Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center — Hotel in Philadelphia

My wife and I recently stayed at the Four Seasons Philadelphia with our dog for one night to celebrate my wife’s birthday. We live nearby in the Philadelphia suburbs, and as frequent Four Seasons guests at other properties, we had been curious about staying at our local location, since we’ve only ever visited for dining. The hotel’s location high above the city is unique and stunning, and it has a lot to offer in terms of amenities. However, given how expensive it is, we did find that there were still some things that could be tightened up to have a stay commensurate with the high room rates.||||Trip Planning:||||As I always do when booking a Four Seasons, I reserved through a Preferred Partner travel agent, which enabled us to get free perks (I highly recommend doing this). For no extra cost, our reservation included a room upgrade based on availability at check-in, priority early check-in and late check-out, a $100 hotel credit, and a breakfast credit of $87 each morning which could be used at Skyhigh or in-room dining.||||Prior to arrival, using the Four Seasons app, the staff was helpful in making spa appointments and dining reservations. The dining assistance is particularly useful, since the hotel restaurants are all very popular with non-hotel guests. You can book them up to 60 days in advance as a hotel guest, as opposed to 30 days in advance otherwise.||||Arrival:||||I messaged the hotel in the app on the morning of our arrival to see if I could get an idea of when our room might be available, and was pleasantly surprised that our room was ready for us at 10:00 am. ||||When we’ve visited as non-hotel guests, we’ve observed that staff service at the entrance always seems pretty poor, with no one holding the doors open or really greeting anyone. Arriving as a hotel guest was no different. We pulled up when it wasn’t particularly busy, and I saw one of the valets watch us arrive, but take no action to come right over and greet us like I expect from a luxury hotel. He did eventually come over, and was friendly enough, but there’s a lack of proactive effort from the valet and door staff here, which makes a poor first impression. The ground floor entrance area also has a couple people at a desk whose role I have not been able to figure out (they rarely greet anyone, and just seem to stand there).||||Check-in itself was ultimately good, but started on the wrong foot. I was checked in by a trainee (as noted on her name tag) who seemed well-meaning, but wasn’t ready to work independently. She went through the process painfully slowly and in an unpolished manner not at a luxury hotel level. An example would be her explanation of our breakfast credit, which was along the lines of “You can use the credit for in-room dining. In-room dining is when you call us and we send food to your room.” I did really appreciate that Mallory, the Front Desk Manager, was at the desk at the time and seemed to sense how it was going. She came over and immediately expedited things and turned the experience around. Mallory is wonderful and a huge asset to the hotel. She thanked me for being a frequent Four Seasons guest, asked about our previous Four Seasons stays, and went out of her way to make sure even our dog was recognized.||||Hotel Layout:||||I think it’s important to understand the layout/design of this hotel, since it’s a bit unique. The hotel is located at the top of the tallest building in Philadelphia, which contains mostly office space on lower floors. From the ground level on the hotel side, which has just the hotel entrance and Vernick Fish restaurant, you take express glass elevators straight to the 60th floor, where the front desk and other restaurants are. It’s all very sleek and modern, with lots of marble, mirrors, and beautiful flower displays from Jeff Leatham. It was clearly built to impress, and it does, but it can also feel a bit sterile and disjointed at times, and there’s no real lobby. ||||Once you reach the 60th floor, there is a totally separate set of elevators (with room key access required) that hotel guests take to reach the 48th-56th floors that contain guest rooms, as well as the 57th floor that contains the pool, spa, and gym. Having to travel up to the lobby, and then transfer to another elevator to go back down to your room is odd and confusing. Direct elevators to guest room floors would have been nice, as well as some sort of actual lobby seating area. I was also surprised that other areas, such as the hallways to the guest rooms, are plain, with no real décor on the walls and somewhat harsh lighting, looking more like an office building than a hotel.||||Despite the hotel being very dog friendly, which we loved, the multiple elevator design is also annoying for taking a dog out to go to the bathroom. It would be nice if there was some sort of animal relief area on one of the higher floors, or even a small grass/fake turf area right by the entrance on the ground level.||||As a hotel guest, it can be a little crazy on weekend evenings, when there are a lot of non-hotel guests clogging up the elevators, taking pictures, and making the 60th floor very loud. The ground floor even has a queue set-up where visitors without dining reservations line up until spots open to let them upstairs.||||Room:||||We booked the most basic room, the Premier Cityscape Room, and were upgraded to a Grand Cityscape Room. The two view options are Cityscape (overlooking other buildings in Center City and South Philadelphia) and Landmark (overlooking the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and Philadelphia Museum of Art). The Landmark view is probably a bit more scenic, but not significantly so. We really liked the Cityscape View. Plus, if weather is bad, as it was when we first arrived, there may be no view at all from any room, as the hotel is truly in the clouds.