This high-end Canadian brand, was born in 1961 in the city of Toronto. Bought in 2006 by Bill Gates, the group is now present on all continents, developing a luxury hotel business dedicated to customer service. In recent years, Four Seasons has developed its activities in parallel sectors as well, such as air transport.
Key figures
The first Four Seasons opened its doors in Toronto, Canada, initiated by Issy Sharp. However, the service was already intended to be a separate trademark from the one that would characterize the future hotel chain. In the decade after its birth, Four Seasons opened two more properties, paving the way for its future expansion. As early as 1970, the chain opened in London and then on the American market: in 1989, it already had 10,000 employees.
Four Seasons began restoring historic properties in 1993, with the future Four Seasons Hotel Milano, which was followed by similar initiatives in other cities with a rich heritage: Istanbul (1996), Paris (1999), Budapest (2004) and Florence (2008). In 1997, Four Seasons was listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
The third millennium did not affect the Four Seasons' appetite in any way, and it opened properties in Cairo (2000), Shanghai (2002), and Mumbai (2008) with the growth of the Chinese and Indian markets. Now present in Europe, America, the Middle East, Four Seasons waited for its 51st anniversary to open in Africa with the signing of a property in Serengeti, Tanzania (2012). A major innovation was launched by the Canadian hotel owner in 2014: the development of a Four Seasons private jet, based on hotel codes and carrying passengers around the world. The project was recently relaunched with new destinations in the program: fifty years after the birth of Four Seasons, the project emphasizes its commitment to luxury and quality of service within its properties.
