Know Before You Go: Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole

The Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole offers all the amenities and features of a ski resort town without all the hustle and bustle of some of the more-frequented ski resort towns in the US. While Teton Village has a limited selection of services relative to some other ski resort towns, there is so much to do in the immediate and surrounding area that it is hard to notice. Unless what you are seeking is a great nightlife scene, Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole is an ideal property offering everything families could imagine in terms of indoor comforts and outdoor pursuits. Must stay, will return.

 

OVERALL RATING

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Exceptional

 

Overview

At-a-Glance

  • Date of stay: May 2021

  • Length of stay: 6 nights / 7 days

  • Trip type: Multi-generational family road-trip to Jackson Hole

  • Property type: Luxury ski-in/ski-out mountain resort catering to all travelers

  • Tailor-made for: Skiers and travelers who enjoy the outdoors without the crowds / scene that comes with glamorous ski towns

Highlights

  • Amenities, size and layout of the 3-bedroom residence

  • The outdoor heated pool and 3 thermal spring-style hot tubs

  • E-bike rentals through the hotel, direct access to the 170-mile paved bike path throughout Jackson Hole

  • Visiting Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park

  • Westbank Grill and in-room dining - superb food and service experience

  • Complimentary shuttle to town of Jackson

  • Ski-in / ski-out access

  • More laid-back vibe (fewer tourists) than other US ski resort towns

Good to Know

  • Small pool area for number of rooms - must get there early during busy season

  • Somewhat limited services in Teton Village relative to other resort towns

  • Property itself looks like a typical US ski resort without any distinguishing architectural features

  • No Kids Eat Free program

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Location & Setting

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Located in the heart of Teton Village, a pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly ski resort town, The Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole is a ski-in / ski-out resort abutting the Teton Mountain Range located 20 minutes from Jackson, 35 minutes from Jackson Regional Airport (JAC), 45 minutes from Grant Teton National Park, and 2 hours from Yellowstone National Park.

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Property & Grounds

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The resort comprises a hotel, Private Residences, multiple dining options (see Dining), spa and salon, fitness centre, unsupervised Kids Club, heated outdoor pool with three outdoor thermal spring-style hot tubs, ping-pong table, ski-in / ski-out amenities, conference/banquet facilities, game room, and multiple shopping boutiques.

  • The ski amenities here are second to none. An onsite ski center and ski concierge, with direct access to 13 lifts and 4,139 feet from the valley floor to the top of Rendezvous Mountain, and 2 apres-ski lounges / bars.

    Notably, the hotel has a museum-quality art collection of more than 2,000 pieces by regional and American artists.

    The hotel offers a complimentary shuttle to Jackson.

    The hotel had a no-mask policy for vaccinated guests, but this was on the honor system. All staff wore masks.

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Room

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Since Grandma was joining us on this trip, we booked a 3-bedroom (and 3-bathroom) Valley View Residence through Chase Rewards Travel. This room came with everything we could possibly want or need for 3 adults and 2 kids, including a full kitchen and pantry, living room with fireplace and terrace, dining room with seating for 8, and washer/dryer setup.

  • The 3-bedroom Valley View Residence (9th Floor, Room 954, 2,240 sq.ft. / 208 m2​) consisted of:

    β€’ Two master King suites, each with a large walk-in closet perfect for ski gear, large TV and sitting chair, and en-suite marble bathroom with shower (one with steam shower), bath, and double sink vanity

    β€’ A third double bedroom suite with a TV, large walk-in closet and sitting chair, and marble bathroom with shower and double sink vanity directly across the hall

    β€’ A spacious living room with gas fireplace, flat-screen TV hidden in the cabinets, sectional sofa with sofabed, sitting area with ottoman, and pocket desk with chair

    β€’ A dining area with round table and seating for 8 people

    β€’ A full-size kitchen with range, stove, microwave, full-size fridge and freezer, and dishwasher, with dish soap and dishwasher detergent provided; marble kitchen bar with 4 bar stools

