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The Family Trips You’ll Be Talking About for Years

Posted on January 17, 2018June 3, 2025 by Shannon Magann

When you’re travelling with your brood, you’ll need to know about top-notch activities those of all ages can enjoy. These five Four Seasons properties go above and beyond to make young guests and their parents feel like VIPs, whether exploring under-the-radar theme parks in Orlando, Florida, or taking a secret tour of the Crown Jewels in London.

Watch fireworks in Orlando, Florida

It’s no surprise that Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort, located in one of the earth’s top destinations for families, is chock-a-block with child-friendly activities. Guests will find a 5-acre waterpark with a lazy river (complete with two curving water slides); sand volleyball and a rock-climbing wall; and Disney character breakfasts, to name a few. Parents can opt to send their little ones to the supervised Kids For All Seasons program so as to spend a few hours at the adults-only pool, and then pick them up for the nightly fireworks – best seen from the rooftop of Capa restaurant (or Park View guest rooms).

And there’s plenty more to see in town. “I-Drive 360, where the new Orlando Eye is located, has great family activities, including Madame Tussauds wax museum and the Sea Life Aquarium,” says concierge team member Alex Lum. “Just a few minutes away from our Resort, guests can experience the magic of the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World. The Disney theme parks each feature special new activations and entertainment for the celebration. Plus, the complimentary shuttle from our Resort makes it an easy trip.”

Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort

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Go behind the scenes in London

Home of both Mary Poppins and Harry Potter, London is a children’s favourite by association. Parents choose Four Seasons Hotel London at Tower Bridge for its over-the-top children’s amenities – such as miniature dressing gowns, slippers and teddy bears in the rooms – not to mention a perk that’s all too rare in England: a 14-metre pool open to all ages, with adult supervision.

Once you’ve been to “The Making of Harry Potter” to see the sets created for the wildly popular films, Assistant Head Concierge William Sloan recommends that you ask him to arrange a secret tour of a more historic British attraction: The Tower of London. For centuries, only the British monarchy and their close affiliates have had access to the Crown Jewels there: 23,578 gemstones on site, unless they’re in use. “You’ll see places that haven’t been available to the public before,” Sloan says, “and we can even arrange for a Yeoman Warder to meet guests and show traitors to the gate.”

Another fun option, especially for young scallywags: the National Maritime Museum. “Just a two-minute walk from the Hotel to Tower Pier, guests can hop on one of the Thames River Boats and head to explore life on the sea,” Sloan says. Don’t miss the Cutty Sark, where you can “steer” the 1869 ship’s wheel and even climb into a bunk that will make you especially glad you’re staying at Four Seasons.

Four Seasons Hotel London at Tower Bridge

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Learn guitar in Austin, Texas

At Four Seasons Hotel Austin, guests of any age can play giant Jenga on the leafy grounds, kayak and stand-up paddleboard at the adjacent Lady Bird Lake, and – every Friday and Saturday night – make s’mores in the glow of lanterns hung from oak trees at the Hotel’s two firepits. But the highlight for music lovers is the Taylor Guitars Concierge program: You can borrow either a Baby Taylor or a 214 DLX guitar for four-hour jam sessions, or book a lesson with a pro.

“If they’re brand new to guitar, most guests who take a lesson begin with a few basic chords,” says Concierge Cabe Thornton, a staffer at Four Seasons Hotel Austin since 2012. “After some practice, they’ll move on to easy pop tunes that most people know, like ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ or ‘Bad Moon Rising.’ You can leave having memorized at least a few chords – enough to impress friends back home.” Stay tuned for another amenity at this property: an Airstream playhouse, coming later in 2018.

Four Seasons Hotel Austin

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Playing outside at Four Seasons Mauritius

Take a bike safari in Mauritius

If at first Mauritius, an island off the coast of Madagascar, seems a bit far to take the kids, consider the perks at the 64-acre Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita. Beyond the tropical climate, the resort boasts features families won’t believe. In the thatched-roof Hobbit Village, children can bake pizza in a miniature kitchen; the whole family can take a quad bike safari through nearby Casela Nature Parks, where you’ll spot zebras, wild boar and ostriches; and teens can learn to spin records with resident DJ Ashley Gai in Karokan, the young adult centre.

But one of the most beloved activities has to be catching (and releasing) fiddler crabs, ghost crabs and mud crabs at sunset on the Resort’s beach. “Growing up in Mauritius, crab hunting is something you’d often see families doing over the weekend,” says Kids Club staffer Sophie Beaublanc. “The kids love searching for them in the evening; it’s a great activity for parents to join in with.”