||||In each view category there are also lower-level “Premier” rooms and upgraded “Grand” rooms. I have read the descriptions for both, and I truly cannot tell the difference, and the website appears to use the same photos across room types. We were told the difference is room size, but our Grand Room still felt pretty standard in size. ||||Our room was a peaceful oasis, as it was quiet and well appointed. Very high ceilings and floor-to-ceiling windows made it feel bright and open. The décor is neutral and upscale, and really lets the views take center stage. Nice features include the super comfortable Four Seasons bed, intelligent light switches for various levels of lighting in the room, and automatic drapes with the touch of a button. I was also impressed with how nicely stocked the mini-bar was with a variety of glassware and bar tools.||||The bathroom was a little oddly designed right in the center of the room, but it was well appointed with a large marble shower and high-end hardware. It would have been nice to have two sinks (there was just one on a relatively large vanity), and it was also kind of tight in the bathroom in general. There wasn’t much space if two people were in there at the same time. There was also a very nice open walk-in closet that I liked, but I think it just would have made more sense to flip the bathroom and closet so that the bathroom was in a more traditional spot (we also had no real issue with it).||||The only negative of our room was that it was in slightly shabbier condition than I expected for a hotel that’s not even five years old. I noticed several stains on the carpet, and the base of the bed was a white leather-looking material that was cracking apart. The room hallways also looked rougher than I’d expect, with black marks up and down the walls the entire length of the hallway, and the carpet buckling in various spots.||||We did really appreciate that some very nice amenities were waiting for us when we arrived. For our dog, they provided a large dog bed, water and food bowls, a dog toy shaped like a soft pretzel, poop bags, wipes, and some treats. It was the best dog setup we’ve ever had in a hotel.||||Since we were celebrating my wife’s birthday, there was also a piece of chocolate mousse cake, a bottle of prosecco, and bottles of Evian and Pellegrino, along with a birthday card from the hotel and a note from our travel agent. Although the occasion was correct, the card and prosecco were actually for another guest. When I let the hotel know, someone from in-room dining came and switched the prosecco to the intended bottle of Martinelli’s sparkling cider, since my wife is currently pregnant.||||Given that special occasion amenities are standard at Four Seasons hotels, given the price point, I thought the birthday amenities here were pretty weak (although the dog ones were perfect). A chocolate mousse cake doesn’t make sense, since amenities are often delivered when you’re not present, but the cake should be served cold and eaten immediately. In addition, I thought the drinks they gave were almost insulting. The prosecco retails for about $10, and the replacement Martinelli’s is a $4 grocery store item. When paying over $1,000 per night, they should be offering actual champagne if they’re providing a sparkling wine, as well as better non-alcoholic options, such as a thoughtfully composed mocktail or a better non-alcoholic wine.||||Pool, Spa & Gym:||||The pool, spa, and gym are together on the 57th floor of the hotel, and are the key hotel amenities. While the spa is open to outside visitors, the pool and gym are for hotel guests only and require a room key for access. We didn’t use the gym, but it looked large, bright, and well-equipped. ||||The indoor pool is objectively a nice, unique indoor pool, since it’s an infinity pool so high up. However, it also had several surprising faults:||||-It was incredibly hot in the pool area. My wife found that the high heat of the room was causing her heart to race frequently. ||-The pool had a very strong chemical smell, which makes me think it doesn’t have well-balanced water chemistry. ||-The whole area was smaller than I expected, with only about 8 lounge chairs total and a couple of couch areas to sit on. On the Saturday we were there, it was crowded and competitive to get a chair.||-It was also incredibly loud. The room is cavernous and echoey. Especially when there were screaming kids in the pool, it was unpleasant. ||||We may have just been totally off-base in thinking that the pool would be serene. The hotel markets it as more of a spa-adjacent experience than a standard indoor pool, and that there would be staff members to provide food and drink service, neither of which was really accurate. Spa staff did come in periodically to remove towels from chairs and replenish a jug of water, but there wasn’t true pool service. ||||We did separately visit the spa, and that experience was great. This was a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the spa, after I had been disappointed to find out that they don’t consistently offer energy healing treatments that they advertise and I wanted to do. They never offer them on weekends, and only offer them on sporadic weekdays, so they might as well not have them at all. I also don’t like how the spa has dynamic pricing for treatments that “changes based on demand,” which I find tacky.