During Dimitri's recovery from his March arthroplasty (total knee replacement), he cooked up a plan to reward his pain and suffering by spending two months in the Seychelles at two different Four Seasons Resorts. We decided to take Qatar business class again which meant we needed to fly from Denver to Chicago to get the overseas flight. We made it into a journey by spending a night in Denver at the Westin at the airport, then four nights in Chicago and four nights in Doha, each way, at the Four Seasons Hotels in those cities.
We took B-Line Express again ($631 each way) with a lovely driver named Nala. The Westin was predictable (and good), with their large Jacuzzi that we used before dinner. This time we took the A Line train from the airport to Union Station. It was simple ($10 pp round trip) and we had a very good dinner at ChoLon (instead of another disappointing meal at the Westin's restaurant).
Chicago
The American Airlines flight from Denver to Chicago (first class) was comfortable and on time. The baby in coach a few rows behind us did not stop screaming during the entire flight. We had the Four Seasons Chicago arrange transportation from the airport to the hotel. Ken from Empire Limousine met us at baggage and got the car, with Giovanni driving, to meet us in a convenient spot. The car was comfortable; the drive was tedious because of the construction on the I-90/I-94 and the traffic. It seemed like it took forever but Giovanni entertained us with his immigrant father's story of getting to the US after being a slave working for the Germans during WWII.
At the hotel, the Director of Rooms, Christine Lee, met us at reception which was very nice of her and which we appreciated. She arranged for a beautiful suite upgrade for us with our Elite benefits (at the blended rate for a basic standard lake-view room of $870, including tax, per day with the “Experience More Package” providing us a $100 per day F&B credit). Mason helped us to our Suite 4404. The suite was spacious with a glorious view—too bad it was cloudy and hazy (with smoke from Canada). The entryway was large with a table, a closet, and a second (full) bathroom. The living room ran the entire length of the suite and had a desk big enough for the two of us at one end. There was a long mini bar area with 2 fridges and lots of space. The coffee table had sweet treats when we arrived. Later Julie Martz (Assistant Housekeeping Manager) provided us a huge tray of charcuterie. The master bedroom was also large with a second entry door in front of the closet (for some reason). The master bath was good with a tub. All in all, we were very happy. When we complained that the air conditioning was blowing right on us in bed at night, engineering installed a baffle that re-directed the air effectively. We were even happier. Dimitri was able to get Alexa to work notwithstanding the Four Seasons system. Breakfast was á la carte which we don’t prefer. The selections weren’t great either, all standard, and the room was cold and sometimes there were loud children. We started having in-room dining which was much better. The Elite benefits for Four Seasons Residents, like us, include breakfast but in Chicago, there was an $80 per day limit. With the á la carte breakfast, our charges for our normal breakfast were at least $100 which was very annoying. The “Experience More Package” meant that the additional charges were absorbed by the benefit. (When we returned in August we would be on the “Third Night Free” special offer so we wouldn’t have the buffer to absorb extra breakfast charges.)
The newly renovated spa and Jacuzzi were lovely and we enjoyed talking
to other guests when we soaked. The locker rooms were nice but Audre preferred
showering upstairs while Dimitri showered in the locker room. We tried to use
the Fitness room but there were no weight training machines like the Matrix
ones we have in the Vail Four Seasons. There were only free weights and one universal
machine that Audre didn’t like. The Fitness room was really, really hot so using
it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
We were treated royally and we love that. With our activities in Chicago and despite one day of rain, we had a lovely time eating well in the restaurants that Dimitri chose. We didn't get to do much in Chicago so we don't really have an opinion on the city. On our return to Vail from the Seychelles we will stop again in Chicago and we will see more.
On our first night, after we used the Jacuzzi and showered we finally got to dinner at Adorn at about 8 pm. We wanted to experience Chef Richie's food and use the F&B credits included in our package. We had a very good meal with nice service by John. We started with the “raw egg” from the tasting menu and it was impressive--with a mango-passion fruit yolk surrounded by coconut water that looked like a real egg yolk and white in an edible shell. Very good and very fun (and we weren’t charged for this course).
