Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 35 mm — 1/40 sec, f/2.8, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Anthony Cookie
When we arrived at our room at the Four Seasons Hotel on our recent trip to Vancouver, we were greeted almost immediately with a tray of tea for the adults, and a tray of personalized cookie and milk for Anthony.
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 44 mm — 1/45 sec, f/2.8, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
As I wrote once years ago, it can be dangerous to offer kids unsolicited sweets, but in this case, the cookie was well received by all. A sure fire way to delight an adult is to do something nice for their kid (and as I noted the other day, in the words of Seth Godin, good marketing is all about delight), so The Four Seasons Vancouver started out right.
Of course, you end up paying for all of it. It's not a line item on the bill, but the per-night charge is ridiculously expensive, only eclipsed by the charges for room-service and the compulsory “gratuity” they tack on. But anyway, once you're already paying, the little touches like a personalized cookie for your kid makes for a nice feeling.
It was our first time to see Fumie (A.K.A. Mommy) in a month, so Anthony was happy to bring a gift for her, that he made and wrapped himself. It made for a nice Mommy-and-Child moment...
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 22 mm — 1/40 sec, f/3.5, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Opening a Gift from Anthony
as Curious George looks on
The next morning, we ordered in for our first breakfast, which made for a devilishly luxurious morning...
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — 1/80 sec, f/4.5, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Egg Benedict, a Belgian Waffle, Coffee, and Tea
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 40 mm — 1/60 sec, f/3.2, ISO 800 — map & image data — nearby photos
Anthony Enjoyed the Bed
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 17 mm — 1/20 sec, f/2.8, ISO 400 — map & image data — nearby photos
Dusk
Nikon D200 + Nikkor 17-55mm f/2.8 @ 22 mm — 1/25 sec, f/2.8, ISO 640 — map & image data — nearby photos
Dinner
our last evening in Vancouver
When I was moving from CA to CT back in 2002, we stayed at the Four Seasons in Vegas, because it was one of the few places on the strip that would accept a gaggle of pets (3 cats). When we arrived, the staff had laid out three sets of water and food bowls, each with a place-card with each cat’s name inscribed in calligraphy. (We’d wondered why they’d wanted to know their names, and marveled that they’d managed to not bungle the name of one of our cats – G’Kar – at all, including the weird punctuation and spelling).
As a chain, my experience with the Four Seasons is that they simply go the extra mile wherever they can. As you note, that level of service is something you pay for, but every once in a while, it is really nice to have everything “just so” and not have to worry about a thing. (Like, for instance, when trekking across country with a wife and three cats in a Jeep … LOL)