Ferrat by Four Seasons is a historic property, so it takes its style accents from its classic and historic french architecture.
Check-in takes place on one of the luxurious white sofas in the grand foyer, offering a serene vista of the Mediterranean beyond a gentle canopy of trees. After check-in, a hotel tour reveals a treasure trove of vintage wine in the wine cellar, the path to the beach club, and the intriguing tunnels to the spa, adorned with photographs of esteemed past visitors like Roger Moore and Liza Minelli. Winston Churchill, who regularly visited this hotel and was known for his fondness for champagne, also signed a photo for this wall.
Accommodations are available either in the main historic building, providing picturesque sea views or inland views of the pine woods, or in a newer building reminiscent of the Thunderbirds house. The latter offers contemporary rooms with spacious balconies, though they lack the historical charm of the main building.
Another example of a Four Seasons hotel that embraces traditional architecture and mixes this with classic modern furnishings is The Ocean Club, A Four Seasons Resort, Bahamas. Others, such as the best Four Seasons resorts in Hawaii offer a more modern feel.
Four Seasons Milan pictured above, is another brilliant example of a unique Four Seasons hotel. Located on a quaint side street in the bustling heart of Milan, this property occupies a former 15th-century convent. Within its historic walls lie unexpected gems, including a flower-filled courtyard and a unique and inviting pool nestled in the converted cellar of the convent. Accessible via steps and flanked by sturdy pillars, the pool offers a warm sanctuary where guests can swim beneath the majestic 19th-century vaulted ceilings.
The Four Seasons in Florence and the soon-to-open Four Seasons Venice are also dripping in history.
In Maui, we have already compared the Four Seasons vs Waldorf Astoria on Maui. The Four Seasons property is as pretty as a wedding cake, with layers of creamy open-air terraces taking in the vistas and a gushing fountain as the centerpiece. The pools are sophisticated, and the flower arrangements are opulent.
In contrast, the Grand Wailea, a Waldorf Astoria hotel, has one of the best pool areas on Maui, but its communal areas are not recently refurbished and are not as appealing when compared to the luxury offered by the Four Seasons. The Waldorf has more of a high-rise feel, and there is no comparison between the styles of these two resorts. The Four Seasons wins hands down, although the Waldorf has the better pool for children and teens.
Another location that hosts two Four Seasons and a Waldorf Astoria is in New York. Here, both Four Seasons hotels are beautifully designed, and we have compared Four Seasons New York vs. Downtown separately.
The Downtown Four Seasons only recently opened and offers gorgeous modern decor and restaurants with incredible dangly lights. The original Four Seasons is equally impressive and has been recently refurbished. This hotel has a more traditional look and feel but is beautifully finished.
The Waldorf-Astoria New York is definitely impressive, with a huge ballroom and a unique Clock Lobby with an Art-Deco feel. When comparing this hotel to the Four Seasons hotels in New York, the style and luxury are a notch above the Waldorf Astoria.
If you prefer modern, it has to be the Four Seasons Downtown; if you like traditional decor and a more central location, choose the original Four Seasons; if you want an impressive venue with historic detailing, the Waldorf Astoria is a great choice.
Another destination with a Four Seasons and a Waldorf-Astoria is Orlando. The Waldorf Astoria has been beautifully and recently refurbished, and the Four Seasons is also stunning. There is little to differentiate between these properties in terms of style; they are both beautiful. The Four Seasons has advantageous facilities as it is closest to Disney and offers a brilliant lazy river and long wiggly water slides, so if you’re traveling with children, pick the Four Seasons, but for style alone, both hotels are excellent.
In New Orleans, there’s a Four Seasons hotel and a Waldorf Astoria. The Four Seasons is achingly stylish and right by the mighty Mississippi, meaning the pool and many of the rooms enjoy a river vista. The Waldorf Astoria feels formal and dated by comparison, and the rooms are generic and drab.
Finally, there are two Four Seasons and a Waldorf Astoria in Dubai. The Four Seasons Jumeirah beach is right on the beach and is a stunning resort. This is our favorite hotel in Dubai. The Waldorf Astoria is also right on the beach but feels more generic and larger.
2. Location
Whether the Four Seasons of Waldorf Astoria has the better location depends on the individual hotel and will usually dictate which brand to choose.
There’s a Four Seasons and a Waldorf Astoria on Maui and both are on our preferred location on Wailea Beach, which is one of the best beaches for sunsets on Maui. This beach is perfect for families with calm waters and acres of golden sand.
