Top Of The Bill

A new study puts the Four Seasons Resort at Walt Disney World ahead of several pricey NYC properties.

Have an extra $1,733.10 to spend? That’s how much it will cost you to stay a night on average at the hotel recently named the most expensive luxury property in the U.S.

The Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort is deserving of that honour, or perhaps dubious distinction, according to a study from Chrono24, a luxury-watch online marketplace. The 26-acre resort, which opened in 2014, has a Five Diamond AAA rating and is billed as being “nestled in a secluded, residential setting.” Its amenities include a golf and sports club, a spa, and a “Kids for All Seasons” children’s programme. The resort also includes six restaurants/drinking spots.

Not that the Four Seasons property doesn’t have competition in the list of most-expensive U.S. luxury hotels. The Chrono24 study, which examined average room rates from Booking.com, points to other high-end lodgings, including the Skylofts at MGM Grand in Las Vegas ($1,457.33 per night), the Towers at Lotte New York Palace in New York City ($1309.09), Pendry Manhattan West in New York City ($1,048.58) and Equinox Hotel in New York City ($988.63).

Even considering its top-of-the-line pricing, the Four Seasons Orlando does have its fans. The hotel garners a five-out-of-five overall rating (based on 3,000-plus reviews) on TripAdvisor and is ranked the sixth-best Orlando property by the travel site. Still, the resort has a few naysayers, with some TripAdvisor reviewers complaining about poor customer service (“we waited 5 hours to get into our room”) and lack of atmosphere (“the ambience was subpar”).

Hotel rates have been soaring across the U.S. in the past year. One report noted increases of 33% throughout the country.

Still, if you’re looking for a deal on a Four Seasons Orlando stay, the resort does offer some promotions, such as a discount of up to 20% on reservations booked at least 30 days in advance.

A spokeswoman for the Four Seasons property also noted that room rates can be as low as $1,049 per night. At the same time, she indicated that prices can be as high as $60,000 per night for the resort’s nine-bedroom royal suite.

Either way, the spokeswoman pointed to one other amenity: “Guests who stay at the resort enjoy our premier location, close to the magic of the theme parks, and many of our guest rooms and suites have views of the nightly Disney fireworks.”

By Charles Passy

Source marketwatch.com