So much of long term success is based on intangibles, beliefs and ideas, invisible concepts.
People often ask me about my original vision for four seasons.
Well, the truth is, there was no vision.
Our grand scheme in 1961, when I built my first hotel, I knew nothing about the hotel business.
My only professional experience was in building apartments and houses.
I was just a builder, and the hotel was just another real estate deal.
I never thought that this was going to be a career, nor did I ever imagine I would one day find myself building and managing the largest and most prestigious group of five star hotels in the world.
I approached the business of innkeeping from a customer's perspective.
I was the host, and the customers were my house guests.
I decided what to build and how to operate by asking myself, what would the customers consider important?
What would the customers recognize as value?
Because if we give them good value, they will pay what they think it's worth.
That was the first strategy, and it continues to this day.
The company evolved slowly at first, and I'll admit I made a few mistakes along the way, but I never made the mistake of putting profit ahead of people.
Looking back over the last 40 years, I've identified the four key strategic decisions that form the Rock solid foundation of Four Seasons.
They are now known as the four pillars of our business model.
They are quality, service, culture and brand.
Curiously, the last of these four key objectives was set way back in 1986.
Sometimes people ask me, does that mean that you haven't thought of anything new since then?
And I tell them that we make new initiatives every year, but nothing so far has been as fundamentally important.