Every now and then you want to get away but still stay close to home. My friend and I were trying to figure out where we could go to sit out by a relaxing pool and get some sun, but not have to drive too far. I thought about spending the day at the spa at the Four Seasons Westlake Village, but once we realized how close it really is to Los Angeles, we decided to make a little 2-night getaway out of it. It was close enough that my friend was able to drive home to take her daughter to school in the morning and still come back to enjoy the day. It was a beautiful 40-minute drive from Venice Beach.

The service at this hotel is impeccable. Everyone is so pleasant and always observing and alert to see if there is anything you need. The rooms are very nice; they are large rooms with comfy beds and pillows. My room had a view of the waterfall so I almost felt like I was in Hawaii. The chandelier hanging in the room is stunning. I love all of the little details the hotel thinks of such as offering a free shoe shine, a form you can leave on your door requesting newspapers in the morning, and complimentary wi-fi (however if you want a faster speed to watch movies or play games you can pay to upgrade the service).

I started my day by heading out to the pool to enjoy the sun. The hotel offers two pools. One is an indoor pool which allows children; the other pool is the spa pool which is an adults only pool and is available to all guests of the hotel, as well as those getting a spa treatment. The hotel knows how to add that little extra something to make you feel special. The pool is very tranquil. Every couple of hours the staff come around offering a special treat. They started by offering a little frozen strawberry lemonade smoothie, followed by frozen mangos. They also offered tubes of frozen lemonade which was so refreshing. The spa pool offers a wonderful lunch menu. They actually bring you a TV tray to sit your food on so you are able to dine in your lounge chair comfortably. After lounging at the pool all day we visited the spa to use the wonderful spa facilities. The spa is available complimentary to all guests of the hotel. The spa at the Four Seasons Westlake Village is considered to be the largest spa of any Four Seasons Spa (40,000 square feet). The spa has a steam room, sauna, Jacuzzi, and an incredibly relaxing lounge with comfortable day beds and beautiful orchids, as well as a co-ed lounge. If you are looking for a little privacy or want to have a private party at the spa, they offer beautiful spa suites that can accommodate anywhere from 4-10 guests. The suites each feature a private patio and lounge pool, day beds, whirpool tubs, fireplace, 13-head shower, and private entrances from the gardens. I was lucky enough to enjoy the spa suite during my stay and it really added an element of peacefulness and ultimate relaxation to my day. My friends joined me in the private patio where we enjoyed our food and drinks. It was wonderful to enjoy the beautiful whirlpool tub (decorated with flowers and rose petals) before my massage. The spa offers a number of treatments. I enjoyed the therapist’s choice massage where my masseuse applied multiple modalities to leave me in a heavenly state. The soft music and warm towels complemented my soothing massage. The spa offers various specials so be sure to check their website. Right now they are offering Wow Me Wednesdays, which includes a 50-minute massage or facial treatment plus up to four hours of complimentary child care at The Spa for $99.00, as well as a spa escape package: http://www.fourseasons.com/westlakevillage/spa/spa_escape_promotion.

The Four Seasons has a variety of dining options at their resort. Onyx Restaurant is a Modern Japanese restaurant that offers sushi. They offer special 3-course menus during the week as well as a happy hour Monday-Friday. The Lounge offers different dining themes during the week. On Friday evenings they recently started a raw bar that consists of fresh oysters, lobster, and shrimp. Saturday nights the Lobby Lounge is transformed into an Italian marketplace called Mercato Italiano, featuring warm fresh-baked focaccia, local olive oil, and a selection of bruschetta and antipasti. The antipasti bar consisted of assorted olives, butternut squash salad, and a seafood salad. The servers start out by bringing you a platter of sliced-to-order meats and cheeses from their salami cart. While dining, they stroll by your table offering a variety of thin-crust gourmet pizzas cooked in the outdoor wood-fired oven (they will also prepare cheese and pepperoni pizzas for kids). The chef at the pasta station was busy creating 3 different pastas to choose from (I chose all three) and he will also make a simpler pasta for kids. Along with a selection of salads, there is also a selection of entrees from which to choose. I really enjoyed the osso bucco lamb. It was incredibly tender and flavorful. My favorite part of any meal is always dessert so I was thrilled to see such a wonderful selection of desserts to choose from, which included a variety of pastries including tiramisu, panna cotta, and chocolate tart, as well as a variety of gelati (the egg nog was interesting and the sea salt caramel was to die for). Mercato Italiano is a wonderful upscale Italian restaurant that you and your kids will all enjoy. In the morning the Lobby lounge is the perfect place for breakfast where they offer their Farmers' Market Breakfast. The breakfast features locally grown produce and dairy products from the area farms. There is a wonderful assortment of fruits and pastries, fresh squeezed orange juice, an omelet bar, and an assortment of other breakfast items. It is a lovely breakfast in a casual setting that is family friendly.

In the evening we went to the Westlake Promenade to see a movie at the Cineopolis Theatre. This was by far the nicest, most comfortable movie theater I have ever been to. Full reclining seats, food and drink service at your seats (just push a little button to let them know you would like to order)--it is like sitting in "First Class" at the movies. I ordered a wonderful watermelon martini. This theatre makes going to the movies a delightful experience. When we returned to the hotel we stopped in The Bar to listen to the singer and play a game of pool. It was lovely to sit at the outdoor bar, the Lookout, with the firepits and enjoy a nightcap. What a great way to end the night.

The next morning I got up early and went to the fitness center to work out. The fitness center is 12,000 square feet and is located in the garden level overlooking the waterfall lawn. The facility features lockers, sauna and steam showers, and state-of-the-art fitness equipment. The cardio machines have TVs attached. In addition to all of the great exercise equipment, they also offer fitness classes such as yoga and indoor cycling. In the fitness room I enjoyed the little extras they had, such as cold towels and Gatorade.

As you explore the hotel you will see beautiful pieces of art throughout, but be sure to visit the Art Gallery, where you will find beautiful paintings displayed. There is a lovely pagoda on the grounds and a stunning waterfall. All of this adds to the outstanding ambience of the resort hotel.

While I didn’t have my kids with me on this trip, the hotel offers a number of wonderful amenities for families, including a welcome amenity for your kids, child-size bathrobes, and children’s menus in the restaurants and in-room dining. The hotel offers complimentary bottle warmers, bed rails, night lights, baby tubs, step stools, cribs, high chairs, playpens, and even toys. The hotel also offers complimentary use of the children’s video library and children’s pool toys for the indoor pool, and items to childproof the guest rooms. The hotel has two activity rooms, one for kids and one for teens. The kids activity room, for children ages 5-12, is an area where they can play games (foosball and air hockey) and watch DVDs. The teen activity room has video games, a flat screen tv, foosball, and a pool table. Kids ages 13-17 will be presented with a key to gain access to the teen room. The hotel is also offering new programs planned for the holidays. Each weekend beginning on Friday, November 30 through December 29 guests will be treated to a magical snowfall on Friday and Saturday evenings at 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM on the Lookout Lounge. Warm beverages including cocoa and ciders will be available for purchase as well as special themed food items. There are also a number of activities planned during the holidays. Here is the link for more information. http://westlakevillage.enewsletters.fourseasons.com/2012/11/05/let-it-snow/.

Whether you are looking for a spa day escape or a local getaway, with or without kids, Four Seasons Westlake Village has something special to offer to everyone.

I would like to thank the Four Seasons Westlake Village for hosting my visit.

Linda Perry, November 2012
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