Originally Posted by
vuittonsofstyle
Katie Taylor is a great lady and very financially astute, but what concerns me more is the visionary aspect of Four Seasons - something that maybe we have seen diminishing recently. Companies always say that they are retaining the services of departing CEOs and Chairmen, but they rarely use them once they have gone.
What worries me is that we could be seeing something akin to Marriott taking over Ritz-Carlton. Bill Gates' people are focused on the bottom line and so are many other people who now hold top jobs in FS, so who is going to hold the 'family' of Four Seasons together?
We have already seen rather too many top people leaving the company over the past couple of years and many of them say that they have left because they no longer feel part of a family and that their direct bosses do not appear to have that Four Seasons ethic that initially attracted them to the company.
Without Issy, this trend could be worrying. Sadly, we could be witnessing the beginning of the end of one of the world's great high-end hotel companies. I hope I am wrong.
I'm afraid that I agree. All of the interviews and press releases appear to scream "I WAS HIRED TO PUT THIS SHIP BACK ON THE ROAD TO PROFITABILITY. But the PR people wanted me to say something about service". I suspect IS was forced out.
Katie needs to work on her PR. While those of us that stay at FS understand 'turn-down', her remarks make the FS guests look lazy and persnickety: “Where’s MY EVIAN?????? IT MUST BE CHILLED!!!!!” When speaking to a minimum wage success-hating USA Today reporter, she needs to use different language.
I spent the last 15 minutes or so going over the FS's I've been at in the last 5 years or so, and I have come to the conclusion that there is a wide variety of quality across the brand. I counted 10 or so different stays or about 10% of the worldwide FS locations. Work needs to be done to smooth out the quality and expectations. 'Consistent turn-down' isn't the answer to keep me coming. I’d prefer parking and Internet.
FS Maui, FS Whistler are awful, with special black marks to FS Maui. All the turn-down service in the world won't make up for the lack of lounges at the pool and a 2-hour wait for two dinner seats. FSM, FS Hua, FS Bos, FS SF are terrific. FSM is only FS I have been met by name on arrival. FS SF has cut costs without killing the experience, but I have my doubts it will survive. FS Bos is such a party the locals fight to get in. FS Shanghai is unremarkable and very dull. FS EPA is good only because the competition in Silicon Valley is so shockingly poor.