Sad to have to leave a bad review for my favorite hotel brand, but this was not a good experience. I often found myself wondering whether this was actually a real Four Seasons. The brand is set apart by the quality of its service and that quality was really lacking here. In particular, the room service/in room dining staff, the staff at Waha, and the beach club staff were not up to standard. Lots of sullen expressions, wrong orders, bad attitudes -- it often felt like they did not want me there. The signature warmth and attention to detail were really missing. The messaging team behind the app was not great either -- unanswered messages, weird tone, etc. Check in was also unpleasant -- we were asked to have a seat to wait for a receptionist and told that someone would come get us when one was available. We were promptly forgotten and then had to wait behind people who arrived after we did.
The property itself was picture perfect but is showing its age -- water stains to the artwork in the bathroom, chipped enamel in the tub, etc. Also the towels we were given on the beach had yellow stains. Either the towels need to he replaced or we were given used towels by the beach staff. This was at Reef beach.
A few positives: the Arabesque, Bullona, and Luna staff were great. Abdel at Arabeqsue/Bullona and Eslam at Luna were real standouts who exemplified the excellent service that 4S is known for. My compliments and thanks to them. The spa staff were great too, especially Hassan.