How has the definition of luxury services vis-à-vis hospitality changed over the past few years?
There’s no question that there’s been a lot of discussion — particularly in the media — about luxury in the past few years. In the economic downturn, the term luxury had a very negative connotation. For Four Seasons, luxury has never been about the extravagance or excess often equated with the word. What we do is essential for travellers who want to be sure their time and travel dollars are being well spent. It’s not extravagant. In fact, it’s quite basic. We help guests make the most of their valuable time by providing them reliable, consistent, just-for-me service, drawing on the foundation of our company culture — to treat others as we wish to be treated. How have guest preferences changed? Has there been a shift in spending patterns in demanding exclusivity? Our guests have always had high expectations and we pride ourselves on being able to consistently deliver on them. As our guests’ focus changes, so must our offerings. We must be nimble and watch for these shifts to stay ahead
