How did a company – whose first property was a modest motor hotel in downtown Toronto – evolve into the world’s leading operator of luxury hotels? The story of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, which opened its first hotel in 1961, is a tale of continuous innovation, remarkable expansion, and a single-minded dedication to the highest of standards. The Canadian-based company has, over the past forty years, transformed the hospitality industry by combining friendliness and efficiency with the finest traditions of international hotel keeping. In the process, Four Seasons has re-defined luxury for the modern traveller.

A New Course for Luxury: The 24-Hour Hotel
Founded in 1960 by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Isadore Sharp, Four Seasons traces it roots to an idea that would prove to be revolutionary: what the global business traveler wanted most was personalised service, available round-the-clock. Frequent international travel, now so commonplace, was an emerging trend in the 1960’s and ‘70s. It set the stage for a new kind of luxury hotel experience.

Sharp had the opportunity to capitalize on this trend when the company opened its third hotel, and its first in Europe, the Inn on the Park, now known as Four Seasons Hotel London. In a market dominated by classic, traditional hotels, the new arrival was an instant success. Key features included spacious rooms equipped for both business and relaxation, as well as a friendly staff to make every guest wish a reality. The success of London made Sharp realize that what he enjoyed creating – and what was really lacking in the marketplace – were medium sized hotels of exceptional quality, with exceptional service levels. He decided to focus his efforts on this niche and thus set the future course for the company.

Building on the success of London, Four Seasons then embarked on a targeted course of expansion, which continues to the present time, opening hotels in major city centres across North America and around the world. As the company expanded, Four Seasons became the first in North America to introduce now-standard items such as bath amenities, terry-cloth robes, hairdryers and multiple, 2-line telephones in the guest room and bath.

Four Seasons was also the first to provide European-style concierge services and room service 24/7…to offer innovative choices in cuisine, taking the hotel dining experience to a new level…and to make all of these services available at every hotel it operated. Twice-daily housekeeping service, one-hour pressing and round-the-clock, four-hour laundry and dry cleaning service are additional brand features, introduced at Four Seasons long before these were introduced by other luxury hotel operators.

Most of all, however, the people of Four Seasons set the experience apart.

“We have aspired to be the best hotel in each location where we operate,” says Sharp. “Early in the company’s history we decided to focus on redefining luxury as service and that became our strategic edge. And, in order to deliver on that promise, we needed to harness the ‘best of the best’  employees who are dedicated, committed and inspired to deliver great service. They are the standard bearers for the intuitive, highly personalized service we aspire to provide.”

Redefining Luxury Vacations
The 1990’s brought a new avenue of growth, the opening of the company’s first destination resort, Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea, extending the company’s unique approach to the leisure experience.

In Maui – and now at 26 unique resort properties worldwide - key innovations have included extra-spacious baths and architectural design, which maximizes views, privacy and enjoyment of the natural surroundings. The concept of intuitive, anticipatory service was applied to the guest experience at the pool, and on the golf links – where chilled towels and Evian spray, exceptional food and beverage options, and creative activities for guest of all ages have helped to define a new level of luxury vacations.

Ever-Evolving Service
By pioneering new ways to serve the changing lifestyle of the global traveler, Four Seasons continues to respond to emerging guest needs. Nowhere is this more evident than in the way that in-room services also have evolved. Dining options now include Home Cooking (simple, wholesome recipes that travelers would have at home) as well as the creative dishes of Vegetarian Dining. Today’s guest can also choose from an ever-widening array of services that are completely customized to his or her needs, such as massage and aromatherapy, or in-room exercise equipment upon request.

Other Four Seasons initiatives offer added convenience. Guests who lose luggage or are missing personal belongings can take advantage of the No Luggage Required program, which goes beyond replacing essential items, to replacing a missing tie or outfitting guests with a suit for that all-important meeting. The Kids For All Seasons program, offered at resort properties, provides interesting, supervised recreation for children…and gives parents a vacation, too. All of these innovations are designed to make business travel more productive and efficient, and leisure travel carefree and more enjoyable, with guest comfort being the ultimate measure of success.

Supporting Peak Performance
Next to comfort comes wellness and peak performance. The past decade has seen dramatic growth in consumer focus on fitness and well-being, and consequently in the demand for spa experiences. An early pioneer of spa as an integral part of the luxury hotel experience, Four Seasons first introduced a full-service spa in 1986, at Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas. In 2001, every Four Seasons resort includes a distinctive spa experience and every property worldwide offers on-site spa services.

