by Ricki Linksman
Finally, after 7 months of work, I got time off for an 8-day vacation. Desperately needing a stress-free holiday and only having a short window, I had to choose wisely. A spa resort hotel in a warm climate was at the top of the list.
Florida or the Caribbean? Too much risk of September hurricanes.
Travel time? When time is short and not wanting to lose time flying more than four hours from Chicago or driving more than an hour from a destination airport, this trip I ruled out some places I enjoyed in the past. Staying in or near San Diego seemed a good place to start.
Badly needing pampering, I thought I’d give a Four Seasons hotel a try. They’ve always come through in the past with their caring, stress-free customer service brand. Wanting to try something different—a Four Seasons Residence Club at Aviara, North San Diego, California—looked inviting. Only around a 38-minute drive from San Diego airport and the great restaurants in the Gaslight district of San Diego, plus 5 minutes from the ocean, its location cuts down the stress of driving long distances to get from an airport to a resort. From Chicago, a 3 ¾-hour flight and 38 -minute short drive to the resort–just what the doctor ordered! By afternoon, I could be in a bathing suit poolside, sipping cool beverages, and feeling the soothing heat of a hot tub relaxing tired muscles!
Unexpected Surprise: A Perfect Vacation
It’s always risky traveling to a new place, wondering if it would turn out as good as the online promo descriptions say. When there are also some negative traveler social media reviews, there’s always a question of whether the rave reviews or the negative ones are true or not.
I was pleasantly surprised to find Four Seasons Residential Club, Aviara, North San Diego, far surpassing even the positive reviews. Spending six days there, I can say it was a perfect vacation. High on my list of the great ones. If 10 is the highest, I’d give it a 21!
From the perfectly appointed villas, to the spa, tropical pool, dining, great location, and customer service, it moved to being one of the top of my Ricki’s list of a stress-free holiday!
Pampering Begins the Moment You Arrive
Upon reaching the building with my villa, the valet, a cheerful, eager-to-please young man, began taking the luggage from the trunk. Meanwhile, I reached into the back seat to pick up some of my lighter bags, and the valet rushed over, “You don’t need to do that. I will.”
I replied, thinking I was still at home, “It’s okay. It’s light—I’ll bring it in.”
He then stopped me and said, “No need. I’ll do that. You’re on vacation. You just need to relax and we’ll do all the work.” At that point, I breathed deeply to release all the stress from my tight stomach muscles and felt my whole body relax. I knew this was going to be a great holiday!
Enjoying the Outdoor Breeze and Fragrances without Unwanted Visitors
Why do I mention this? A notable feature at the Four Seasons Aviara provided a solution for something that’s always been a big gripe of mine in other hotels. When visiting other resorts in warm climates, unwelcome insects fly into opened glass sliding doors. A perennial complaint of mine has always been, “Why don’t these resorts have screen doors so we can enjoy the beautiful breezes and fragrance of garden flowers without dealing with flies and mosquitoes getting into the rooms?”
At Four Seasons Residence Club Aviara, I finally found the perfect sliding doors. When the double-wide doors are opened and the screen stay closed it turns the living room into a screened “Florida room” with a total view of the natural beauty outside. Each pair of sliding doors has screens that lock, so one could let the outside air in without the insects and mosquitoes or other unwanted visitors! When the sliders close, there are 3 levels of security which include safety locks on the door, a floor lock and a perfectly fitting safety bars that fit the décor as extra protection There were similar doors in both the living room and the master bedroom.
The windows, with plantation style white blinds, also opened and had screens. These are special features I often wished resorts and five-star hotels had, but this was the first one I stayed in that had them.
New DVD Recording Device for the TV
New to the Four Seasons was a DVD recording device to record one’s favorite shows and view them later. Just like home.
The Perfect Chair
I had been staring at one of the living chairs for a while, admiring its modern but comfortable design. I’d never seen a chair like that before in a hotel. It was sleek with a comfortable backing and seat, yet there was something different about it. Could it be what I thought? I sat in it, leaned back, and suddenly a foot rest popped up. I leaned back further and it kept reclining. Oh my goodness—an actual recliner in the living room in front of the TV. Finally! Another gripe of mine at other hotels was that the usual three-seat couches and stuffy chairs are uncomfortable. There was always something missing from hotel stays as I’d long for the recliners I had at home to put up my feet. But Four Seasons finally did it and came through. They had a recliner chair in the living room!
When I next met with Jennifer, the Sales and Marketing Coordinator, to interview her for a travel article, she asked, “Did you see our new recliners?”
“Yes, I was amazed to finally see a recliner in a guest room.”
Jennifer explained, “We just got those a month ago. We had them custom-made for all the villas. We are the first Four Seasons to have them.”
