Review: Four Seasons Westlake Village, Los Angeles Area

Background:

One of my best friends just had a birthday and so a group of 3 of us planned a staycation in the Southern California area. I recently found out from a coworker that we have corporate rates including leisure travel at some Four Seasons properties. Earlier this month, I completed a stay at the Four Seasons Los Angeles Beverly Hills, so I was excited to try another property and compare the two.

The Four Seasons Westlake Village opened in 2006 and it features a total of 269 rooms. An interesting fact to this property is that the California Health & Longevity Institute, a center for health and wellness retreats, is connected to the property. And, as of 2021, this property is only one of 17 in California to earn the AAA 5 Diamond Award.

Quick Takeoff Points:

Date of Stay: July 2021
Room Type Reserved: Superior Room
Pros: Well-appointed rooms, manicured grounds and ample amenities make the property a nice weekend retreat.
Cons: The location requires a car, and there’s not much to do in the immediate area.

Arrival + Location:

Where is this Four Seasons located you might be wondering? Well, Westlake Village is somewhat in between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. It’s about 40 miles northwest of Downtown Los Angeles, and about 10 miles from Calabasas, where a lot of the LA celebrities live. It’s also 12 miles from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library where they have a Boeing 707 Air Force One on display.

Areas of interest around the area include Malibu (16 miles), or if you’re visiting the suburban cities of Thousand Oaks/Westlake Village. You will definitely need a car if you stay here. My friends and I took an Uber to a nearby winery in the Malibu Hills and had a hard time finding a ride back. You can also have the hotel call you a cab, and when we asked the hotel, a 10 mile ride to the Malibu Hills area for wineries was $45 versus (if you could find one) an Uber was about $17. The Shoppes at Westlake Village is a little less than a mile down the road and in addition to a Target and In-N-Out, we enjoyed gelato at Tifa Chocolate and Gelato which has a few locations in the greater LA area.

The hotel is located right of the 101 Freeway, and they share an entrance with the Conrad Hilton Foundation which is a nonprofit created by the founder of Hilton Hotels. There’s a parking structure right next to the hotel, with ample spaces for parking if you would like self-parking ($25). Self-parking was included in my rate, so I opted for that. You can also opt for valet parking if you so choose ($35).

Check-In:

Reception is located to the left once you enter, and I was quickly checked in. The indoor mask mandate arrived back in Los Angeles County the day I checked in with the rising cases, and the hotel was all ready for it. I actually preferred the indoor mask requirement, and pretty much saw all staff and guests adhering. We checked in on a Sunday, and it wasn’t at full occupancy but there were still a good number of guests. The check-in process had the best protection measures out of the last 3 hotels I’ve stayed at, as when it came time to sign for the room, I was handed a fresh pen right out of the plastic.

During our stay, we never encountered anyone in the elevator which was nice. There’s a main set of 3 that is right next to the reception area, and another elevator that is closer to the spa and takes you directly down to the fitness center and indoor pool.

The Room:

The room we were assigned was a Superior Room on the third floor, which is the entry-level room at the property.

If you would like to see my YouTube video of the room, check it out below.

Upon entering the room, there’s a small side table, closet and the large bathroom. The room is equipped with the modern electronic do not disturb/call housekeeping buttons and doorbell. The closet included nice wooden hangers and an iron board.

We had reserved for three guests, and the rollaway was already set up for us which I appreciated a lot. At around 450 square feet the room felt quite roomy, and there was still space to roam around even with the rollaway.

There was an Nespresso Machine provided, as well as a hot water maker. Teabags and capsules were provided as well. There is also a empty mini-fridge for personal use.

We visited the Serenity Pool which is only accessible for those guests 18 years and older. The pool is open from 8am to 7pm. You access the pool by entering the full-service Spa, and there is also poolside service. We tried some cocktails ($16) and chips + guac ($9) and it was pretty tasty. Poolside service starts at 9am for drinks and 11am for food, and both end at 5pm.

In the Serenity pool area, there are cabanas for rent, and also larger private poolside spaces for rent as well.

And just outside of the spa and pool area, there are large gardens and a nice Pagoda. Chairs are also spread out around this area for relaxing around.

There’s also an Indoor Family Pool for families connected to the large fitness center. The fitness center has plenty of space and different machines for your liking, as well as a spin and yoga studio. These facilities are open from 6am to 10pm.

Additionally, on the same level as the fitness center is the kids/teen club, and also two pool tables. My friends and I enjoyed a couple games of pool during our stay.

Additionally, the living room on the lobby level is quite interesting and has a meditation room as well as a nice place to lounge and perhaps catch up on some work.

The hotel has quite a bit of conference space and it’s nice to walk through.

Outside there’s a large waterfall, and some green areas to sit and relax in.

Dining options include Stir which is a cute coffee Starbucks-esque spot. Additionally, the main restaurant Coin and Candor, a California Brasserie, is open. The bar, Prosperous Penny, and the Japanese restaurant Onyx were temporarily closed during my stay. Room service is also available 24 hours.

We dined at Coin and Candor for breakfast and I thought it was a really good hotel restaurant. We opted for outdoor seating overlooking the waterfall and greenery, and the restaurant was beautiful.

I opted for the Breakfast Set ($31) and it came with coffee or tea, juice, 33 layer croissant, fresh fruit, granola parfait and the “C & C Breakfast” which consisted of 2 eggs any style with bacon and potatoes. It was a pretty solid breakfast set, and while I didn’t feel like I tasted all 33 layers of the croissant, the croissant was tasty. The avocado toast ($17) was nothing particularly special, but got the job done.

I did really enjoy the Matcha Super Green Tea from Rishi; probably my new favorite tea as it is so rich in matcha. Very happy with my breakfast experience, and my friends enjoyed it as well. I honestly might come back to the property just to enjoy a breakfast for the nice ambiance and solid food.

The Verdict:

Overall, the Four Seasons Westlake Village is a beautiful place to stay and only a short getaway from the Los Angeles area. I would not hesitate to plan another staycation here in the future.