|| ||On the day of our actual spa visit, it started out oddly, when we arrived and found that there were no staff members around at the front desk for several minutes, which was unusual at a luxury spa. However, once we did get settled in, we found that the spa is lovely and luxurious. We particularly loved the relaxation room with great views and very cozy lounge chairs with blankets, along with snacks, water, and tea. The only thing I didn’t understand was why this lounge was so small in a large spa, with only 4 lounge chairs. Before our treatment, the room was packed and there was not enough space for everyone, and a sign specifies that you can’t stay there for more than 30 minutes after your treatment, which gives a rushed feel at a place meant to be serene. ||||We had a couple’s massage in the couple’s suite, and my wife said it was by far the best prenatal massage she’s had out of several during her pregnancy. My crystal oil massage was also relaxing and pleasant. After our treatment, we were offered a glass of champagne or a mimosa (as well as non-alcoholic options), and when we went to the lounge, a birthday setup was waiting for my wife, including a balloon and some chocolates. I thought this was very nice.||||Dining & Bars:||||Overall, we really enjoy the dining options at this hotel, and we visited basically all of them on this trip. ||||Jean-Georges is the hotel’s fine dining restaurant that features a tasting menu, as well as an a la carte option. We did the tasting menu previously in 2019, and found the food to be rather uninspired and the service to be very poor. We tried it again on this visit, and our meal this time was better, but still somewhat lackluster. Most of the dishes had not really changed at all in 4+ years, which was disappointing. Some courses were great, like the Jean-Georges snacks and sea bass, but several were mediocre or just unmemorable. I also didn’t love that when we specified that my wife doesn’t eat venison, the main meat course, the only substitution offered was a vegetarian ravioli that didn’t feel equivalent, and we had to pay $40 more for lobster (even though it’s priced less than the venison on the a la carte menu), on the basis that it couldn’t be made into a tasting-sized portion. When the lobster came out, it was in a tasting-sized portion. Regardless, our server Evgenia was truly lovely and attentive, and she left a lasting positive impression, even if we’re a bit ambivalent on the food.||||We tend to prefer Skyhigh, the more casual restaurant/lounge concept next to Jean-Georges on the 60th floor. Skyhigh is more of an all-day restaurant with the same great views. It’s hard to ever get space at the bar, but I think the hotel reserves some of the nearby high-tops for hotel guests. We’ve been to Skyhigh many times for meals, and we generally always enjoy it. The menu has a varied selection that includes some Jean-Georges favorites, like trout sushi, tuna tartare, and truffle pizza. Service tends to be professional and attentive, and the drink options are good too. ||||On this trip, we went to Skyhigh for brunch, and it was actually one of the poorer meals we’ve had there, but it was still fine. The food was good as usual, but we were surprised that service was lackluster. It was unclear who our server was, so it felt a bit disjointed. The menu involves sharing/small plates, and we usually find that our server just automatically courses them in a logical manner. This time, they brought all of our food at once, so some items were cold before we got to them.||||The final hotel restaurant, and our actual favorite, is Vernick Fish on the ground level. It’s a beautiful, bright space, and we’ve never had bad food there. Service is always attentive and friendly, and our lunch there during this stay was no exception. The menu is basically 100% fish and seafood, and all of it is delicious. They also have an excellent bar program, so you really can’t go wrong at this restaurant. It’s not in the flashy location of the other restaurants, but it’s absolutely the best one at this hotel.||||Vernick Coffee Bar is another option, a coffee bar and café also in the Comcast Center, but more on the office building side of it than the hotel side. We didn’t visit on this trip since it’s closed on weekends (which is shame, but the hotel does offer free coffee by the front desk each morning and other drinks later in the day). We’ve ] enjoyed everything we’ve had at Vernick Coffee Bar at other times.||||Finally, in-room dining is available. We ordered one of the very cute dog meals from in-room dining for our dog, and she loved it. It was ] expensive, but presented on a very cute tray, and really a fun option for dog lovers.||||Location:||||The hotel’s location is good, in Center City Philadelphia in pretty close proximity to all of the city’s key attractions. The specific spot where the hotel is located is a little dull, as it’s mostly surrounded by office buildings. However, it’s also only a few blocks’ walk from some of the city’s best restaurants, museums, and Rittenhouse Square. There is also a house Tesla available to take guests around the city, but it’s not well advertised. The only competitor whose location I prefer is the Rittenhouse Hotel. ||||Service:||At a hotel with such a high price point, service was key for us, since the other luxury hotels in the city were charging less than half for the same night. Service was solidly good, but not quite at the level I had hoped for. There was just a little too much unprofessionalism/lack of polish in the mix, with some examples being:||||-At one point, we saw two housekeepers sitting outside the guest elevators on our floor on their cell phones, loudly talking and playing videos. Even if they were on a break, I’m almost positive they were not supposed to be taking that break in such a visible guest area and doing so loudly, which looked unprofessional.||-On another occasion, I was a few feet away when the elevator arrived for a staff member who was already waiting for it, and he clearly looked at me as I was walking up. Showing no common courtesy, he quickly got in and closed the elevator door in my face.