“It really makes the stay like being at a home away from home,” I told her. She described how they contracted with a company to make the streamlined and sleek chair, wanting them to fit the rest of the decor. It really worked. It did not look bulky like a recliner. I never would have realized it was a recliner as it did not take up a lot of space like most others. The best part was having a chair on which to put my feet up and relax.
Oasis Pool
For one like me who spends long hours writing, typing, consulting, or training, doing nothing is the best vacation. That’s why choosing a place with a perfect pool to spend long hours each day is important to me. I look for a picturesque oasis with tropical plants, comfortable chaise lounges, shade umbrellas, and a hot tub. The Meadow pool had it all, but much, much more. There were tented cabanas with chaise lounges and side tables where one could relax shaded from the ever-shifting sun while still enjoying the view and outdoor breezes. One did not need to pay extra for the cabanas in most hotels, even if the pool was not crowded. One could choose to sit on chaises with umbrellas or the cabanas as one liked.
Soft contemporary relaxing music played, not too loud as to be annoying and not too low. One could choose to listen to it as background music, or since it was not too loud could instead hear one’s own music on a device with headphones.
The array of royal palm trees, well-placed bushes and flowers of many varieties from birds of paradise, to red geraniums, double yellow and pink two-toned impatience, and yellow lilies, spaced neatly on the walkways made it like a tropical paradise. One couldn’t tell whether one was in a tropical Caribbean island or on mainland United States.
Upon entering the pool area, friendly attendants with warm smiles are ready and waiting. First, they bring a chaise lounge cover, a specially shaped towel to fit over the chaise mattresses. Rolled up towels are placed over it for back support. As the sun leisurely crosses the sky, the pool attendant moves our umbrellas on request to keep the chaise shaded.
“Can I get you some water?” asks the attendant, who then returns with a pitcher of ice water, either plain or flavored by cut fruit. A menu is left for poolside snacks, lunch, and beverages.
But the best is yet to come. Every hour, the pool attendants come by with a tray of special treats gratis.
“Would you like to try a banana-strawberry smoothie?” one asks and serves it in a cup to sample. Yum.
Throughout the day, each hour, the attendants bring a different treat to sample. Throughout the week, every hour, a variety of treats were served from sliced apples with caramel, cut berries or fruits, mango smoothies, or other delights.
Attendants were there at a moment’s notice making sure I didn’t have to get up from my perch for anything… unless I wanted to.
Noteworthy was he attention to detail and cleanliness of the pool area. As soon as someone left, the attendants cleaned up and reset it for the next guests. The attendants came by every chaise and actually cleaned underneath, shining the legs of each with a cloth and cleaner. Who does that? There were other hotels I had visited where if a hairpin or napkin accidentally fell beneath my chaise, upon returning the following day, the same items were still there, leading one to ask, “Doesn’t anyone clean here?” Not so at the Four Seasons Residence Club in Aviara. The attendants treat each chaise lounge by the pool as if it were part of their own home, making sure each is sparkling clean for the next guest.
Perfect Hot Tubs
Why cite the hot tubs? What could be special about these? A lot. The hot tub by the pool was perfect in temperature. It was not tepid or cool, making it a waste to be in like many hotels. The heat was just right, penetrating to soothe tired muscles without burning.
Also, they did not have that frenzy of jets that splash into your eyes with chlorine and wet your hair that you’re trying to keep dry and styled as when you left the hairdresser. Instead, the jets were strong below the surface, while the surface water remained calm. You could keep your back near a jet for its full force without the water bubbling up into your face and eyes.
The hot tub was large enough for several people but small enough to be intimate. Chaise lounges surround the hot tub enclosed in its own special tropical space. A cabana-type designed cabinet held fresh towels so one did not have to walk far.
A second hot tub was in a gated gazebo area a few steps from the main pool area. How refreshing to see the sign that said, “Adults Only.” When there were children in the main pool hot tub even attended by their parents, it was comforting to know there was an adults-only hot tub ready and waiting.
Seasons Restaurant at Four Seasons Aviara with Eggless Vegetarian, Vegan, and Gluten-free options
The main restaurant, Seasons Restaurant, is inviting and comfortable, with a choice of indoor or outdoor seating. Happy to get away from ever-changing weather that often did not allow for dining al fresco, I took advantage of the outdoor seating. The Seasons tree, an olive tree, stands as the focal point of the outdoor restaurant, representing the concept of a “gathering place.” Set in a circular raised area, the tree embraces the outdoor seating surrounding it, with a bubbling fountain flowing from one side. Other tables include two long white stone tables with a raised glass rectangular box in their middles, filled with black stones. A fire pit area offers another alcove of special seating. At night, small lights decorating the tree and building gives the outdoor restaurant a festive atmosphere.
