Destinations: North America

Explore Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts destinations in North America.

Palm Beach Confidential: Landscape Architect Fernando Wong Shares His City’s Gems

Posted on by Shivani Vora

When Fernando Wong arrived in Miami in 2000 from his native Panama, he had just $400 to his name and a dream of becoming a famous designer. Today, Wong stands among the most acclaimed landscape designers in the industry, with a client list that includes actor Matt Damon and golfer Greg Norman. The designer and his husband, Tim Johnson (CEO of Fernando Wong Outdoor Living Design), make their home in South Florida’s Palm Beach, a place Wong calls “one of the most beautiful places on the planet—with white powdery sand beaches and a culture worthy of a city 10 times the size.”

Wong is also the designer of all the outdoor spaces at three Four Seasons properties, including Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach, which he describes as “a lush oasis of calm and beauty.” We asked him about his favourite places to dine, shop, and unwind in town.

Wong in the garden he designed for a client in Palm Beach. Photograph by Carmel Brantley / Brantley Photo.

Café Flora: “It’s tucked into one of the prettiest courtyards off Worth Avenue. The bougainvillea arches overhead, and you feel like you’ve been transported to Italy. I order the spaghetti pomodoro and a glass of cold white wine—it’s simple but perfectly done.”

On the menu at Hive: fresh design and house-made pastries.

Hive Bakery & Café: “This is where I meet friends for lunch when I want something fresh but casual. Their tuna burger is my favourite, and the key lime pie is the best in town. I love that the café is surrounded by beautiful fabrics and furniture; it’s like eating inside a design studio.”

A must-visit for design buffs: Meg Braff Designs. Photograph by Carmel Brantley / Brantley Photo.

Meg Braff Designs: “Meg’s shop is pure joy—lacquered bamboo chairs in bright orange, tropical wallpapers, rattan everything. When I walk in, I immediately start reimagining a room. It’s playful but smart design.”

Maus & Hoffman: “[This] is where I go when I need a crisp linen shirt or a new blazer. There’s a sense of tradition when you step inside—polished wood shelves, staff who know your name. They’ve been dressing Palm Beach for decades, and I like being part of that continuity.”

Stubbs & Wootton’s flagship store in Palm Beach.

Stubbs & Wootton: “My first pair of Stubbs & Wootton [footwear] was French blue and white espadrilles. I wore them everywhere, from dinners at Ta-boo to cocktail parties. Now I have several pairs, and I love giving them as gifts. It’s a Palm Beach rite of passage.”

SurfSide Diner: “The definition of unfussy. The waitresses call you ‘honey,’ the pancakes are bigger than the plate, and locals read the Palm Beach Daily News at the counter every morning. It’s one of those rare places where billionaires and beachgoers sit side by side.”

The lush exterior of Sant Ambroeus.

Sant Ambroeus: “[It] gleams with marble counters and polished wood. I like to sit at the banquette with a cappuccino and watch the morning crowd drift in—socialites in tennis whites, art dealers, even the occasional celebrity.” 

Worth Avenue Historic Walking Tours: “I lived on Worth Avenue when I first moved to Palm Beach, so I have a soft spot for it. The tours show you little secrets, like the courtyards Addison Mizner designed with tiled fountains and wrought iron balconies. My favourite detail is that Mizner once kept monkeys in his tower. That mix of glamour and eccentricity sums up Palm Beach perfectly.” 

Beachfront dining at Seaway.

Seaway at Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach: “I always start with a mojito—it just feels right by the ocean. At sunset, the Atlantic glows pink, and it’s the perfect place to sit and feel the breez

Four Seasons Hotel Nashville Mimo

Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach

A luxury experience on the island’s best beach.

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World Class

Posted on by Tanvi Chheda

Near or far, family travel is a chance to connect, explore, and turn curiosity into discovery. Certain destinations can even extend school study, bringing ancient civilizations and different cultures up close. Here’s our select global guide to places where textbook lessons come to life. 

Boston 

Best for older grade-schoolers 

The Paul Revere Mall

What’s New: Ask AI-supported holographic figures about their experiences during the American Revolution as part of the Museum of African American History’s ongoing exhibit Black Voices of the Revolution, which spotlights the roles of enslaved and free Black men and women in America’s struggle for independence. 

Extra Credit: Both Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street, Boston, and Four Seasons Hotel Boston offer private walking tours of the Freedom Trail, where historic sites include the Paul Revere House, the Old North Church, and more. 

Washington, D.C. 

Best for middle school students 

Jefferson Monument

What’s New: Coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026, Washington, D.C., is poised for two major openings: the undercroft of the Lincoln Memorial, a behemoth subterranean space including a theatre presentation and interactive exhibits, and the expansive National Geographic Museum of Exploration. 

