The Best of Both Worlds: Four Seasons City-Country Pairings
Experience the energy of a city and the calm of the country with these Four Seasons destinations.
From Big Ben to Bucolic Countryside
After its recent preparation and polish for the Summer Games, now is an optimal time to experience London at its best—from theatre and dining to sight-seeing and shopping. When it comes to accommodation, just choose the home base that best suits your needs. Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane was recently renovated, with Pierre-Yves Rochon interiors and lovely prospects of Hyde Park. The park is the perfect venue for strolling, jogging or catching the latest exhibit at the Serpentine Gallery. In this very traditional London neighbourhood, you can handily visit Green Park, Buckingham Palace and the West End. The best of discreet Mayfair, with its fine dining and clubs, surrounds you.
A dramatically different view of London is on offer at Four Seasons Hotel London at Canary Wharf, overlooking the River Thames. Here is the place to find a bit of tranquillity, not to mention an infinity pool and panoramic views of the city. From the Canary Wharf pier, travel up the river on one of the Thames Clippers, water taxis offering the same view enjoyed from the boats in this year’s Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.
After spending time in London, go for a country respite, just one hour from the city, at peaceful Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire, England. Housed in an 18th-century Georgian manor house and surrounded by 500 acres of groomed parkland (including 23 acres of registered English gardens), the Hotel is a true country idyll. Make full use of the destination Spa and the chance to go horseback riding.
From Tango to Gaucho
A South American pairing of uptempo adventure and total relaxation can help you get the most out of a Latin American sojourn. Begin your travels in Buenos Aires, the Argentine capital, which evokes Europe with its architecture, culture and fine dining—not to mention tango sessions that can transform any evening into a transfixing performance. Four Seasons Hotel Buenos Aires is in a modern 13-storey tower connected by landscaped garden to a Belle Époque mansion. Here, you’re in the heart of the Recoleta, the city’s most elegant shopping neighbourhood.
When you’ve had your fill of shopping, wine tasting and some of the best dining on the continent, head two hours north into neighbouring Uruguay, a sanctuary for the Buenos Aires elite. Four Seasons Resort Carmelo, Uruguay, is a rural retreat that seems tailor-made for post-tango bliss. The guest rooms boast local stone, Brazilian walnut, beamed ceilings and art by local weavers. Take in views of the eucalyptus-lined Rio de la Plata and the distant glow of Buenos Aires in the evening. You may be tempted to linger poolside, but you can also ride a horse like a gaucho, or shop in the 17th-century buildings of Colonia del Sacramento, a UNESCO-protected former Portuguese colony with cobbled streets. It’s the perfect counterpoint to bustling Buenos Aires.
Compiled by Everett Potter and Larry Olmsted.
