Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island — Hotel in Abu Dhabi

I trust this message finds you amidst your duties.

I write to express my deep disappointment following a recent experience at your esteemed establishment.

As a loyal patron, I have consistently savored the exceptional hospitality and service provided by the Four Seasons. However, my most recent visit has left a lasting impression of dissatisfaction.

After a demanding day at work, I sought solace in the familiar ambiance of your premises with a customary cup of tea. Upon my arrival at the lobby, I promptly placed an order for my preferred black tea. However, prior to the arrival of my anticipated beverage, an unsettling incident unfolded.

Upon the eventual arrival of my tea, I discovered an unexpected piece of toast nestled within my belongings, inadvertently brought along. Feeling peckish, I indulged in a solitary bite to accompany my tea.

To my dismay, I was abruptly approached by an individual whom I presumed to be the manager, who chastised me for possessing outside food within the premises. I found myself utterly disconcerted and embarrassed by the undue attention directed towards a trivial piece of toast, hardly constituting a substantial meal.

Reflecting on the incident, I regret my failure to assert my rights in the moment. Furthermore, I wish to note a prior brunch experience at your establishment on December 13th, 2023, wherein I encountered gastrointestinal discomfort following the consumption of a menu item, (burrata cheese with red zaatar) despite having no known food allergies.

In summary, I believe this incident could have been handled with greater sensitivity and discretion. As a valued patron, I expect to feel welcomed and accommodated, even in situations where minor infractions occur.

I felt extremely uncomfortable, as if I were under scrutiny by a customs officer. Despite feeling collected, I refrained from causing a scene, given the discomfort already inflicted upon me. The manager's demeanor lacked warmth and hospitality, further adding to my unease. Additionally, following my tea order, another staff member approached me to take my order, with the non-smiling manager looming behind, exacerbating my discomfort from the outset.

It seemed excessive and unwelcoming to have three staff members attending to my table simultaneously, giving the impression that my presence was unwelcome.

I trust this feedback prompts reflection and remedial action concerning your service protocols and guest...

We had a premier executive suite. It was huge and beautiful. We had a foyer, full kitchen, living room, dining room, office area, 1.5 bathrooms, walk in closet with makeup vanity, and large master bath with soaking tub, wash closet and walk in shower. I love the Four Seasons. Their customer service is unparalleled to all the large hotel chains. Most of my issues with this location are to do with design and meals. First and foremost, if you pay for a suite, the mini bar contents should be free. I do not believe that anyone uses bidets anymore. They should upgrade their toilets to bidet toilets, or at least bidet toilet seats. Getting up using cold toilets at night are a shock to the system. Hand sprayers are disgusting. The lighting and electrical curtains were complicated. The buttons were hard to press because they were small and often blinds buttons did not respond. They were awkwardly placed by the bedside and not labeled. I often only wanted to open 1 window blind and not the whole room.

A major problem that made me hesitant to book this hotel was design of the building. I was right in my discomfort. The building is clad with stationary glass and metal vertical louvres. Even though the bars are small and the glass is translucent, they effectively obstruct your view of the bay and city. This was especially problematic for night views. I could not get good pics of my outside views because of this and this is why I would not choose this hotel again.

Location was also not great. It is attached to a mall, but the area is not in walking distance to major city attractions or the coast.

A minor issue was with food. Room service food was inedible constantly. They certainly need a new chef. The only thing that was good was chicken caesar salad( even though I had to cut the bread for croutons) , and seasoned fries, but they did have a strange taste. The Butcher and Still steak was horrific. I refused to even eat the spinach even though I could rewarm it to get the kid germs off of it from sick children running through the restaurant touching every vacant table and coughing and sneezing on the food pickup counter.

I would not stay at this location on my next trip...

Updating my old review from before, to recognize some incredible people I have interacted with in the past few days during my stay:

Kudos to the incredible Guest Services team (led by exceptionally kind Lasang) as always: Francis, Sunday, Friday, Arfan, Danny, Mandip, Prem, Abbasi - you guys are the heart and soul of FS Abu Dhabi! Best team in the hotel, hands-down!

Impeccable team at breakfast: Emiliano, Himanshu, Mehek, Piyush, Paul, Fatina, Lucy, and several others who go out of their way to extend their kindness, courtesy and humanity. You always ensure I am well fed and well caffeinated before heading to work!

In-room dining: thank you, Navneet, Mina, Grace, Yash and Christina for always ensuring an impeccable in-room dining experience. you always go over and beyond.

Housekeeping: Willis and Aman - thank you both for everything! Willis, thank you for your great conversations and kindness always.

The super friendly and courteous team at the pool and pool bar: Lazar, Maheshwar, Srijit, Petrus, and your awesome team.

Special mention to Reena at the spa for her kindness and warmth always!

+++++

OLD REVIEW:

Outstanding AAA+ service from the Four Seasons team. Exceptional staff - kind, thoughtful, attentive to detail, really go out of their way to make me feel like this is my home, not my hotel.

Concierge team: Lasang, Prem, Abbasi, Mandip, Friday, Sunday and many others. You’re the first face of the hotel and truly the best.

Front desk: Arpita, Hakim, Lana and many other wonderful folks who have been so accommodative about changing travel schedules, last minute extensions, and my very particular requests for the room. A big thank you!

F&B team: the outstanding Altaf, most kind Grace, thoughtful Yash, efficient and proactive Yeti and Purna at Eclipse pool lounge, Lucy, Mina from in-room dining, and many, many others who manage F&B through the hotel.

Housekeeping: Ismail, Gajanand, Willis… your attention to detail is impeccable.

Team FS-AD: a big thank you for everything! See you...