For vegetarians who don’t eat eggs or vegans, and those who are gluten-free there were menu options. The chef and wait staff are friendly and eager to help accommodate dietary needs, exuding a sense of love for what they do and wanting to please.
The Food and Beverage Manager and Head Chef James Waters went above and beyond to make sure he prepared special gourmet vegetarian without eggs and vegan meals. He even rose to the challenge of making the dishes gluten-free.
A vegetarian and vegan gluten-free feast was prepared for one of our lunches and dinners there.
For lunch, there was a creamy artichoke with truffle oil, with pecorino subtly melting into the smooth liquid, and snap peas cuddling together on one side. As a special touch, he brought out a plate of roasted asparagus accompanied by warm toasted breads awaiting to be smeared with a pesto spread. The grilled avocado salad was a perfect blending of baby lettuce, pickled red onion, pea shoots, and candied walnuts, charred corn, and a chili vinaigrette Goat cheese, normally included, was omitted to make it vegan.
For dinner Chef James Waters prepared the “Chef’s Whim.” Specially making it ideal for those who are eggless vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free without eggs, he created a wonderful feast.
The dinner salad was a quinoa garden bowl, with arugula, basil, sunflower seeds roasted beets, dried cherries, charred broccoli, and tahini vinaigrette. The vegetables were all locally sourced and hand-picked by the chef. The ingredients were all finely cut and tossed tightly together, with the feel of a granola cereal with a variety of tastes and textures that sing together as in a choir. The combinations of flavors and mouth feel worked perfectly together.
The main course was a roasted vegetable plate with each member of the choir bursting with its own flavor augmented by the seasoning. My favorite was the fried sunchoke. The potato-like vegetable was cut into patties and deep fried giving it a roasted flavor.
Dessert was spectacular. Called the “Terrarium” by Chef Waters, a glass terrarium was brought out. Within it were three types of mouth-watering sorbets—mango, coconut, and raspberries, in a coconut foam, with black raspberry sauce drizzled around it.
The dining here was consistent with other Four Seasons hotels for accommodating all kinds of diets while creating a gourmet spectacle to delight the eyes and taste buds.
Perfect Customer Service
What sets the Four Seasons apart from other hotels anywhere in the world, and is also true at the Residence Club in Aviara, is its customer service. If every company could bottle their customer service, this world would be a more delightful place in which to live. There is an attention to detail and customer needs not found anywhere else. From the manager to the wait staff, to the check-in receptionist, the pool attendants, and cleaning staff, they all listen carefully to what the guests want and go the extra mile to make it happen. As one Four Seasons manager I once met in Whistler said, “The word ‘no’ is not in our book.” And I have found it true at whatever Four Seasons I have visited.
For example, a pool attendant delivering one of the hourly poolside treats offered some small pieces of special breads. I thanked him but refused it but did not explain why. I don’t eat eggs and often as such treats are made with eggs, I did not want to bother him with going to the kitchen to ask if it had eggs and go through that tiresome routine. So we just refused. The next day, at the same time, he brought us cut berries. I thanked him and he added, “I noticed yesterday you did not want the breads, so I figure you either don’t like them or don’t eat them, so even though we’re serving everyone breads today, I especially brought you something else, such as these berries as I thought you might like them better!” Who does that! And without asking—just intuiting our needs.
It was such an incredible attention to my own dietary needs that I didn’t ask him to do, but he did it on his own. Always wanting to reward stellar behavior, I told him how thoughtful that was and remarked on his attention to customer needs. He then said he was newly trained by Four Seasons and wanted to make it his career. I told him that he definitely has the Four Seasons customer service attitude and said he would go far. He said he’d like that, so I made it a point to write him up on the feedback card hoping he’d be promoted from part-time to full-time and accelerate up the ladder of Four Seasons success.
All the Ingredients of a Perfect Vacation
To me, a stress-free vacation includes being cared for and pampered, with just the right amount of staff intervention but not overly done. It means freedom from the small annoying things that take away from having a comfortable, peaceful time. Included are staff members who are friendly and kind to make you feel at home. They are there when you need it, but are not overly intrusive. They subtly offer help at the slightest sign you need them, but giving you the privacy and space you need. It means they take care of the facilities from the villas to the grounds, pools, and all common areas so you don’t have to call them to report a problem. They prepare for your stay and take care of everything in a way they’d wish to be treated if it were their home.
The slogan for the Four Seasons Residence Club, Aviara, is that “it’s your home away from home.” Whether one buys in to own a one- or two-bedroom villa, or books the residences for a long or short stay, the Four Seasons lives up to its brand—offering a stress-free vacation that is truly a home away from home—but with pampering.