Review of Four Seasons Resort & Club Dallas at Las Colinas
The Four Seasons Resort is home to a variety of excellent accommodations, a huge sports and fitness center, a Spa, casual to fine dining options, two championship golf courses, and some of the best service we have ever experienced! It's not surprising to us that the Four Seasons Resort has won a number of awards and accolades, some of which include:
- AAA Five-Diamond Award from 2004 – 2013 - in fact, the Resort is the only Five Diamond resort in Texas
- rated by Travel & Leisure as #24 in it's "Top Resort in the Continental US"
- Conde Nast Traveler awarded them the 22nd spot in the "Top Resort in the Southwest" category
- Meetings and Conventions awarded the Resort the "Gold Tee Award"
- U.S. News & World Report reported that the Four Seasons Resort was the one of the "Best Hotels in the U.S."
Some of the reasons that we would include the Four Seasons Resort & Club Dallas at Las Colinas in our list of the Best Resorts would include:
- outstanding amenities for all ages to enjoy
- comfortable and upscale accommodations with beautiful views
- conveniently located to plenty of fun things to see and do ranging from art museums to sport complexes to zoos plus excellent shopping, golfing, and dining
- beautiful landscaping that's loaded with a wide variety of colorful plants and fauna and a variety of trees - all of which is very well maintained and manicured giving you the feeling that you've escaped from the hustle and bustle of the city and come to a place to relax
- unequalled attention to detail from the grounds to the restrooms with lots of little things that add up to make the Four Seasons Resort & Club very special
- the best service, from the bell boys to the wait staff to the golf attendants, that we have ever experienced - which makes you feel pampered and special
Top Notch Service at the Four Seasons Resort & Club Dallas at Las Colinas
Let's start with the service at the Four Seasons Resort & Club Dallas at Las Colinas. We fist noticed a difference when we arrived at the entrance to the Resort - we were greeted by three Resort staff who opened the car doors, warmly welcomed us to the resort, offered to take our bags, and park the car. When I was checking in, the guy behind the counter noticed my knee brace and asked if our car was still out front, which it was, and he left the desk, got a golf cart, led us to the parking lot, and then took us to our Villa!
Normally, all of that is not unusual but what is unusual is all of the staff at the Resort was sincere, outgoing, and seemed really concerned about helping us enjoy our stay. Dinner was another example, the maitre-d greeted us for dinner with a huge smile and a "welcome back Mr. & Mrs. Sharp, how was your day?" I have no clue how she could have remembered us and our name from our visit that morning for breakfast - it was a weekend and the Resort was busy. During dinner we were never wanting as a wait staff of at least 4 different people attended to us - none of which felt intrusive or overbearing. Even the chef from the Cabana at the pool stopped by to greet us and make sure our lunch was to our satisfaction.
And those weren't isolated examples, during our visit there were lots more examples of the outstanding service, some of which included: a lot of the staff called me "Mr. Sharp;" if we looked lost or puzzled, there always seemed to be someone asking "can I help you;" when asked where the restroom was, the attendant behind the check-in counter didn't just point, he came from behind the counter and gave me precise directions; and thanks to a bad knee that is forcing me to limp, several times the staff asked if they could give me ride to where I was trying to hobble and when we were on the golf course the Marshall actually went back to the pro shop and got me a flag which allows me drive closer to the green. The Four Seasons Resort seems to really believe that the "Customer is King." That quality of service was not unique to just us, we talked to several other guests who also commented on the superb service at the Four Seasons.
