FHA Insider: Could you do a short introduction on yourself and your company?

Philipp: My name is Philipp Blaser, Vice President, Food & Beverage, Asia Pacific, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Four Seasons holds 30 Michelin stars around the world of which 14 are in Asia Pacific. New restaurants SÉZANNE and est in Tokyo, and Yu Ting Yuan in Bangkok each earned one star within a year of their opening. Additionally, SÉZANNE made its debut on both the 2022 Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants at #17 and the World’s Best Restaurants list at #82.

FHA Insider: What/who are you looking forward to seeing at FHA-HoReCa? Or which sector most interests you?

Philipp: Most importantly FHA is an opportunity to reconnect with the industry. After such a long hiatus the in-person connection with industry peers will be invigorating and exciting. Keen to see what innovation will be unleashed at this event.

FHA Insider: What will you be highlighting about the industry at the session?

Philipp: Some of the lessons the pandemic had taught us as leaders and as an industry about being nimble, resilience, support for each other and ultimately how important customer-centricity continues to be.

FHA Insider: What are your thoughts on the current landscape and what do you think is important for Hotels and hospitality moving forward?

Philipp: People, learning and development and finding new ways to entice the labour force to joining this beautiful industry.

FHA Insider: Are there any peers you are looking forward to seeing at the show?

Philipp: Yes. As mentioned above this is one of the main motivations to join.

FHA Insider: What makes the Four Seasons Hotels stand out from other hotels?

Philipp: Four Seasons is a hotel company that is truly powered by people. The company’s culture is underlined by The Golden Rule to treat others the ways we want to be treated.  It is this culture that allows the execution of service at Four Seasons to become a true differentiator. Many Four Seasons guests have stories about what made their stays special, and so often it’s the small acts of genuine care, service and love that stood out for them.  In fact we have have a new brand creative platform that speaks to this: https://press.fourseasons.com/news-releases/2022/creative-platform-launch/

FHA Insider: How do you maintain your standards amid the issues we face in the new normal environment?

Philipp: Investing in people and working closely with the teams to encouraging them to exercise creative bravery so that we can continue to create memorable experiences for our guests.

FHA Insider: In your opinion has the hospitality industry recovered from the pandemic?

Philipp: We are well on our way. APAC has seen a slower recovery in comparison to other regions like Americas and EMEA as travel recovery and the easing of Covid-19 measures only began in Q2 this year. That said in markets which have reopened and airlift strengthening we see strong demand and recovery.

FHA Insider: Whats next for Four Seasons APAC?

Philipp: We are looking forward to some new openings over the next 12 months in Suzhou, Dalian. Our liveaboard cruise Four Seasons Explorer will end its journey in the Maldives and chart new waters in Palau, one of the last remaining marine frontiers.

Four Seasons Private Jet will launch an all-new 16-day journey in Asia in 2024 that will offer cultural and culinary experiences across our Asian destinations.

The brand’s latest business extension has also recently been announced: the first Four Seasons Yacht will launch in 2025. At 207 metres long and with 95 spacious accommodations, Four Seasons yacht will offer nearly 50% more living space than currently available in an all-suite nautical setting.

There is a lot happening and Four Seasons has an enterprising spirit that ensures that the company continues to evolve to bring new experiences to our guests. It was the first hotel company in North America to introduce now-standard items such as bath amenities, robes and hair dryers long before any other luxury hotel operators, and that spirit of guest-centricity continues to drive meaningful innovation for our guests.