After breakfast, on our first day in Chicago, we walked the Magnificent Mile. When we got to the Chicago River we went to the Architectural Museum and then, after a quick lunch at Just Salad, we went on the architectural boat tour on the First Lady. The tour was led by Russ, a volunteer, and he was entertaining. The chairs on the boat were very uncomfortable but the breeze was nice. The architecture was mildly interesting. The best thing was that we didn't have rain.
That evening, after our soak in the Jacuzzi, we went to dinner by a Lyft car, at Michelin Bib Gourmand Indienne--a restaurant we highly recommend. We had a lovely prix fixe meal with delightful service by a young Indonesian woman named Nanda.
On Day Two in Chicago, we used Divvy Bikes and went riding on the Lakeshore bike path. It was a day without rain and it was crowded as it was a Sunday. We were just checking out biking and we thought it was a success until we got back to the hotel and found that Dimitri had a bloody calf (he didn't bring his calf guards because he said, with faultless logic, that this summer he can't fall off his bike following his knee replacement surgery).
After our evening soak in the Jacuzzi, we went to dinner at Michelin Bib Gourmand, Herb Thai Restaurant. We had an excellent prix fixe meal with very good service. The way the menu worked allowed us to try almost everything. For dessert, we were served Mexican altufa mango with sticky rice. The mango was surprisingly good. The chef/husband/father is the master mango picker. This is a family restaurant and the Mrs. came to chat a couple times and then the daughter and her fiancé did too. It was fun and we enjoyed it.
Day Three was rainy from the start until dinner. It wasn't just sprinkles or even scattered showers, it was an all-day downpour. We wanted to go to Macy's to get Audre's bedroom slippers and to Dick's Sporting Goods to get calf guards for biking. We accomplished our missions by using the A Line subway (because getting a Lyft or a taxi was impossible). After our chores were done we went for Dim Sum at the restaurant recommended by the FS concierge: Triple Crown Dim Sum Restaurant. It was good and we had some unusual offerings.
After our Jacuzzi soak, we went to a neighborhood restaurant called Apolonia which was a Michelin Bib Gourmand. We had been to Chinatown at lunch for dim sum and had gotten there by the A Line subway, easily. We went back by Lyft to Apolonia for dinner; it seemed to take forever to get back even though it wasn’t raining. While the food was good and the chef made the “A List of chefs to know”, it wasn’t worth the trip there from the city.
Next to Doha
The Qatar flight in the Q Suite of business class from Chicago to Doha was perfect, even though it was full. It even departed at a good time: 7:55 pm. The lounge in Chicago left a lot to be desired, however. Qatar used the Swiss Air Lounge and it was small and crowded. Even though our flight was full, our attendants (Sun from South Korea and Albana born in Albania but living in Greece and speaking Greek), found someone who wanted to change with us so we could sit next to each other, in the middle. After a good dinner and a movie, we both had our QSuite beds made and we laid flat and slept during our 13-hour flight. The plane was quiet and the flight was calm. Our roundtrip flight fare cost was a whopping $28,426.86 but it was worth it, if you know what we mean.
We spent a little time in the immigration line before we were whisked to the business class lounge and separate immigration area. Then it took no time at all. We were the first people at the luggage carrousel and we worried that we missed our suitcases when in fact we were so early we had to wait for them. A Qatar representative helped us and finally, they appeared.
A Four Seasons representative met us outside of baggage and took us to the ATM and then to the car we had arranged with the hotel (470 Qatari Riyal US$131.56). It was a very comfortable BMW for an easy ½ hour ride past the modern, stunning skyscrapers of Doha. Our driver was from Egypt and Dimitri liked talking to him. Our driver gave us a bit of an introduction to Doha. When we went to the National Museum of Qatar the next day there was an exhibit with lights that showed the growth of Doha; it was exponential in the last ten years (in spite of the Saudi blockade in 2017). The architecture of the building was stunning, the exhibits not so much.