Four Seasons Resort & Club Accommodations
In addition to outstanding service, the variety of accommodations at the Four Seasons Resort are first class. There are 431 guest rooms all of which have a walk-out patio or balcony and if you're on any of the upper floors you'll have a fantastic view of the pool, golf courses, skyline, and more. There are also 26 luxury suites with a range of distinctive appointments (stone wood burning fireplaces, overstuffed sofas, mahogany dining tables, executive desks, oversized patios, and more) which are 700 square feet to 2100 square feet and sleep 2 to 4 adults
During our two day visit we stayed in Club Villas which is a two story complex overlooking the family pool and the first golf hole of the TPC golf course. Our Villa, which is a short walk from the main Resort complex, was on the first floor looking out toward the pool and it is much more than just a standard hotel type room. It was nicely appointed and 550 square feet with a huge marble bathroom with a deep soaking tub and separate glass enclosed shower, king size bed, work desk, dresser, large screen TV, sofa and chair, and more including a refrigerated and well stocked private bar plus a slew of candy, crackers, and other snacks. The bed was to die for - it absorbed my body, covered me with high thread count sheets and a soft comforter and two great down pillows. Each morning I didn't want to get out of bed and I want to buy a bed just like it! Our patio overlooked the pool and had two very comfortable teakwood chairs and a teakwood table.
Some of the other options for accommodations at the Four Seasons Resort include:
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Villa Rooms, in one of four building complexes, and Villa Premier Rooms that are spacious (550 square feet) airy accommodations with walkout balconies or lawns that offer beautiful views of the 1st and 18th hole (with a cascading waterfall) of the TPC Golf Course or views of the Resort pool - Suites, with names like the Byron Nelson or Payne Stewart Suite, in the Villa complex's or Hotel which will sleep two to four adults, are richly appointed with a variety of amenities (like oversized patios, dining room seating for 14, stone fireplaces, large work desks, or configured with a connecting room), have great views, and range from 700 square feet to over 2500 square feet
- Fairway View and Cottonwood View rooms are the standard Resort hotel rooms in the nine story hotel - each room is 420 square feet with extra high ceilings, full marble bathrooms, nice appointments, and great views
- Terrace View Rooms are located on the corners of the Resort hotel on the 2nd to 9th floors with beautiful views of the Cottonwood Valley Estates with huge multi-million dollar homes and stunning golf holes or views of the TPC course, Irving skyline, and Resort pool
Dining at the Four Seasons Resort & Club Dallas at Las Colinas
You won't go hungry during your visit to the Four Seasons - there are five restaurants and lounges that offer dining options:
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Cafe on the Green is a Forbes Four Star restaurant with signature cocktails, American cuisine with fresh ingredients drawn from an on-site herb and vegetable garden, and an emphasis on prime beef and fresh daily seafood. There is also a superb lunch and breakfast buffet seven days a week plus a huge Sunday Brunch. - Racquets is located by the family pool and below the fitness center and it's a perfect place for a lunch of nutritious drinks and hearty sandwiches, soups, and snacks after some tennis, a good workout, or while you're enjoying the pool.
- Terrace Lounge is located off of the main lobby and overlooks the pool and is a good place to meet friends for cocktails and light hors d'oeuvres.
- Bar 19 is a cozy friendly pub style bar with pool table, shuffleboard, TVs, and an outside patio over looking the pool with comfy chairs and tables and a fire pit - you can order a wide variety of food from appetizers to steaks.
- Cabana is at the Resort Pool and has a bar with frozen to soft drinks and a variety of options for lunch or dinner for casual poolside dining
During our stay, at Cafe on the Green we enjoyed a great breakfast buffet loaded with everything from fruit to breakfast meats to cook to order eggs and omelets or you can order items off the menu - the buffet was great and I loved the Huevos Chilaquiles Verdes which is scrambled eggs and peppers, Queso Fresco, avocado, and Tomatillo Salsa - wow!!! We also had a very tasty chicken salad sandwich and pulled pork sandwich at Cabana at the pool.
But dinner at Cafe on the Green was unbelievable! We started with one of the best appetizers we have ever had (Jumbo Prawns - BBQ Lentils, Sweet & Sour Fennel, Crispy Sage, Orange-Clove Gastrique - the sauce was out of this world) and that was followed by two very good salads and a perfectly cooked and very tender 8oz Beef Tenderloin Filet with Peppercorn Sauce and two Australian Lamb Chops with Pomegranate-Mint Jus - my mouth is watering as I think about how good it was. After all of that we were stuffed but our friendly waiter, who had recommended everything that we had enjoyed, said we can't leave without trying a couple desserts. It was a very hard choice but we decided on Tahitian Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée with an Exotic Fruit Salsa and Crispy Phyllo and Bittersweet Chocolate Mudslide with Nutella Centre and Espresso Ice Cream - wow again! After which we waddled full and happy back to that soft comfy bed!