    β€’ A private balcony with two lounge chairs and ottomans

    β€’ Washer and dryer with laundry detergent and dryer sheets provided

    β€’ iPad Mini on the kitchen bar

    β€’ Luxury bath amenities and kids bath amenities

    β€’ Twice-daily housekeeping

    β€’ Codage Paris toiletries

    During check-in, we were offered an upgrade to a 3-bedroom Plus Loft Resort Residence for an additional $1,000 / night (reduced from standard $1,800 / night), which we declined.

    The welcome amenity consisted of 6 eco-friendly cartons of water, fresh fruit, individually wrapped s'mores and chocolate milk for the kids. Two bald eagle plushes were also waiting for the kids on each of their beds, and children's bathrobes and slippers were in the closet.

    Several safety kits with hand sanitizer, masks, and sanitizing wipes were provided in the room upon arrival.

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Service

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The service experience here was outstanding overall. One of our many memorable experiences was one night when M and I ventured offsite to nearby Amangani for an anniversary-night dinner while Grandma had an in-room movie night with the kids. When we arrived at Amangani for dinner, Grandma texted me sharing that the Four Seasons Resort staff had unexpectedly sent up a 4-pack of craft root beer, two bags of microwave popcorn, and a popcorn bowl on the house for the kids' night in with Grandma (M had mentioned the movie night to a very kind doorman who must have then came up with the idea). Everyone was surprised and delighted at this very special and memorable touch.

  • The service experience with In-Room Dining and at Westbank Grill truly stood out. The In-Room Dining delivery team took great pains to make sure everything was perfect. Jen, the General Manager at Westbank Grill, and her colleague, James, our server for our date-night dinner while there, took amazing care of us. There were no dinner reservations available on the Saturday night over Memorial Day weekend and Jen helped squeeze us in for an impromptu, bonus date-night (courtesy of my wonderful Mother who offered to watch the kids). It was super-busy and we had to wait a few minutes (no big deal whatsoever), but Jen sent over two complimentary glasses of champagne for us while we waited, and dessert on the house for us later in the evening. Totally above and beyond.

    Notably, Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole is one of the few Four Seasons properties that shuts down for a full month each year during slow season and the full-time staff get that month off paid. This perk means that many of the full-time staff here tend to stay long-term as opposed to rotating through to other hotels / resorts in the Four Seasons Hotel Group.

    The Four Seasons Chat via the app is the best. It's like having a virtual butler who can take care of anything you need at a moments notice.

    Our only less than stellar service experience was with the Spa Boutique. My Mom had commented how much she admired a shirt from the Spa Boutique in a display window. So, as a thank you gift for watching the kids during our date night dinner, I asked the Spa Boutique if I could purchase the shirt and have it wrapped and sent up as a gift to her. They asked whether I wanted to include coordinating pants and I said no, just the shirt. When the item was delivered and my Mom opened the beautifully-wrapped gift box to try it on, she came out of her room wearing both a shirt and a pair of pants, both of which she absolutely loved -- but the latter of which I expressly declined to purchase (for almost $200). After discovering the boutique had indeed charged me for both shirt and pants, it was incredibly awkward and sort of ruined the gift experience having to explain to my Mom that the pants were not part of the gift and I would need to return them (my Mom was totally gracious about it, but still). I explained the situation to the Spa Boutique and returned the pants, but the staff never really acknowledged the mistake of the situation nor did they attempt to make any kind of amends.

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Dining

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The resort has five on-site dining options:

  • Westbank Grill - breakfast and dinner, Steakhouse

  • Ascent Lounge - breakfast and bar (pictured, right)

  • The Handle Bar - American Pub and beer hall, apres-ski focused; closed while we were there

  • The Pool Cafe / Poolside Dining - poolside al fresco cafe

  • In-Room Dining

As mentioned under Service, our experiences with In-Room Dining and Westbank Grill were exceptional. In the evenings, the Westbank Grill dinner menu was available to order via In-Room Dining. In-Room Dining consistently had relatively short wait times and always delivered ahead of the quoted time. The Cowboy Cookie from In-Room Dining and Westbank Grill was a family favorite.