We were met at the door of the Four Seasons Doha by Fadi Houri, Assistant Director of Rooms and by Rafaela from the front office. We really like that kind of treatment! Rafaela took us to our Ambassador Suite and checked us in at the room. We were upgraded from a Deluxe room (that room rate was QAR 837 per night with a third-night free promotion in effect. Thus, our price for the Ambassador Suite was US $232 per day with our free breakfasts from our Elite benefits. Wow).
The suite had a large entryway with a second powder room (which we love having) then the living room with a desk for Dimitri’s laptop and a table for Audre’s. The view was of the Arabian Sea, south. Below us, we could see the swimming pools and the beach area. The coffee table in the living room had sweet treats (including baklava which we love) and fruit from the Four Seasons.
We had a large separate bedroom with a comfortable chair and a large dressing room with closets and drawers so we unpacked everything, even though we were only staying three nights. Beyond the dressing room was the bathroom with 2 sinks, a shower, a bathtub, and a toilet. Ossama, the Housekeeping Assistant Manager from Egypt, personalized our suite and we were very happy.
At 8:30 we had a reservation in Souk Waqif for a Persian restaurant called Parisa. We had a lovely meal of okra and lamb stew with a watermelon and feta salad. We spent QAR 233/US $64 with dessert and were happy. After dinner, we walked around the Souk and Audre bought some jasmine oil essence (her current favorite scent for its calming effect).
There were actual Qataris walking around Souk Waqif. Many women were in hajibs. This was refreshing after visiting UAE and Oman where we didn't see any locals. At Souk Waqif, we found the taxi stand (called a rank) and took one back to the hotel.
The next day we experienced the breakfast buffet at the Four Seasons which was extensive and very good. The Hotel Manager Julia Selyukova came to greet us and actually took the time to sit and talk to us. Boy, we love that kind of attention!
That day we went to the waterworks area and then out to the pool area. We were thrilled when we found the outdoor Jacuzzi at 36° C. We had our moment of Zen. Each day the in-room dining team did something special for us.
The National Museum of Qatar (100 Qatari Riyal (about US $28) was underwhelming, although the building's architecture was interesting.
We took another Uber on our second night to a restaurant called Yasmine Palace (Parcel 18 Fountain Roundabout, Doha, Pearl-Qatar Marina Way 31, https://yasminepalace.com/). It was awful and we spent 257 Qatari Riyal (about US $71) and were very unhappy.
After dinner, we took an Uber to Katara Cultural Village where there are free buggies to take people around. We had one to ourselves and the driver gave us a complete tour, including the air-conditioned street (which was too cold for us). It was all new (and in the process of being built). The buggy driver dropped us at Saadeddin Sweet Shop where we had coffee and a sweet. We found a cruising taxi to take back to the hotel.
On our third day, we went to the pool area and had a lovely day with Jega and the other attendants. Of course, we had our moment of Zen in the Jacuzzi. During our soak, Julia, the hotel manager came by with Chef Engineer Geórgios (from Greece) and we chatted (some of us chatted in Greek).
On our third day, Fadi Houri invited us to take a tour of Doha with Mr. Firas Alobisi as guests of the Four Seasons (www.dohamagicadventures.com). We were blown away; what a fabulous gift! Firas was very charming and very informative. We loved the tour and learned about Firas (from Syria) and Qatar, where he had lived for a long time and raised his family. We went to the port and Firas introduced us to Chabrat Al Mina seafood restaurant with the Moroccan manager. We will go on our return in August.
We started the tour at 6 pm and afterwards, Firas dropped us at our dinner restaurant called Saasna in the area called Msheireb near the Mandarin Hotel.
Saasna is described as authentic modern Qatari cuisine. The meal was good. We asked the server to have the kitchen cut the 2 mangos that we had bought at Falcon Fruits and Vegetable where our wonderful guide, Firas, had taken us. The first one was so delicious we had our server put the other one in a takeaway box and we took it on the Qatar flight for breakfast the next day. We spent QAR 184, about US $51 and we were happy.
We went to Al Aker Sweets in Souq Waqif and we had really delicious kunafa. It was crowded and tables were scarce. We saw a couple standing and eating their sweets so we asked them to join us. They became our instant Saudi friends, Emira and Ahmed.
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