Service at Cafe on the Green was outstanding and at all times there were at least four different people who waited on us - for example, one delivered a drink while another presented our salad and asked if we would like fresh pepper from Edward who was standing in back of us with a crushed pepper grinder and a different server brought our food and cleared our plates. And of the course the manager had to stop by and make sure everything was ok. The presentation on each of the items we ordered was fantastic - very artistic and creative and tasty and we hated to dig into it!
Four Seasons Resort & Club Dallas at Las Colinas Amenities
After all of that great food, we should have spent hours in the Fitness Center trying to work off some of the calories, but instead, we just jumped in our golf cart each morning after a full breakfast to enjoy 18 holes of golf. Four Seasons Resort & Club Dallas at Las Colinas is home to Cottonwood Valley Golf Course and TPC - both of which are private clubs but available for Resort guests to play. TPC is home to the annual Byron Nelson Championship and it's fun to try and par some of the holes that Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Bryron Nelson, Sergio Garcia, and lots of other pros have birdied! Both courses are in near perfect condition, have fun and memorable holes, and are challenging but fair.
Read our review of TPC and Cottonwood to learn more. The Four Seasons has a very good golf stay and play package and the Pro Shop is well stocked with rental clubs and everything you need to look good and play well during your round. Before you head out you might want to spend some time at the practice facilities - practice your putting and sand game, you'll need both to score well on either one of these two great courses.
After a few hours chasing the ball around the course on a hot day, it's hard to beat spending a few hours in the pool with a frozen margarita. Four Seasons Resort has 4 pools to choose from:
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the heated (82 degrees) indoor pool at the Sports Club is a 75-foot saltwater lap pool with two roped lanes and an area for water exercise classes - this is not the pool where we spent time. - the resort pool is a winding, vine-like shape punctuated by a scenic bridge and gurgling waterfall at the hot tub just outside the back door to the hotel. We enjoyed relaxing under the trees in teakwood lounge chairs and munching on some of the Cabana food and sipping a cold drink - we loved the frozen margaritas.
- the family pool is over 25,000 square feet and a short walk from the resort pool and the kids will love the 1500 square foot white sandy beach with a bamboo accent fence, tiki decor, and grass hooded towel hut and all of the pool activities like pool basketball, pool volleyball, fooseball, ping-pong, and more.
- the spa pool is a small rectangular pool that's perfect for a refreshing, quiet dip in between spa treatments.
Bring your racquets and take advantage of the 20 tennis courts - eight are outdoor lighted hard courts and four are climate controlled under roof of the Sports Center. The Four Seasons Resort was named one of the Top 20 Resorts worldwide by Tennis Resorts Online and one of the top 50 tennis resorts in the United States by Tennis magazine.
In addition to the indoor tennis courts and indoor pool, the spectacular 6000 square foot Sports Club is home to a huge fitness center with state-of-the-art cardiovascular and weight-training equipment and a wide range of daily classes; an indoor running track; 4 racquetball and international squash courts; a half-court for basketball; rows of bikes for spin classes; and a professionally managed child care center. Personal instruction and coaching are available for many activities including personal training, yoga, and pilates.
Near the well stocked Pro Shop is a collection of memorabilia and pictures about Bryron Nelson and his tournament and just outside the Pro Shop is a beautiful statue of Byron.
After a round of golf, some laps in the pool, a set of tennis, and a workout, you'll be ready (and deserve) to be pampered at the Spa! The Spa & Salon at Four Seasons offers a full-service, European-style spa with private treatment rooms, a relaxation area, spa cuisine, and an outdoor spa pool.
