Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

Infobox_Company
company_name = Four Seasons Hotels Inc.
company_
company_type = Private
foundation = 1960
location = flagicon|CAN Toronto, Canada
key_people = Isadore Sharp, (Founder, Chairman & CEO)
Kathleen P. Taylor, (President & COO)
James FitzGibbon, (President Hotel Operations)| industry = hospitality, tourism
Number of properties = 75
homepage = [http://www.fourseasons.com/ www.fourseasons.com]
footnotes =

Four Seasons Hotels, Inc. is a five-star Canadian-based international luxury hotel chain. It is considered among the finest luxury hotels worldwide, according to "Travel + Leisure" [http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest/2006/ World's Best 2006, Travel+Leisure.com] ] magazine and Zagat Survey [http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2007_2nd/May07_ZagatLodging.html, Zagat Survey Rates, Hotel-online.com] ] , and operates 78 hotels in 32 countries [http://www.fourseasons.com/about_us Four Seasons - About Us] ] including 22 AAA Five-Diamond [http://www.fourseasons.com/about_us/awards_and_accolades.html Four Seasons Awards and Accolades] ] properties.

History

Isadore Sharp founded Four Seasons Hotels, Inc. in 1960 with the Four Seasons Hotel opening in 1961 in Toronto, Ontario as a small hotel in the downtown area. [http://www.fourseasons.com/about_us/about_us_10.html FourSeasons.com: Four Seasons, Four Decades] ] In 1970, the first European hotel, Four Seasons Hotel London, was opened. This developed the luxurious five-star Four Seasons as it is today that has medium size properties and a distinctive service. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Four Seasons grew and opened more luxury hotels throughout North America. During this time, Four Seasons Hotels developed the hotel to a first class property by including luxury items within guest rooms. After this, Sharp opened its first Hawaiian resort in the early 1990s, Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea which is an AAA Five Diamond and Mobile five star Property today. The first full-service spa was introduced in 1986 at Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas at Las Colinas and since 2001, all Four Seasons hotels have had spa facilities.

Business

Four Seasons is a private corporation headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. The company currently manages all 78 Four Seasons hotels in 32 countries. In 2007, the company agreed to a buyout by Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates and Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal of Saudi Arabia for $3.7 billion.Staley, Oliver. [http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/02/12/bloomberg/bxfour.php Four Seasons Hotels agrees to bid from Gates and Alwaleed] . "Bloomberg News", February 13, 2007.]

The Four Seasons name was introduced to the Middle East by Al-Waleed bin Talal, who owns some of the properties in the region as well as a substantial stake in the Canadian parent company, including Egypt, Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. [http://www.zawya.com/cm/profile.cfm/cid1000994, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Zawya.com] ]

Four Seasons Hotels operates private residences at only seven Four Seasons that involves the sale of villa and penthouses as private properties. Prices start at $750,000.

The Four Seasons has a timeshare division called Four Seasons Residence Clubs.

Controversies

In late 2006, it was announced that the Robin Paterson (former CEO of Hamptons International) and Mike Pemberton (Caribbean hotel developer) were planning to build a new high-end Four Seasons Resort on the Mount Hartman Estate on the island of Grenada. [ [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2095-2382619,00.html British duo build new millionaires' playground] ]

This has been subject to much debate, as it is an important site for the critically endangered Grenada Dove. The Grenada Government has issued statements saying the resort can be built on the site without significantly affecting the dove. [ [http://www.caribbeannetnews.com/cgi-script/csArticles/articles/000048/004856.htm Grenada government refutes threat to dove habitat] ] This has been questioned by BirdLife International, which, together with other organizations (such as American Bird Conservancy) and private individuals (such as Graeme Gibson and Margaret Atwood), have started a campaign against the plans. [ [http://www.grenadadovecampaign.com/ Protect the Grenada Dove ] ]

Philanthropy

On June 19, 2002 the Canadian Opera Company announced Four Seasons Hotels as the naming donor for the COC's new Opera House, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, located in Toronto, Canada.

Footnotes

ee also

*Hotel George V, Paris
*Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong

External links

* [http://www.fourseasons.com Four Seasons Hotels official site]
* [http://www.fourseasons.com/macau/ Four Seasons Hotels Macao]