  • Poolside Dining was also very good, but the pool staff all seemed to be college kids on summer break and the service was a little spotty. The kids enjoyed the hourly poolside complimentary treats.

    We did not try Ascent Lounge or The Handle Bar during our stay.

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Family Services & Amenities

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  • Below are some of the family services and amenities available at the resort:

    β€’ ​Kids Club (unsupervised) with a pool table, foosball, computer games, Xbox 360 video games and televisions

    β€’ Kids Ranch - nearby licensed childcare facility for children 3 to 17 years of age, operated by Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, offering ski lessons, environmental-awareness programs, science and art projects, hiking and other outdoor sports for kids and teens

    β€’ Game room and board games available to check out

    β€’ Heated outdoor pool and 3 thermal springs-style hot tubs with complimentary hot chocolate and s’mores during the winter months

    β€’ Babysitting (for a fee)

    β€’ Baby-proofing services

    β€’ High chairs, playpens, strollers, baby joggers, and step stools

    β€’ Children's shampoo, wash, baby powder and lotion

    β€’ Diapers, formula, bottles and bottle warmers

    β€’ Cribs and/or rollaway beds, at no extra charge (subject to maximum occupancy)

    β€’ Children's bathrobes and slippers

    β€’ Special kids welcome amenities based on age of kids

    β€’ Family portrait photographer

    β€’ Tons of family-friendly activities available year-round on- and off-property

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Activities

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There are too many activities to list, mostly focused on outdoors and adventure. Skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, sleigh-rides, dog-sledding, hot air ballooning, swimming, hiking, biking, gondola / aerial tram rides, horseback riding, shopping, Hole Bowl (family bowling and gaming) are all available onsite or in Teton Village. The resort is also driving distance to Grant Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park.

  • A collection of 30+ e-bikes and helmets are available to rent directly from the hotel.

    Kids bikes, kids helmets, and pull-behinds are available to rent through a third-party bike shop that will deliver a variety of options to ensure property fitting to the hotel.

    A 170-mile paved biking path winding throughout Jackson Hole is accessible directly from the resort.

    Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park are within driving distance. Fishing and river rafting are also available nearby.

    For a full listing, visit the Activities page of the resort's website.

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Wellness

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The resort has a well-equipped fitness center, spa, and heated outdoor pool and 3 hot tubs. The plethora of outdoor activities available on property and nearby year-round make this resort a haven for active travelers, adventurers, and wellness enthusiasts.

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Wow Factor

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The surrounding area is remarkably beautiful and relatively unspoiled for a US ski resort town, and the service experience delivered at the β€œwow” level. The only slight drawback was that the resort property itself, while having much to offer on- and off-site, was not especially distinctive in its design and decor.

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Value

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The resort and surrounding area offer endless diversions, but be prepared to open your pocketbooks.

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Overall

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The Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole is a truly remarkable year-round destination for family travelers who enjoy outdoor adventures (think: skiing, cycling, hiking, horseback riding, hot-air ballooning). This destination has a more laid-back, personal, salt-of-the-earth vibe than what you often get with glitzier ski villages, yet still delivers a top-notch mountain resort experience.

We cannot wait to come back.


 

Rating Legend*

πŸ’›πŸ’›πŸ’›πŸ’›πŸ’› Exceptional

πŸ’›πŸ’›πŸ’›πŸ’› Notable

πŸ’›πŸ’›πŸ’› Standard

πŸ’›πŸ’› Substandard

πŸ’› Unsatisfactory

*All ratings are relative to similar-class properties

 
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