The Four Seasons also offer a full range of business services for those of you who have to work, some of the 24 hour business services include: PC and Mac printing, wireless meeting rooms, audio visual equipment, computers, and more.
It's the Small Things That Make a Difference
In addition to great accommodations, two superb golf courses, fine dining, and excellent amenities, we think a couple other things that separate the Four Seasons from the rest of the resorts is their superb service, attention to detail, and lots of little things that quickly add up to make your stay special. Some of the little things include:
- Around the Resort
iced lemon water by the pool and free coffee, cappuccino, hot chocolate, and latte - no need for $5 Starbucks here-
Evian spritzes and complimentary smoothies or fruit throughout the day at the Resort pool
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a kid's buffet station with french toast and more plus a small kids play area next to the check in counter to keep them busy as you check in or check out
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nice wood handle umbrellas, not those cheap plastic ones, by all of the doors when the forecast is for rain
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beautiful landscaping that is well maintained and manicured
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a wood lap serving tray to make eating a meal comfortable while you're lounging at the pool
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In Our Villa
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a king bed that will swallow your body and pamper it with 4 soft fluffy down pillows, high tread count sheets (I lost count at 1000), and a soft warm comforter -
an conditioner you can control and it doesn't wake you up with a loud noise every time it comes on
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a nicely done wood work desk with leather chair and a note pad on a block of wood with a real pen - not some cheap logo pen that never works
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rather than search around or move some furniture for outlets to charge all your devices, there is a special outlet attached to the top of one night stand with plugs and USB ports for easily charging your devices in a one convenient location
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comfortable and upscale furniture and plenty of lighting
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teakwood patio table and chairs with thick lush cushions as opposed to plastic or those uncomfortable heavy metal chairs
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two nice umbrellas for when it rains
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In the Bathroom
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a separate tub and glass enclosed tile shower and a toilet enclosed behind a door -
a large granite tile counter top with lots of room and two sinks plus a glass shelf above the countertop for holding make-up, daub kits, and more
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real glasses not cheap plastic cups
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a huge mirror, a make-up mirror, and lots of lighting
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decorated wooden boxes that hold towels, Kleenex, trash, and Q-tips
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a nice scale which I was afraid to get on after enjoying all that good food
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two very soft terry-cloth bathrobes
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Around the Golf Course
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a very friendly and helpful marshal who brought us fresh bananas and water
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a comfort station with ice, water, chocolate chip cookies, a mixture of nuts, crackers, peanut butter, and jam
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wet towels in your cart
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free tees, ball markers, and a divot tool
Individually non of the above is really anything special but combine it all together and it separates the Four Seasons from the rest of the resorts we've stayed with.
Special Events At Four Seasons Resort & Club Dallas at Las Colinas
If you're planning a wedding (there were two beautiful weddings while we were staying at the resort - one with the ceremony overlooking the 18th green on the TPC Course!), a reunion, or a special corporate event, the Four Seasons is perfect. They have years of experience in making events memorable with top notch service, excellent facilities, and event planning services for things like team building, golf or tennis tournaments, banquets, and more. They can cater to groups of 10 to 800 and there are 31 multi-purpose rooms with 31,675 square feet of highly versatile conference and function space.
Nearby Things To Do
The Four Seasons Resort is conveniently located between Fort Worth and Dallas and both offer lots of fun things to see and do. You'll find everything from major attractions (like Six Flags) to sports venues (like Cowboy Stadium or the Texas Rangers Ballpark) to major zoos plus shopping, excellent dining, and fun night life. The Four Seasons Resort has their list of "Top 10 Couple Must Do's" and "Top 10 Family Must Do's" plus the concierge can help you with some ideas as well as reservations. Check Texas Outside's Dallas and Fort Worth pages which are loaded with fun things to see do (including our Top10 for each city) and if you want to play more golf, here's a map with all the golf courses in the North Texas area and our list of the Best Golf Courses in Dallas.
So what are you waiting for - call and make a reservation and have fun!