Destinations of the World News
SIMON SAYS:
INSIGHTS FROM FOUR SEASONS VICE PRESIDENT, SIMON CASSON
On the success of the Four Seasons Private Jet
It’s gone well – a little too well for my liking! I was going to join one coming up, which is all about culinary adventures with the restaurant Noma and Chef Rene Redzepi, but apparently we only have two seats left so I’m not allowed to join the experience. It’s been very popular and certainly brand enhancing.
Are there any further plans to go beyond bricks and mortar?
Not currently. Our core business is something that’s very unique about Four Seasons; our undiluted focus of running medium-sized hotels at the very top end of the market that strive to be the best. And in today’s era of consolidation and the “sea of sameness”, that difference is stark. If a highend consumer looks at the massive conglomerate of Marriott and Starwood, we’re a comparatively little jewel box and it’s more bespoke and consistently focused. That appeals to the high- end traveller.
On the distinction between Four Seasons’ business and leisure hotels:
Where there are destinations that provide a canvas of opportunity, we can do both. Dubai is the case in point where you’re easily able to have a beach resort and a corporate-focused hotel. We just opened a second hotel in London at Ten Trinity which is more of a business hotel than our long- existing Park Lane property, so there are certain cities that can accommodate and support more than one Four Seasons. New York was that way before we let the Pierre go but we just opened the new Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown – again it’s a level of city that can accommodate two hotels. It’s more difficult for a smaller city or a resort destination.
On the upcoming Four Seasons Hotel Tunis, due to open late 2017:
It will very much have a sense of place. Tunis is a fascinating destination because it’s North Africa but just 40 minutes from Malta. It has a unique mix of an Islamic-based Arab culture but with an exotic Mediterranean lilt to it as well with the French language and the proximity to Europe. Our vision there, as everywhere, is that we see a destination that has a sustainable capacity to support a Four Seasons hotel. We don’t look at things just in the moment, the typical length and tenure of our contracts are on average 60 years, but up to 80, 90, 100 – compared to an industry average of about 10 years. People might wonder why we’re opening in such a challenging destination and it’s because it’s not just there for 2017. It’s been four years in the making; it will probably be there for the next 80 years. We operate on the “build it and they will come” mentality and we believe we will be part of the reason more people will now consider Tunis is a holiday destination.
On the Middle East potentially benefitting from the “Trump Effect” and the infamous travel bans:
The Trump Effect… I’m just a hotelier! It’s all still very nascent, and a little early to judge the impact. I think the region’s response has been good and Qatar Airways and Emirates have already launched their own connective iPad solutions and it shows a very resilient creative response. It all depends on how long various bans [based on passports and devices] stay in place in terms of how much impact they have – we’ve not seen any yet.
But will I be allowed to take my laptop on the Four Seasons Private Jet?
Yes!
What are the key technological trends Four Seasons is focused on or is pioneering?
It’s an important question as the world is changing very quickly. Historically, hotels were very aspirational – you would go to a hotel because it had a TV in the bedroom, and the first flatscreens some people ever saw were in a hotel. Today, all of us probably have a better TV at home than in our hotel room, so it’s ceased to be so aspirational because of affordable technology. But more has stayed the same than has changed. Hospitality is thousands of years old and we have an innkeeper mentality and what we do is inherently simple – a bed for the night and food and drink to sustain you. Those core tenants will continue and it’s the human experience that elevates a good experience to a great experience and technology is an enabler for that; it’s a time saver. We have an industry-leading hotel app that allows you to check in to the hotel when you land at the airport, order running shoes to the room or order a massage for later in the day. The delivery of service is human but the data that supports great service is based on technology. We launched a research and development lab in Toronto and we’re trying to envisage the hotel of the future, working alongside Google. Some hotels can open 10-12 years after they’re first envisaged so some tech decisions – TVs, sound systems, lighting, etc. – are made just a few months before opening.