||-When in-room dining came to replace the incorrect birthday amenity, the staff member was nice, but also unprofessional. When she realized she was bringing an amenity for someone who was pregnant, she cornered me in our room for about 10 minutes to talk about her recent pregnancy and birth story in excruciating detail, which was well-intentioned but also felt uncomfortable and was totally unprompted.||-As mentioned previously, the ground floor valet and door staff are unmotivated and don’t do their basic tasks with a sense of purpose.||||However, on the other side, we had some great interactions too, which really made our stay lovely:||||-As I mentioned, Mallory, the front desk manager, was excellent. She remembered and recognized us, and provided perfect Four Seasons service at every interaction, with friendly and warm professionalism.||-My wife’s birthday was mentioned virtually everywhere we went in the hotel and there seemed to be a staff focus on making sure it was recognized, which I appreciate.||-Our servers at Jean-Georges and Vernick Fish were wonderful.||-Our massage therapists at the spa were really friendly and warm.||-The bellmen who assisted with our luggage were energetic and helpful. ||-Most staff members did a great job of the basic little things like saying hello when passing by in the hallways.||||Departure Experience:||||Our departure experience was positive, starting with the hotel allowing a late checkout of 2:00 pm with no problem. Right before we left, I also went to the front desk to make sure our room folio was correct, since incorrect bills at Four Seasons hotels is a recurring issue we’ve had. Mallory was there at the time and took care of everything perfectly, which was a huge plus. ||||Somehow an incorrect charge still popped up on my credit card a couple days after our stay, but when I contacted the hotel to fix it, they immediately made the adjustment and were very apologetic.||||The only negative on departure was that our car (valet parked for $85 per night) was brought back to us dirtier than we left it. Some sort of white substance appeared to have dripped all over the car from the interior of the garage it was stored in. I found it frustrating that the car wasn’t better taken care of after paying such an exorbitant valet parking fee.||||Overall:||||Overall, we really enjoyed our night at the Four Seasons Philadelphia. There is something so captivating about this unique Four Seasons property that soars above the clouds. While I do think service could be tightened up here, especially given the high price point, we had a nice time and...

Our recent experience at Four Season’s Philadelphia unfortunately greatly missed the mark for the level of service and distinction that is consistent with the brand. We reserved a three-hour luncheon for my daughter’s Doctorial graduation on Sunday April 6th. The cost was nearly $12,000. I want to be clear; I have no issue with the price. My disappointment and dissatisfaction was the value I received for that price. BEFORE THE EVENT: I want to begin by stating everyone was pleasant and cordial. However, these are “soft skills” that anyone can execute in the service industry. In contrast, employment at the Four Seasons should require a much higher level of discipline and refinement to maintain the level of sophistication consistent with the Four Seasons brand. From the very beginning, the event coordinator was lackadaisical in her response time regarding our questions and concerns. I would have to send several repeat emails over several days to elicit a response. Her excuses varied from “sickness”, “catering to other events”, or “out of the office.” My frustration escalated to such a level that I had to contact the Director of Events. DAY OF EVENT: 1.) The first thing I noticed was the disparity of time plating was served between tables. Some tables were eating at least 10 minutes later than first served tables. All orders were taken at the same time and entered the kitchen at the same time. I paid for three servers that day. I found it uncomfortable to eat while others were waiting a painful amount of time for their plates. 2.) All of the Bread plates were on the table with the pats of butter. However, the bread was not placed on the table until after the appetizers. I immediately brought this to the attention of the head waiter. Within minutes, cold and dry Ciabatta bread was served. It became apparent that the waiters forgot to serve the warmed bread first. Note; even Cheesecake Factory offers a few types of warmed bread for lunch. I expected several types. Focaccia, Pumpernickel, Sourdough, etc. 3.) Many tables ordered bottled water or San Pellegrino to have during their lunch. The waiter that refilled the glasses was not careful and splashed onto the linens. Not just my glass, but every glass that on the table. I was appalled. 4.) After dessert, I noticed the waiters were not asking if anyone wanted coffee, tea, or cappuccino. I recall receiving a “coffee station” that guests could choose from many options of after dinner beverages. It never happened. Even more disturbing, I noticed a waiter entering the room with a tray containing a giant pyramid of coffee cups. They went to each table placing a coffee mug in front of all the guests, including the children. This was simply comical 5.) After the event was over, I thought maybe the Four Seasons would have prepared a small gift for my daughter. It could have been a small bag of sample confections or small cake from the pastry chef. Honestly, I expected something extra for everyone. Instead, we were politely moved out of the room at 3:00pm for cleaning. Just amazing.

