Revisited Review: Four Seasons Westlake Village

Background and History:

For a holiday getaway with family, we decided on a one night stay at the Four Seasons Westlake Village. I previously stayed at the property in July of 2021 and really enjoyed it.

The Four Seasons Westlake Village opened in 2006 and it features a total of 269 rooms. The chairman of the Dole Corporation is actually the owner of the property, and the company’s former headquarters is across the street. The property also hosts the California Health & Longevity Institute, a center for health and wellness retreats on site. And as of 2021, this property is only one of 17 in California to earn the AAA 5 Diamond Award.

Location and Booking:

The city of Westlake Village is in between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. It’s located about 40 miles northwest of Downtown Los Angeles, and about 10 miles from Calabasas, where many celebrities live. Additionally, the property is 12 miles from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library where they have a Boeing 707 Air Force One on display.

Other areas of interest around the Four Seasons Westlake Village include Malibu (16 miles). You will most likely need a car if you stay here. On my last stay at the property back in the summer, I had a hard time finding an Uber from a winery in the Malibu Hills. The hotel does help with reserving cabs, and a 10 mile ride to the Malibu Hills area for wineries was $45 versus (if you could find one) an Uber was about $17.

For something close to the hotel, The Shoppes at Westlake Village is a little less than a mile down the road. It features a Target and In-N-Out, and my favorite is the Tifa Chocolate and Gelato for some ice cream, which has a few locations in the greater LA area.

In regards to parking, 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).

Prices for the property currently start at $500 per night, depending on the dates.

Fora Travel Benefits:

I started working with a travel agency, Fora Travel, and can assist in booking hotel stays. As a travel agent we are partnered with Virtuoso and Four Seasons Preferred Partners to name a few. With this, you can get special perks when booking with us. This specific property features:

• Daily full breakfast for two people per room, served at the restaurant or in-room dining.
• Hotel/Resort Credit: 100 USD per stay for guest rooms, 200 USD per stay for suites and private retreats.
• Upgrade of one category, based on availability at time of check-in.

If you are interested in getting these perks and want to stay at the Four Seasons Westlake Village, feel free to email me at takeofftotravel@gmail.com.

Check-In:

Upon entering the hotel, the holiday decorations were on full display. Was a cute little Winter Wonderland. Reception is on your left once you enter, and I was checked in quickly by a very friendly associate who even offered to take pictures of me and my family with the holiday decorations.

The Room:

Our room assigned on was on the 3rd floor and we were booked into the standard room category, the Deluxe Room. We had a peek a boo view of the gazebo, and some nice greenery which was great. My last stay, we were also on the 3rd floor but overlooked a building and AC unit. So, I very much prefer this view!

Upon entering the room, there’s a small side table and closet. I really like the wooden hangers that the Four Seasons properties provide as they are sturdy and feel more luxurious. The room also has the modern electronic do not disturb/call housekeeping buttons.

There is a hot water maker provided, as well as a Nespresso Machine. Capsules and tea bags were given as well. The difference from this stay compared to my previous stay is that there is a fully stocked mini-bar now. Before, there was a fridge for personal use, but that is no longer the case.

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There were sanitizing wipes at each nightstand and remote. Stationary was provided which I appreciated as they didn’t have any last time. We had reserved for three guests, and the rollaway was already set up for us which I appreciated a lot. Even with the rollaway, the 450 square feet room felt quite roomy. The beds were one of the highlights of the room, with both the King sized bed and the rollaway being very comfortable and of high quality, along with the pillows.

The room also featured a dining table with two chairs, and a nice blue chaise lounge that was very comfortable. The furnishings in the rooms were very elegant and luxurious and the decor is one of my favorites in a hotel room. For practicality purposes, the room contained plenty of charging ports/USB around the room.

The television had the functionality to connect your phone/laptop so you could stream all your apps and subscriptions like Hulu and Netflix but it was quite quirky and only Hulu worked for me. A Bluetooth Bose speaker was provided, which was great to connect to your device and listen to music in the room.

The only issue I ran into with regards to the bedroom was that one of the pillows was stained. But other than that, no issues!

Bathroom:

The bathroom was spacious, fitted with white marble and a separate shower, tub and WC. There was a single sink with large counter space. It was so large that I really think they could have put in double sinks if they wanted to. There’s also a TV in the bathroom as well.

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On this trip, I did feel that the sink countertop granite looked more outdated and of lower quality than the furnishings in the bedroom. I would say the bathroom could use a nice revamp if I had to nitpick.

Toiletries were provided by Natura Bissé with an orange and tangerine scent, which has grown on me. The shower was a good size, but the shower pressure was a bit low. The wand option was available, and thankfully when I switched to the wand mode, the water pressure was much better.

Service:

Service was solid, similar to my previous stay. Four Seasons has a good chat messaging system, where you can request anything via your phone on their app. On the app I requested a 1pm late checkout as we were running a bit behind with brunch, and they granted my request really quickly. Service at the restaurant Coin and Candor was great as well!

Dining:

Dining options include Stir which is a cute coffee Starbucks-esque spot which is open from 6am-5pm daily. Additionally, the main restaurant Coin and Candor, a California Brasserie, is open daily from 6:30am-10pm. The Japanese restaurant Onyx is open Fridays and Saturdays 5:30pm-9:30pm. Room service is also available 24 hours.

Onyx:

We tried Onyx for our Saturday night Christmas dinner, and overall enjoyed the meal. I would say my favorite dish was the Sea Bass, and I very much enjoyed my lychee cocktail. It’s quite a small restaurant.

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Coin and Candor:

After a great breakfast at Coin and Candor on my last stay, I had to try it again for breakfast. We opted for outdoor seating overlooking the waterfall and greenery, and it was a nice crisp sunny California morning. I think their outdoor seating is amazing, among one of my favorites.

I think the breakfast set is the best option as you get coffee or tea, orange or grapefruit juice, the 33-layer croissant, fresh fruit, the house-made granola parfait and a choice of entree: the C and C Breakfast with eggs, bacon, potatoes and toast or the Huevos Rancheros.

I got the a la carte version of the C and C Breakfast, and I loved their potatoes. And, my favorite part of the meal was the Matcha Super Green Tea. For all you matcha lovers out there, trust me and order the Matcha Super Green Tea from Rishi! They also use very high tech insulated cups from the company Ember, which helps the tea to stay warm. Amazing!

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Dessert for breakfast? Why not. I tried the 10-layer chocolate cake and it was pretty good. A bit rich for my liking, but it would be perfect to share with someone. It worked nicely with my Matcha Super Green Tea.

Overall, Coin and Candor is one of my favorite hotel restaurants with the great outdoor seating, fair prices and solid food.

The Spa and Adult Outdoor Pool is also open. The Spa is open from 8am to 7pm and the adult outdoor pool is open from 8am to dusk. You access the pool by entering the full-service Spa, and there is also poolside service. As it was colder during December, I didn’t opt to use the outdoor pool this trip, but enjoyed it on my summer visit.

Just outside of the spa and pool area, there are large gardens and a very nice Pagoda to walk around for a morning stroll. You can also enter this garden area with a room key through an outside gate near the spa entrance.

Additionally, the living room on the lobby level is a nice place to get some work done and even has a meditation room.

The Verdict:

My second visit to the Four Seasons Westlake Village did not disappoint! From the well-appointed rooms, to the excellent breakfast at Coin and Candor, my stay was a perfect holiday retreat.

 

Have you stayed at the Four Seasons Westlake Village before? What were your thoughts? Comment below!

Safe travels,

Ty