Four Seasons Private Residences Mauritius at Anahita

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Zip-line in Whistler, British Columbia

With Alaskan malamute Maola on staff for welcome cuddles, and Ski Concierges waiting with hot cocoa and house-made chocolate chip cookies, what else could wee guests of Four Seasons Resort and Residences Whistler ask for? A lot, apparently – and their wishes would be granted. Families adore the on-site mini golf (not to mention lessons at Nicklaus North and Whistler golf club), the giant Connect Four set and nearby zip-lining courses. “The more kid-friendly option is offered by The Adventure Group and features a seat-like harness on a mountain-to-mountain ride,” says Kate Colley, a representative of the Resort. “Guests can even ride them side by side, two at a time.” Double the fun.

Four Seasons Resort and Residences Whistler

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YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS HERE

Where will you and yours go next?

Tech Amenities You Have to See to Believe

Posted on December 20, 2017December 22, 2017 by Leigh Crandall

Strolling the grounds of Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita is an eye-popping experience – 53 gardeners work on the 64-acre lagoon-side Resort, perfecting the lush grounds. But it’s also an educational one, thanks to the resort’s new garden tour—guests can use their phones to scan Quick Response (QR) codes along the walkways to identify local plants, like the Pandanus utilis (with spiny leaves and aerial roots) and the green leaves of the rare Cassine orientalis. The QR codes also detail “Fast Facts” on each plant, including growing advice for green thumbs. “Look for Traveller’s Palm, which has a fan-like shape that inspired the international airport here, and the tamarind tree, which is found near the tennis courts and has a sweet fruit that’s part of the welcome amenity for guests,” says Debbie Duval, Director of Public Relations and Communications for the Resort. “All guests are able to enjoy use of complimentary bicycles throughout their stay, so this is the perfect way to learn more about nature while cycling around.”

Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita

Calling all oenophiles: Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley at East Palo Alto has added Plum wine dispensers – which chill, preserve and perfectly serve full bottles of wine – to suites and select guest rooms. “One of the great things about Plum is that it allows us greater flexibility to feature hand-selected wines based on our guest preferences,” says Director of Food and Beverage Richard Lanaud. “The wines can also be easily changed out, so for instance if we know a guest prefers a specific type of wine, or if they are bringing a special vintage from their own collection, we can very easily place those wines in the machine, which then individually chills and preserves them at their perfect serving temperature.” The machines hold two bottles at a time – typically a white and a red – and they’re identified by a built-in database of more than 6,000 wines; it automatically shares the backstory of the wine’s varietal and vintage, and alerts management if one needs to be replenished. One of the first wines featured in the dispensers was Blend 122, a unique red wine blend created by Byington Vineyard & Winery exclusively for the Hotel.

Four Seasons Hotel Silicon Valley at East Palo Alto

In November, Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort launched a new Style Chat service connecting guests to a stylist via text. The stylist hand-selects items from the Resort’s boutique, which carries brands like Tory Burch, Missoni and Jimmy Choo, that are then delivered directly to the guest’s room. “Many of our visitors are hurrying from park to park, or trying to squeeze in a few extra minutes in the Resort’s lazy river,” says Teresa Hughes, Retail Manager. “Letting us deliver curated fashion straight to your room allows you more time to enjoy your vacation.” It can also solve last-minute sartorial problems. “We recently had a guest whose husband wanted to take her to Capa, our rooftop restaurant, for dinner, but her luggage was lost by the airline,” Hughes says. “We connected with her via Style Chat, then sent a ‘Night Out’ look to her room. She stopped into the boutique to say ‘thank you’ and that she was so pleased she didn’t have to spend time away from her kids shopping.”

Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort

In December, Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills unveiled five guest rooms and two suites tailor-made for a healthful stay, including amenities curated by Delos like circadian mood lighting, meditations by Deepak Chopra, and an in-room dining menu created by the Hotel’s Executive Chef Byron Thomas and approved by the Cleveland Clinic (including antioxidant-rich salads, seared salmon and avocado and pistachio dumplings). “The air is purified in the rooms four times per hour, which reduces pollen, mould spores, and other pollutants,” says Billy Cueto, Director of Rooms at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills. “And each comes with in-room yoga mats by Alo, a body ball and hand weights; suites even have Peloton bikes.”

Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills

If applying sunscreen to your entire body in 10 seconds without lifting a finger sounds too fantastic to be true, check into Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas. In July, the property installed a SnappyScreen, which was invented by Cornell University alum Kristen McCllelan to apply your choice of PABA- and paraben-free sunscreen in SPF 15, 30 or 40 to your entire body. (Guests have easy access to disposable hair caps and eye protection.) “SnappyScreen was a huge hit with our guests – it was amazing to see so many people Snapchat and Boomerang videos of themselves using the device all summer long,” says Graham Williamson, Director of Food and Beverage at the Resort. “Even golfers have found the SnappyScreen, and sneak onto the pool deck before they hit the first tee to apply their sunscreen.”

Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas

Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon recently introduced the Art Collection by Ritz Lisbon app for iPhone and iPad — a behind-the-scenes tour of the property that even allows users to rate the museum-quality pieces by Portuguese artists like Carlos Botelho, Estrela Faria and Lagoa Henriques. “Don’t miss the three tapestries by José de Almada Negreiros in the lobby-level lounge named for him, the Almada Negreiros Lounge,” says Catarina Mendonça Social Media & Marketing Coordinator for the property. “They’re hand-made and based on the Centauro constellation; note how different coloured dots simulate earth and sky.”

Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon

Your Journey Begins Here

Explore

A Colourful Course

Posted on December 5, 2017July 19, 2019 by Shannon Magann

Shep and Ian Murray were miserable. Their New York City office jobs were a far cry from the lives they had envisioned during a childhood spent accompanying their journalist parents to destinations in Africa, Italy and Anguilla. So it was only fitting that on a trip back to that same island paradise, they developed an escape plan. “We were talking to a friend of ours, telling him about an idea we had to sell neckties,” Shep says. “He said, ‘What’s stopping you?’ ” The brothers accepted the challenge, and
vineyard vines was born.

As we visit different destinations, we try to put them into our clothes.

Nearly 20 years later, Shep and Ian’s passion project has become a household name, synonymous with apparel that’s equal parts polished and whimsical. “We started making ties first because we couldn’t find ones that were colourful, fun and well-made,” Ian says. The inspiration? Their many travels – past and present.

Having discovered Anguilla as boys, the brothers pay homage to their beloved vacation spot – and site of the brand’s inception – with the tongue-in-cheek Rum Runner Tie, featuring a runaway rum barrel.

Photo courtesy Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

“I caught my first sailfish in Costa Rica, and it ignited my love of fishing,” Ian says. “It inspired me to take Shep fishing in the Florida Keys for his bachelor party. Since then, boating and fishing have been a huge part of our lives and our brand.”

Photo courtesy iStock

“Everyone and everything in Austin – from the live music to the barbecue – embodies the ‘Every day should feel this good’ motto,” Shep says. “It’s hard not to have a good time when you’re there.”

Photo courtesy Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

A beloved sweatshirt from a childhood ski trip to Switzerland 30 years ago became the prototype for one of the brand’s bestselling items: The Shep Shirt.

Photo courtesy iStock

On where their travels will take them next: “Our family visited Italy together when we were kids, but we never made it to Florence,” Shep says. “Our parents loved it there, so we’re looking forward to seeing what it’s all about.”

Photo courtesy iStock

“As we visit different destinations, we try to put them into our clothes,” Shep says. “It’s an emotional thing. Every season, we take our customers somewhere new and introduce them to the landscape and people.”

As the place where it all began, the small Caribbean island of Anguilla remains near to their hearts. “The pace is slower, the beach days are a little longer, and the vibe is a little more barefoot and casual,” Ian says. “There’s an authenticity about it that we love.” The brothers aim to infuse each of their products with that same feeling, in particular using playful patterns with images of martinis, golf clubs and Windsurfers.

“‘Every day should feel this good’ is our way of life,” Shep says. “It’s a reminder not to take life too seriously, and it means different things to different people.”

Ian (left) and Shep Murray, the founders of vineyard vines

Photo courtesy vineyard vines

Created in partnership with vineyard vines

Your Journey Begins Here

Inspiration awaits. Time to start exploring.

Explore

Storied Past: Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire

Posted on December 5, 2017March 16, 2018 by Sarah Horne Grose

A short drive from London, Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire is a country getaway redolent of England’s romantic heritage and rich with a history that includes chapters as a private manor house, a seminary and a boarding school, as well as being host to one of England’s most beloved writers. We spoke to Margaux Pfeiffer, the Hotel’s Concierge Manager, to uncover fascinating tales of the property’s past and find out what to expect from a visit today.

Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire

7 Reasons You Must Go Truffle Hunting
in Tuscany

Posted on December 4, 2017June 3, 2025 by Laura Begley Bloom

Food writer M.F.K. Fisher once wrote that truffles “may or may not be as good as they are rare and dear.”

