Voice of Luxury: Four Seasons' Alejandro Reynal
Alongside a pipeline of more than 50 hotel openings, the brand plans to expand its immersive, experiential travel offering.
Q. Tell us more about your career before becoming chief executive of Four Seasons.
Before joining Four Seasons in 2022, I was president and chief executive of Apple Leisure Group, a luxury resort management and leisure travel group, as well as chief executive of Atento, a global provider of customer relationship management and business process outsourcing services.
Q. What are your aspirations for Four Seasons?
Our vision is to be the most aspirational luxury hospitality and residential brand through genuine and unparalleled experiences. We want to ensure guests remain at the forefront as we grow, both in terms of opening new hotels, resorts and residences and by introducing new opportunities to experience Four Seasons, such as our Private Jet, Drive Experience and Yacht journeys.
Q. How did the brand perform in 2023 and how has business started this year?
Last year was another exceptional year of growth as we announced and opened new hotels, resorts and residences, added new itineraries aboard our Four Seasons Private Jet experience, and continued working on the inaugural season of Four Seasons Yachts, which will take place in 2026. We’re already seeing great momentum for the year ahead.
New properties are getting ready to open their doors and welcome guests who have a tremendous appetite for travel and experiences. We have an ambitious and exciting vision for the future, which our teams around the globe are bringing to life.
Q. Can you talk us through some of your upcoming openings?
We have more than 50 hotels and resorts at various stages of development. New openings include a resort in Cabo San Lucas in Mexico, with sparkling ocean views; a 16th-century hotel revitalisation in the historic Colombian city of Cartagena; the third Four Seasons property in Morocco – a waterfront hotel in Rabat; hotels in Dalian and Hangzhou, China; and a fourth Four Seasons in Japan with an upcoming opening in Osaka.
We’re also transforming the legendary Hotel Formentor in Majorca into a Four Seasons experience, opening a property in Melbourne and a new hotel in Shanghai. For new and existing Four Seasons homeowners seeking the finest luxury lifestyles in unmatched locations, we look forward to introducing new residential projects in places including Las Vegas, Austin, Istanbul and a one-of-a-kind private island getaway on Caye Chapel in Belize.
Q. How has the Four Seasons Private Jet been performing?
Demand for the Four Seasons Private Jet experience continues to soar, with itineraries regularly selling out well in advance thanks to many of our guests booking repeat trips – even some who have been on six journeys with us. Each year, an average of eight itineraries take place, with plans for even more in the years ahead.
In 2024, we’ll travel from Easter Island to the Lost City of Petra on Ancient Explorer, Kyoto to the Serengeti on International Intrigue, Machu Picchu to Antarctica on Unchartered Discovery, and Rwanda to the Galápagos Islands on World of Adventures. These journeys allow guests to seamlessly travel around the world to bucket-list destinations, with Four Seasons stays and our legendary service each step of the way.
Q. Which destinations do you expect will be most in demand in 2024?
We anticipate that cultural moments and global events will continue to drive demand. Whether associated with the popular ‘set-jetting’ trend, which created an incredible wave of interest for our properties in Maui and Taormina from their role as the backdrop in The White Lotus, to the upcoming Olympics in major cities such as Paris, Milan and Los Angeles.
Q. What trends are driving bookings?
Immersive experiences are a priority for luxury travellers looking for exclusive and authentic offerings. Building on the success of our Private Jet experience, we launched the Four Seasons Drive Experience in 2022 to celebrate the best of road travel in Tuscany, the Alps and Napa Valley from behind the wheel of a luxury vehicle. We’ll be sharing itineraries for the Four Seasons Yacht very soon, which will explore the Caribbean and Mediterranean.
Q. What is your definition of the word ‘luxury’?
Today, luxury hospitality is defined by highly personalised service and immersive, one-of-a-kind experiences that allow guests to explore the world. However, at the core of the Four Seasons experience is our belief that true luxury is defined by a meaningful sense of belonging with an abundance of humanity and generosity.
Our ability to deliver this is thanks to the dedication and passion of our team, who share a sense of purpose driven by the Golden Rule, empowering them to go above and beyond and create meaningful memories and exceptional experiences for all our guests, residents and communities around the globe.