As an aside, we love the boardwalk that runs from the Fairmont to the Wailea Beach Resort by Marriott in Wailea, so if you like walking, Wailea is your best destination.
In Dubai, the Waldorf Astoria is on The Palm, which can be a pain to get on and off, so the Four Seasons beach hotel (or their city hotel if you’re in Dubai for business) are both great options and probably preferable for location.
In New York, the original Four Seasons has a brilliant location. This Central Park hotel is one of the best-located hotels in the city, particularly if you like to wander through Central Park. The Four Seasons Hotel New York is located in Midtown Manhattan, one of the city’s most vibrant and central areas. It is situated on Billionaires’ Row, overlooking Central Park. It is within walking distance of some of the city’s most famous landmarks, including Times Square, Rockefeller Center, and Fifth Avenue shopping.
The hotel’s prime location provides stunning views of Central Park from many of its rooms and suites, offering a tranquil retreat amidst the bustling cityscape.
The Waldorf Astoria New York is located on Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, offering convenient access to major corporate headquarters, financial institutions, and upscale shopping destinations, but it is not as well located as the Four Seasons Hotel New York.
In New Orleans, the Four Seasons has a brilliant location. Located along the Mississippi River, providing guests with stunning views of the river and easy access to waterfront attractions. The Waldorf Astoria is less convenient.
3. Loyalty
The Waldorf Astoria is part of Hilton Honors, so you can collect and spend Hilton Honors points here. We often get asked whether Four Seasons is part of the Hilton Honors loyalty program? Spoiler alert! No, they aren’t the same brand, and you can’t collect or spend Hilton Honors points at any Four Seasons hotel because Four Seasons has no loyalty program.
It’s worth mentioning that these loyalty benefits are nowhere near as good as the benefits you get by booking your next Four Seasons or Waldorf Astoria stay with our luxury travel concierge. If you book with our concierge, you will get free breakfast, prioritized room upgrades, hotel credit, and more, as well as all your usual Hilton Honors points during your stay.
4. Grounds
Both Four Seasons and Waldorf Astoria resorts boast magnificent grounds. Deciding between them solely based on this factor would be too property-specific, as most of their resort hotels feature comparable grounds. Additionally, their city hotels typically lack grounds altogether, resulting in neither brand gaining an advantage in this regard.
5. Beach
Again, beaches are more property-specific than brand-specific. In Maui, the beach at the Grand Wailea by Waldorf Astoria is the same as the beach at the Four Seasons so this is not a differentiator. Four Seasons Lanai is located on one of the most remote, peaceful and beautiful beach in the world.
6. Rooms
Both Four Seasons and Waldorf Astoria hotels have generously sized rooms. In Maui, the Four Seasons rooms have balconies and offer lovely bright views, whereas the rooms at the Waldorf Astoria need updating.
In Orlando, the rooms at the newly refurbished Waldorf Astoria are newer than the rooms at the Four Seasons. Whether the Four Seasons or Waldorf Astoria has better rooms depends on the specific hotel.
7. Food
Both brands offer excellent and not-so-excellent restaurants. You’ll need to review the specific property to determine whether a particular property has an award-winning restaurant.
8. Family Facilities
Both brands are family-friendly, but Four Seasons hotels are renowned for taking the best care of children. They have great kid’s clubs, special amenities for the kids, special menus with really nice food, and rooms designed to house children, too.
The Waldorf Astoria wins hands down in Maui because of its amazing pool. This tropical adventure pool has waterfalls, slides of varying levels of excitement and length and is designed like an island paradise. But overall, Four Seasons hotels tend to be better for families.
9. Club Lounge
Four Seasons club lounges tend to be the best club lounges in the world but only a few Four Seasons have club lounges. Waldorf Astoria hotels also have excellent club lounges; there are more Waldorf hotels with club lounges than Four Seasons hotels with club lounges. In Dubai, for example, the Four Seasons hotels don’t have club lounges, but the Waldorf Astoria does.
10. Conclusion
Both of these hotel brands offer magnificent hotels with large rooms and a luxury setting. The best hotel choice for you depends on the specific location. However, for the best Four Seasons vs. Waldorf Astoria pool, the Grand Wailea by Waldorf Astoria wins hands down out of all the hotels in both brands.
For luxury setting, Four Seasons hotels are almost always the superior option. However, for the best Four Seasons vs. Waldorf Astoria pool, the Grand Wailea by Waldorf Astoria wins hands down out of all the hotels in both brands.
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