I take issue with that statement. When I used to cover the fashion shows in Milan as part of my job, it was amazing to see the high style on the runways. But I admit it: What I found most exciting about being in Italy during the fall was being there for white truffle season. The pleasure of eating this rare delicacy so close to the source went far beyond my enjoyment of any truffle I’d ever tasted in the United States.

Yet I dreamed of more, of going to the Italian countryside to hunt for truffles and try one plucked right from the earth. During a trip on the Four Seasons Private Jet, I got to do just that.

Here are seven reasons why you need to add this experience to your bucket list. Or any itinerary.

Photo courtesy Savini Tartufi

1. IT WILL SURPRISE YOU

About an hour’s drive outside of Florence, Savini Tartufi is hidden away in the tiny village of Forcoli. Driving up to the headquarters, set in a nondescript building in an equally nondescript industrial area, my heart sank. This was not what I had envisioned. But inside, it was another story. The walls of this fourth-generation family company were lined with all kinds of divine truffle products, and a vintage scooter was propped in one corner. Luca Campinotti was weighing and packaging beautiful specimens, still covered with fresh earth, to deliver to some of Italy’s top restaurants and beyond.

The site of the truffle hunting in Tuscany

Photo courtesy Laura Begley Bloom

2. IT’S THE HOME OF THE WORLD’S BEST TRUFFLES

There are dozens of varieties of truffles in the world, but Italy’s white truffle is one of the most elusive, most delicious and most expensive. It’s found only from September to December and in just the right conditions, growing on the roots of trees under layers of damp leaves and dirt. I was surprised that the Savini team didn’t blindfold us as they led us to a secret forest that must be worth millions, thanks to the treasures it conceals.

Photo courtesy Savini Tartufi

3. IT’S ALSO THE HOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE TRUFFLE

In 2007, two of the family’s hunters – Luciano and Cristiano Savini – unearthed a 1.28-kilogram (2-pound, 13-ounce) truffle that sold at auction for a whopping USD 330,000. That price is recognized by Guinness World Records as the most money ever paid at auction for a white truffle. You can check out a replica of the truffle at the headquarters. Fun fact: The dog that found the original was 14 years old.

Photo courtesy of Savini Tartufi

4. THE TRUFFLE-HUNTING DOGS ARE CUTE – AND TALENTED

In the past, hunters used to rely on pigs to sniff out these prized discoveries. Problem was, the pigs loved to eat them. These days, well-trained dogs who don’t care for the taste are used for foraging. We got to meet Giotto, a Lagotto Romagnolo who has become mildly famous thanks to his myriad media appearances. On this excursion, though, Luca had invited Giotto’s buddy Birba, a little beagle mix, to lead our small group. Birba was charming and friendly until we hit the woods; then her hunting instincts kicked in as she scratched at the undergrowth. Her reward for finding a truffle? A measly biscuit.

A truffle hunting dog searches for truffles

Photo courtesy of Savini Tartufi

5. THE THRILL OF THE HUNT

The private chef on the Four Seasons jet took a picture of a truffle at headquarters in case we didn’t find any to share on social media, but fortunately we didn’t need it. Our dream team — Birba and Luca — delivered. Within an hour, they had discovered three perfect, delicious white truffles. We even got to sample a sliver of one, seconds after it came out of the ground. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone smile as broadly as our chef did as he cradled that truffle in his hands for a photo to share on Instagram. The experience was foodie nirvana.

Photo courtesy of Savini Tartufi

6. YOU CAN EXPERIENCE THE ITALIAN COUNTRYSIDE IN A WHOLE NEW WAY

Besides the hunt, there was something magical about wandering through the quiet forest, with Birba prancing through the brush and Luca softly offering her praise and encouragement in Italian. Light streamed through the leaves of the trees. Birds chirped overhead. It was like something out of Alice in Wonderland, except we had a treat coming at the end of the tunnel that would be much better than any tea party.

Photo courtesy of Savini Tartufi

7. NOTHING WILL EVER COMPARE TO THE TASTE OF THESE TRUFFLES

After our journey through the forest, we went back to the Savini headquarters, where Luca and his team whipped up a multi-course meal, with truffles generously heaped over everything from tagliolini pasta to fried eggs, served with local Tuscan wines. I’ve never tasted anything as heavenly as the truffles that we had helped collect just moments before the meal. It was definitely worth the journey.

Four Seasons Hotel Firenze

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YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS HERE

Ready for your next great adventure?

Destinations: Europe

The Family Trips You’ll Be Talking About for Years

Watch fireworks in Orlando, Florida

Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort

Go behind the scenes in London

Four Seasons Hotel London at Tower Bridge