Responding to guests’ preference for a healthful lifestyle on the road and to the growing sophistication of spa visitors, Four Seasons spa experiences combine unique facilities, products and treatments in one-of-a-kind environments. From Bali to Paris to Beverly Hills, innovative Four Seasons spa designs maintain harmony with the environment. Indigenous treatments are created to soothe mind, body and spirit and sensitive services are developed to pamper, rejuvenate and restore.

Tangible Signs of Success: Awards and Honors
Having established a clear leadership position in luxury hospitality today, Four Seasons repeatedly receives unprecedented recognition and service accolades worldwide. This year, and for each of the past 21 years, Four Seasons received more AAA Five Diamond awards than any other hotel company and has recently been named Top International Hotel Chain by the Zagat Survey.

Individual properties continue to capture top slots from trend-setting lifestyle publications such as Andrew Harper’s Hideaway Report, Condé Nast Traveler, Gourmet and Travel & Leisure, and Gallivanter’s Guide (UK). Leading international business publications have also accorded Four Seasons the highest rankings, including Global Finance, Institutional Investor and Nikkei Business.

Perhaps one of the most valued honours received by Four Seasons is its repeated recognition as one of Fortune magazine’s Top 100 Companies to Work for in America. The Four Seasons service culture begins with the recruiting process, and is reflected in the company’s philosophy of managing employees with dignity and respect. The Fortune ranking, determined by the opinions of randomly selected Four Seasons employees, is a clear reflection that the service culture put in place years ago continues to thrive and grow.

To ensure the quality of Four Seasons service is consistent, and continues to meet guests’ expectations every time, the company has always focused on its employees. For Four Seasons, this meant establishing a mission statement based on the “The Golden Rule”  do unto others, as you would have them do unto you.

“We treat our employees with the same level of respect that they in turn give our guests,” commented Sharp. “This, combined with managing rather than owning hotels, has long been the foundation of the company’s philosophy, and the driving force behind its success.”

A Service-Rich Lifestyle
There’s no place like home, and a Four Seasons-style home may be the best luxury of all. Responding to the growing desire of affluent consumers to enjoy a service-rich residential lifestyle, Four Seasons launched a new extension of its brand in 1997. Today, Four Seasons Residential Properties provide full or fractional ownership of city and vacation homes in some of the most desirable locations around the world. Four Seasons Private Residences in San Francisco, Nevis – soon in Miami and Punta Mita – offer fully deeded hotel ownership of condominiums or resort homes, combined with the personalised service of a Four Seasons hotel.

Four Seasons Residence Clubs, a fractional ownership product, offer fully appointed vacation villas and a stress-free, maintenance-free alternative to vacation home ownership. This enables owners to bask in the services and amenities of Four Seasons – whether it’s in-villa dining, spa treatments, preferred tee times, or concierge services – while enjoying the spaciousness and comfort, more typical of a private home.

With the success of Four Seasons private residences as well as Residence Clubs in Aviara and Scottsdale, Four Seasons has demonstrated its ability to set a new service standard level in luxury residential ownership as it has for its hotels and resorts.

Poised for the Future
Moving into the new millennium, Four Seasons is continuing a global expansion program begun in the late 1990s. More than 20 new properties around the world are currently under construction or in development.

Reflecting on the significance of the company’s extraordinary growth curve, Kathleen Taylor, president and chief operating officer, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts commented, “The new properties represent the next generation of exceptional destination resorts as well as business hotels in world financial centers. This expansion will increase our international presence by nearly one third and confirms our continuing commitment to operate the top hotel in each market we enter.”

Recent years have seen a tremendous acceleration in world travel, in both business and leisure markets. With increasing experience and frequency, travelers become progressively more demanding in their needs, and the service and comfort levels pioneered by Four Seasons will only grow in significance. Looking ahead, Four Seasons will continue to lead the luxury hospitality market with innovative enhancements, making business travel easier and leisure travel more rewarding. The growth curve continues, bringing the Four Seasons experience to more key destinations where discerning travelers await understated luxury and personalized, anticipatory service.

“We define the experience through the service we provide, and we strive to offer the same high level of personalized service visit to visit and hotel to hotel,” says Sharp. “It is this quality of service that is so critically important to our guests, and the degree to which we can provide and evolve it, worldwide, is also the degree to which we can differentiate ourselves and stay ahead of the rest.”