Company History: Four Seasons Hotel, Inc is a Canadian-based international luxury, five-star hotel Management Company. It is one of the world’s most admired and successful luxury hotel chains, and has been named by Fortune consecutively for 16 years as one of “100 Best Companies to Work For” since 1998. The company was also awarded the “Best Business Hotel Chain Worldwide” by Business Traveller. Four Seasons Hotel was founded in the 1961 in Canada by Isadore Sharp, and the hotel (a motel at that time) in Toronto was an oasis for business travellers. It became an upscale luxury hotel when they expanded in London in 1970s. It was also then that Four Seasons would make the four strategic decisions that formed the pillars of its business platforms: exceptional quality, luxury services, explicit culture, and renowned branding. In the 1980s, Four Seasons expand in the United States and moved from owner-operator to hotel managers. In the 1990s, Four Seasons has acquired a strong branding and also begin to build its portfolio of resorts. It also begins to expand in Asia (e.g. first Four Season Hotel in Asia was opened in Tokyo in 1992) and Europe. From 2000 onwards, Four Seasons continued to achieve global growth in both size and recognition. In 2002, Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai marked the company’s entry into the growing Chinese market. In May 2008, Four Seasons marked its entry into the Indian market with a contempory hotel in Mumbai’s Worli district.
Company Analysis & Business Model: Being one of the top luxury hotel chains in the world, Four Seasons has approximately two-thirds of its portfolio in urban areas while the rest in is in resorts market. Four Seasons offered their customers a luxurious, highly quality and customized service and experience. Its facilities include great restaurants and bars, luxurious entertainment facilities like spa and golf, and business meeting rooms. Its competitive advantages include a larger