PRICING: I honestly felt they were finding ways to charge me. In fact, my summary of charges changed many times with several items appearing and disappearing depending on that week’s update. Surprise charges came one after the other. Between all of the administrative and service charges began to diminished the value. I was considering to have the event at the Academy of Music or the Kimmel center. Each of these venues would have accommodated a larger menu, better space, and assuming much better service for nearly half the price. In addition, they promoted flawless logistics with no surprises. I aspired for a Four Season’s Philadelphia experience; I received a Four...

We just had a one night getaway to celebrate our anniversary at the FS Philly. I have been there many times for drinks before or after an evening work event but this was our first time staying overnight at guests. This hotel and property is nothing short of extraordinary. As someone who doesn’t enjoy heights or elevators, the ride up to the 60th floor lobby in the glass elevator is a little daunting but my husband enjoyed it ha! The hotel does offer an option, if you ask, to ride up in a back service elevator but if you can stomach it the view is worth the ride up! ||Upon arrival, you are greeted by a gorgeous flower set up and another stunning view. The two women that checked us in were very kind and expedient. ||The room, a premier landmark room, was clean and fresh, albeit a little small for a rate of 1700 something a night. The bedding at all Four Seasons is the big draw for me though. And another amazing view! ||The spa, and the hostesses - all amazing. My facial was fine, nothing supremely special but the deep tissue massage with Joslyn was one of the best that I have had. We enjoyed a nice lunch by the pool. Which, again with this theme…had a stunning view! My only complaint with the pool facility is that the water was a little chilly that day, I would imagine it is heated but maybe not. ||So, that’s the good - this is one of the nicest hotels I’ve stayed at. The bad part? The Jean Georges restaurant. What an abomination and disappointing experience. We arrived at 6 pm for our reservation to do the land and sea tasting menu. We left 998 dollars poorer and so disappointed. We would have said something at the restaurant but it was going on 9:30 and after sitting there for 3.5 hours, we didn’t feel like it, frankly. The star of the experience was the sommelier- he was so well informed, interesting, and kind. He was at the top of his game. Our team of servers were also very kind but we couldn’t help but be bummed about the very long wait in between courses. We ended up asking for our dessert to be packed to go bc it was taking so long, which is not what you want at a dinner that costs almost 1k. Now, here’s the worst part…the food itself. I almost can not believe how bad it was. Some of our friends had warned us that it was “overrated” but we wanted to try it and also not have to leave the hotel for a relaxing dinner. The flavors were just off- the diver scallop crudo was overpowered by the top vinegary vingarette; the lobster with passion fruit foam was just wrong on so many levels - texture, taste - but the worst offense was this fish dish I’ll post a picture of. Purple mashed potato should not really even be a thing- it looked like someone threw up on my plate lol. The waygu that I subbed in for an upcharge in lieu of the duck was overcooked, drenched in “a trio of mustard” that overpowered everything and paired with this mind bogging, absolutely disgusting looking radish log. The only real redeeming part of dinner was the bread course - now that was delicious! Unfortunately that is an experience I would be happy not to relive and I’d love to use that 1000 bucks to go somewhere else but alas, I did have a good soft pretzel roll lol. ||We checked out this morning but before we did had an amazing in room dining experience. We each ordered the Lancaster Breakfast which was more than enough food, well priced, and delicious. ||I would absolutely recommend visiting this hotel, it’s quite the experience and worth every penny. Just go...