Four Seasons: The Story of a Business Philosophy

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. It was a quick read and had a lot of insight and detail regarding Mr Sharp's history of the Four Seasons Hotel brand. Four Seasons Hotels are different, and his leadership and attention to even the smallest details are some the very things that make the brand great, and make the hotels unique. As FSH goes through it's current transition (growth, new CEO soon) this book is a must in regards to understands what makes this company tick. Not just for hotel nerds, but anyone in the service or hospitality industry. Would recommend it to anyone.

I'm a very big fan of this hotel chain. While I've had the pleasure of only staying ironically in four of their properties; Houston, San Francisco, Buenos Aires and Carmelo, Uruguay, I'm a frequent patron of the Dallas location for their fabulous brunches. I received this as a birthday gift over a year ago and recently finished it. While well-written, it made me look at my new boss in a different light. The same principles of Isadore Sharp's management and staff approach is what my leader has accomplished against heavy industry changes and a work culture mired in turmoil and strife. While in a completely different industry, I find both of them share the same vision of an experience that should be gracious, hospitable and harmonious. It was a perfect Xmas gift for the boss.

A great storytelling, tightly written in conveying what made Four Seasons a legacy, the best of the best— superior service, upheld and enforced the Golden Rule. I would like to see more detailed information such as what’s their pay scales compared with the rest of the industry, strategy or examples of how to deal with trouble customers.

The Four Seasons is an amazing success story. In an industry that is highly competitive, and very capital intensive, it has managed to differentiate itself and excel for many years.This book tells the story, from the perspective of the founder, Issy Sharp.Everyone who has started a business before will know that every big decision feels scary at the moment, even if it turns out successfully later. Sharp relays those emotions well - the huge bets the company had to make, with the ex ante risks clearly expressed.What was most impressive to me was his unbridled optimism and his willingness to back that up with careful investments during severe downturns. It takes extreme courage, because the result of being wrong would be bankruptcy. His laser focus on customer experience, was also way ahead of its time, something that many other firms have followed successfully (especially with Amazon, another book I'm currently reading - The Everything Store). Listening to the customer, listening to each other - years of wisdom distilled into one beautiful sentence.I'd strongly recommend this book to anyone looking to enter the hospitality business or anyone in the investing world, wanting to understand this industry.

Isadore Sharp was definitely brilliant. You can grasp that from some of his stories. But most of them do not get very deep. The book seems to be written for his associates and employees, rather than as a true business biography. The good thing is that you can actually underline a couple of phrases and paragraphs that years later may come useful when starting your own hotel chain.

I've been a happy customer of The Four Seasons for many decades and I've also been hired by them to conduct training programs. Many of their personnel have become my friends. Also one of my family members has worked there for more than ten years. So, when I comment on the hotels I am not merely gushing about a recent great meal or amazing customer service experience.The Four Seasons is the real deal.This inspiring book will tell you the back story and show you why this organization is so astoundingly successful. They didn't figure out a trick to amaze people or simply buy opulent goods to be "prettier" than the rest. They did it right. From the inside to the outside this is an organization to emulate.I sincerely hope that this becomes one of the great business best sellers of all time. If it does then thousands more will learn the wisdom of Isadore Sharp's philosophy and strategies. Other organizations will become more like the Four Seasons.I commend Mr. Sharp on this excellent book and I am awed at his excellence on all levels both organizational and personal.Bravo!

Reading this book about Sharp and his "walked in your shoes" knowing makes me believe that all that is good in the world, and that being humanistic in the workplace has a place. I am so appreciative of Mr. Sharp's keen awareness that it takes everyone to be authentic and caring, and above all, empathetic to make a business a success. His empathy is empowering and should be a symbol of what it takes to make a business a real success. He leaves his ego at the door and magic happens. At the end of the day it's important to make sure that everyone feels important and taken care of. If you know this and act on it, you will be successful and fulfilled. I truly admire him and wish there were more businessmen who would think and act as he has and does.

I like this book. It tells the story of a builder who gradually morphed into a hotelier and then built a wildly successful company focusing on the high end of the hospitality industry. The biggest lesson I took away was the importance of discipline. Sharp grew up building houses and eventually hotels, but he realized his company would be more successful just managing, so he opted to leave the building to others. Then, after adopting a luxury focus, he stuck rigidly to it, abandoning projects that didn't meet the Four Seasons standard, thus enhancing his brand. A lot of good detail, but a lot of generality too. And oddly enough, for a businessman as focused as Sharp, the book includes a long chapter on his support for Canadian cancer research activist Terry Fox. Very interesting, very laudable but somewhat out of place. Four Seasons is a great company because Isadore Sharp made it one.

I could relate to this book so much ! Been in the hospitality industry for over a decade and u agree and believe in almost all his principles and ideology ! This book made me very emotional as I have been living in Canada for 16 years and could relate to many things he mentioned.. Closest to my heart was the Terry Fox Run chapter.. Absolutely LOVED the book !

Really enjoyed the book. So inspiring!

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Very interesting and inspiring bio of the founder of the most prestigious luxury hotel brand in the world. Great reading for hotel professionals.

In a such global saturated market we live in, regardless of sector, service excellence is and will continue to be a unique selling proposition difficult to copy, hence it needs to be intentional and nurture, this book and Issy's example is a great testament to that and a reference for many of us leaders