Extra Credit: Marvel at the monuments and memorials lit up at night on a private driving tour—with stops for photos—organized by Four Seasons Hotel Washington, D.C. 

Athens 

Best for middle school students 

The Temple of Poseidon

What’s New: When it opens in 2026, the National Museum of Underwater Antiquities in Piraeus, near Athens, will highlight Greece’s maritime history with more than 2,500 artifacts, including a replica of a trireme.     

Extra Credit: Let the team at Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens take you and your crew on a guided visit to the Temple of Poseidon, at Cape Sounion. It’s sure to be a big hit with Percy Jackson fans. 

 London  

Best for high school students 

The Tower of London

What’s New: The Bayeux Tapestry—a depiction of the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, including the critical Battle of Hastings—goes on view at the British Museum in the fall of 2026, on loan from France.  

Extra Credit: Explore the Tower of London on a private guided tour arranged by Four Seasons Hotel London at Tower Bridge, seeing the Crown Jewels and learning about imprisonments, executions, and a recent excavation of 14th-century burials that may be tied to the Black Death. 

Petra and Amman, Jordan 

Best for high school students 

The ancient city of Petra

What’s New: Archaeologists continue to make discoveries in the ancient city of Petra; a 2024 dig revealed a 2,000-year-old tomb with 12 skeletons, one of which was holding a ceramic cup, an example of Nabataean pottery.  

Extra Credit: Along with guided visits to Petra, Four Seasons Hotel Amman offers such unique experiences as painting at the Roman ruins of Pella. 

Kyoto, Japan 

Best for middle school students 

Higashiyama
The Higashiyama district, home to the Kiyomizu-dera Temple

What’s New: Kyoto’s famous Kiyomizu-dera and Toji temples are known for their illuminated night displays. Pair a visit to one of them with an immersive experience at the new teamLab museum Biovortex, where multisensory digital art exhibits include Forest of Resonating Lamps: One Stroke, whose illumination changes in response to human presence.  

Extra Credit: Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto offers a host of special tours, which can include visits to the feudal-era Nijō Castle and the Yasaka Pagoda or an after-hours tour of the imperial gardens at Sennyū-ji Temple. 

Mexico City 

Best for older grade-schoolers 

Hot-air balloons over the Teotihuacán pyramids

What’s New: The recently opened Museo Casa Kahlo focuses on iconic artist Frida Kahlo’s early family life, highlighting never-before-seen letters, childhood photos, and clothing, as well as a recently discovered mural. It’s a few blocks from the famed cobalt blue Museo Frida Kahlo, which showcases Kahlo’s artwork and marriage to Diego Rivera. 

Extra Credit: Have the team at Four Seasons Hotel Mexico City arrange a private hot-air balloon ride over the spectacular Teotihuacán pyramids, where a major pre-Columbian city once flourished.  

Zero Proof, Full Flavour

Posted on by Melinda Sheckells

Whether driven by wellness culture, conscious living, or sheer sober curiosity, the nonalcoholic movement is having a global moment—and top chefs and mixologists are shaking, stirring, and fermenting to meet the demand. What was once an afterthought has developed into an art form, where spirit-free cocktails rival their boozy counterparts in complexity, craft, and storytelling. 

Even celebrity tastemakers are getting involved. Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton’s Almave nonalcoholic spirits brand recently released Almave Humo, a distilled “mezcal” that delivers the depth and complexity of the real thing. 

At New York City’s Clemente Bar, located above Eleven Madison Park, nonalcoholic drinks complement such savoury, plant-based small bites as agedashi tofu paired with a fizzy concoction of yaupon tea, yuzu, and cucumber soda. 

Clemente Bar/Evan Sung
A highball-style NA cocktail coupled with an agedashi tofu hand roll at Clemente Bar. Photograph by Evan Sung.

In Wyoming, at Four Seasons Resort and Residences Jackson Hole, Jhett Brown brings mountain sophistication to the zero-proof scene. Inside the 80 Proof speakeasy and the newly opened Steadfire Chophouse, the bartender’s modern mixology creations avoid added sugar while highlighting flavour-forward local ingredients like pine and wild berries. 

Leo—one of Latin America’s most acclaimed restaurants, in Bogotá, Colombia—pairs its tasting menu with “botanical infusions” derived from the country’s ecosystems: guava fermentations, cassava starch elixirs, and floral macerations that taste like a journey through the jungle. 

Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh at Kingdom Centre recently doubled down on nonalcoholic wine. The hotel has opened both Tonic Bar, Saudi Arabia’s first nonalcoholic bar, and Café Boulud Cheese Library, which offers an enticing selection of fromage and beverages like the Italian zero-alcohol sparkler Bella. 

