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Isadore Sharp

Four Seasons: The Story of a Business Philosophy Paperback – Deckle Edge, November 6, 2012

by Isadore Sharp (Author)

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How did a child of immigrants, starting with no background in the hotel business, create the world’s most admired and successful hotel brand? And how has Four Seasons grown so dramatically, over nearly half a century, without losing its focus on exceptional quality and unparalleled service?

Isadore Sharp answers these questions in his inspiring memoir. He started out in Toronto, the son of a modest builder from Poland, but ambition and fate rapidly took him beyond his father’s three-man construction business.

Sharp learned the hotel business by trial and error. His breakthrough was a vision for a new kind of hotel, featuring superior design, top-quality amenities, and, above all, a deep commitment to service. Today, Four Seasons is widely recognized as the world leader in comfort and luxury—in fact, it sets the standard by which every luxury hotel is measured.

Print length

320 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Portfolio
Publication date

November 6, 2012
Dimensions

5.6 x 0.84 x 8.42 inches
ISBN-10

1591845645
ISBN-13

978-1591845645
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About the Author

Isadore Sharp is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Four Seasons Hotels, Inc. He opened the first Four Seasons in Toronto in 1961, and the company now operates eighty-two luxury hotels and resorts around the world, with more than forty additional properties under development. He and his wife, Rosalie, are prominent philanthropists. They divide their time between Toronto and Palm Springs, California.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Portfolio; Reprint edition (November 6, 2012)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1591845645
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1591845645
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 3.53 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.6 x 0.84 x 8.42 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #64,358 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #70 in Hospitality, Travel & Tourism (Books)
- #87 in Culinary Biographies & Memoirs
- #202 in Business Professional's Biographies

Customer Reviews:
259 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5

259 global ratings

5 star		72%
4 star		15%
3 star		8%
2 star		2%
1 star		3%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Casey Cruz

Inspirational book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 18, 2022

I love this book

Customer Service in Practice

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 5, 2014

Verified Purchase

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.

5 people found this helpful

Helpful

John Reosti

Not a bad book

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on June 6, 2014

Verified Purchase

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.

One person found this helpful

Helpful

Jim Cathcart

Inside & Outside

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 7, 2010

Verified Purchase

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!

10 people found this helpful

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TL Cox

Business Gems inside for patient readers.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on August 19, 2021

Verified Purchase

Author was refreshingly transparent regarding wise and unwise business decisions, as well as his personal transformation. A great reminder and appreciation of ‘process’.

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JohnNDFW

A Xmas Gift for the boss

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 15, 2015

Verified Purchase

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.

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 31, 2019

Verified Purchase

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.

Helpful

187

Great story about a man with drive

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on July 6, 2021

Verified Purchase

This book is great . I’m
Still reading it . However it’s good.

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Gilbert Corrales

Required read for any CEO

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 5, 2022

Verified Purchase

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

Jay

Quality of book very bad

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on May 31, 2020

Verified Purchase

Delivered very quick however the quality of the book was awful. Looked like it had been printed and put together by an amateur. Strange as it had Penguin Random House markings but looks like a knock off. Avoid buying this copy.

Mr R J SHEARDOWN

Gift, so not read

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 5, 2019

Verified Purchase

Bought as a gift for a friend in the hotel trade; not my cup of tea.

I just want my stuff

looks like my six year bound it

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on January 13, 2017

Verified Purchase

Poorly made, cover damaged, looks like my six year bound it, went for a return on this one. Such a shame as it would have been a great read, guys you need to be up front with people!!

One person found this helpful

Glyn Walker

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 4, 2015

Verified Purchase

Excellent!!

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