FS Riyadh, Zero Proof Cocktail
The Naughty Amaretti—with Amaretti-infused white sesame, tangerine, apricot, and saffron—at Tonic Bar at Four Seasons Hotel Riyadh at Kingdom Centre.   

And at Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo, México, head mixologist Arturo Barroso celebrates Mexico’s heritage and traditions through fermentation. He reimagines tepache and tejuino—time-honoured beverages made from local fruits, herbs, and corn—as elegant, alcohol-free expressions. Halting fermentation at just the right moment, Barroso preserves flavour and texture. 

In Good Taste: One-of-a-Kind Dining Experiences

Posted on by Fan Winston

“Authenticity” is a word that marketers love to bandy about—for good reason. Authenticity is shorthand for something that has real chops, that has integrity, that isn’t manufactured. And nowhere is that more important than in the fine-dining world, where success is impossible without it.  

Fortunately, at Four Seasons, authenticity isn’t just a buzzword; it’s a must. Here, we profile three destinations—in Anguilla, Maui, and Tamarindo—that are offering guests culinary experiences that are unique to the place, and personal to the chefs who create them. 

Four Seasons Resort and Residences Anguilla

Anguilla is known as the culinary capital of the Caribbean—and the dining options at Four Seasons Resort and Residences Anguilla live up to the island’s reputation. Executive Chef Emmanuel “Manu” Calderon oversees all dining at the destination, infusing each offering with the flavours and traditions of his upbringing and heritage. He grew up in the Yucatán Peninsula—“hungry all the time,” he says—watching his mother and grandmother prepare family meals. At the Resort, his love for the bold flavours of his native country is most evident at Lima-Limon, the Resort’s beachfront Mexican restaurant.  

FS Anguilla, Lima Limon
Shrimp in a fermented red pepper infusion with radish and avocado slices at Lima-Limon.

Set on a terrace overlooking Barnes Bay, Lima-Limon serves up elevated versions of crowd-pleasers like carnitas tacos, street corn, birria-style short rib, and churros. Chef Jorge Lopez De Lira currently helms the restaurant and has imbued the menu with his own take on Mexican cuisine—one that hints at the regional flavours of his hometown of Guadalajara. It’s an authentic dining experience that can only come to pass when the people behind it have spent a lifetime feeding their obsession. 

FS Anguilla, Salt
Sophisticated oceanfront dining at Salt.

Rounding out the Resort’s dining experiences is Salt, the newly renovated signature restaurant that celebrates Anguilla’s deep connection to the sea. Perched over the ocean in an elegant setting, Salt presents refined Caribbean cuisine, highlighting pristine local seafood and thoughtfully sourced ingredients. The refreshed space and menu invite guests to linger over beautifully crafted dishes that feel both elevated and rooted in place—an experience that captures the understated sophistication for which Four Seasons Anguilla is known. 

FS Anguilla, Cafe Nai
Bright and airy Café Nai.

Coffee aficionados, meanwhile, should make sure to stop by Café Nai, the on-site cafe that’s become the island’s go-to spot for a cup of artisanal java, a fresh smoothie, or grab-and-go delights like fresh pastries and creamy gelato.

Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea

Hawaii is an incredibly diverse state, with an ethnically Asian majority and 25 percent of the population speaking a language other than English at home. The dining options at Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea reflect this multicultural melting pot.

At KOMO, the Resort’s newest addition, extraordinarily fresh sushi—and time-honored Japanese culinary technique—is the main attraction. The über-chic 50-seat restaurant, designed by Atelier Pond, is led by Tokyo-born chef Kiyokuni “Kiyo” Ikeda, who honed his craft at Morimoto. From house-made dashi and custom-blended soy sauce to hand-grated wasabi and premium sake, KOMO’s commitment to authenticity is clear. 

FS Maui KOMO
Chef Kiyo at KOMO’s sushi counter.

For a truly memorable experience, make a reservation at the 14-seat sushi counter and consider ordering the “Mystery Box,” an ever-changing selection of nigiri based on multiple weekly shipments from Tokyo’s famous Toyosu Market. Even Chef Kiyo doesn’t know what will arrive until the boxes are opened, ensuring that no two visits are ever the same as he transforms each surprise delivery into an unforgettable omakase experience.

FS Maui, Ferraro's
Ferraro’s al fresco dining space.

Then there’s Wolfgang Puck’s Spago outpost, which serves up locally inspired fare alongside Spago classics, and Ferraro’s, an open-air oceanfront restaurant that churns out elevated Italian dishes (think fresh seafood and house-made pastas). In addition to serving lunch and dinner, the exceptionally situated Ferraro’s offers a special Golden Hour menu, timed to take advantage of the photo-perfect hours leading up to sunset.

Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo

Discerning travelers who want to get away from it all are making a beeline for Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo, in western Mexico’s relatively undiscovered and pristine Costalegre region. One glimpse of the 3,000-acre property, tucked within a secluded nature preserve and ringed by miles of lush jungle that culminates with the blue waters of the Pacific, and you’ll understand the allure. Foodies, in particular, won’t be disappointed. 

FS Tamarindo, Nacho
The “Travel Through Mexico Taco Tasting” experience at Nacho.

Tamarindo has three on-site restaurants, all highlighting Mexican heritage and gastronomy: Nacho, a casual taqueria; Sal, a seafood-focused terrace restaurant overlooking Majahua Beach; and Coyul, created in partnership with Elena Reygadas, who was named World’s Best Female Chef 2023 by The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Reygadas is the chef-owner of a clutch of world-renowned eateries in Mexico City, including Michelin-starred Rosetta. At Coyul, she’s helped develop a menu that’s an irresistible fusion of Italian and Mexican flavours that emphasize regional ingredients and seasonality. 

FS Tamarindo, coyul
Coyul serves both breakfast and dinner.

Sustainability is a theme that guides the resort’s culinary ethos, with some restaurants sourcing ingredients from Rancho Lola, the Resort’s on-site farm that grows indigenous crops and practices traditional farming methods. At the farm, guests can take a tour (and meet its resident chickens, goats, and pigs); plant a tree; sign up for a cooking class in the open-air kitchen; or enjoy a traditional Mexican breakfast, complete with just-harvested vegetables, fresh tortillas, artisanal Cuyutlán salt, and traditional coffee.  

FS Tamarindo, Rancho Lola
Gather fresh ingredients—eggs, carrots, and honey—at Rancho Lola, then learn how to make carrot cake from scratch.

Tamarindo also offers a host of ways to imbibe the country’s distinctive flavours, including a blind tequila tasting, a margaritas workshop, a Mexican-wine tasting, and a coffee-extraction class that introduces guests to coffee beans from across the country. 

Caviar—But Make It Casual

Posted on by Ramona Saviss

Once a delicacy of the East—first harvested by ancient Persians and later popularized by Russians—caviar has evolved into a global culinary obsession. No longer limited to blini and crème fraîche, fish roe now tops everything from amuse-bouches to desserts. “It’s become less fussy than it used to be,” says Sarah Meyer, the former Hollywood producer who founded Los Angeles–based Roe Caviar. “It’s really fun to serve it with potato chips or on a lobster roll. There are so many ways to eat it.” 

While it’s still a signifier of luxury on Michelin-starred menus, caviar now dresses up such quotidian treats as the famed grilled cheese at Caviar Kaspia in Paris and New York; tater tots at the private New York Yacht Club; chicken nuggets at the Korean-American-influenced COQODAQ in New York City; and karaage-style fried chicken at Cayao by Richard Sandoval at Four Seasons Resort and Residences Cabo San Lucas at Cabo Del Sol.  

Caviar on Nuggets, by Evan Sung
Chicken nuggets with caviar at COQODAQ. Photograph by Evan Sung.

Caviar is mixing it up with globally inspired dishes and ingredients, too. At San Francisco’s Z & Y Peking Duck, the traditional Beijing Peking duck is paired with Regiis Ova Caviar (co-founded by chef Thomas Keller and caviar expert Shaoching Bishop), a 12-year-old roe with buttery and nutty flavours, cured for anywhere from three to 12 months. Mediterranean flavours are added to the mix at Evelyn’s restaurant at Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Fort Lauderdale, where the caviar service presents Regiis Ova roe with labneh in place of crème fraîche. 

Roe Caviar with Chips
Roe Caviar served with potato chips.

Dessert menus are sweet on caviar, too. Los Angeles’s Verse restaurant puts caviar on cheesecake, while Uoichiba, also in L.A., offers a dollop of Astrea caviar atop its Monaca ice cream sandwich featuring salted yuzu sorbet and cheesecake.  

Caviar could be paired with almost anything. However, there is actually a wrong way to serve it. “The general rule is to avoid using silver; it can leave a faint metallic taste,” says Hermes Gehnen, founder of N25 Caviar. 

Veil and Velvet Caviar Bumps
Caviar bumps at Veil & Velvet.

Want to keep things old-school and classic? At Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club, Surfside, Florida, sommelier Christian Zaffarano loves pairing caviar from N25 Caviar with Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle No. 26 Champagne. “The acidity and minerality keep your palate fresh after every salty, briny bite,” he says. And at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, guests at the speakeasy-style Veil & Velvet lounge use a playful “Press for Caviar” button to summon tableside service of The Only Caviar (actor Aaron Paul’s caviar brand). The purest way to consume the delicate fish roe is with little “bumps” served straight from the tin to the back of the hand, allowing the caviar to warm slightly before it’s enjoyed.