Luxury Hotelier - September 2007 - (Page 20)

20| Personalities fringes of Toronto. Mr. Sharp, the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Four Seasons and an icon among luxury hoteliers, reveals he still exercises with Jane Fonda. “I’ve got the original Advanced Jane Fonda tape that I do a few times a week,” Mr. Sharp says. “I play a little tennis, do some weights now and then.” By all accounts, Mr. Sharp has been a lifelong fitness nut and the consummate professional when it comes to managing a Barbara Talbott healthy lifestyle. Barbara Talbott, Four Seasons’ executive vice president of marketing, recalls that on her second day of employment at Four Seasons, she went to an exercise class near the company’s headquarters. “I looked in the mirror and behind me in the class were Issy and two other executives,” Ms. Talbott says. “I had met him but didn’t really know him. When class was over, he chatted with me. He said, ‘You know, you’ll never regret taking care of yourself.’ “It’s that way whether he’s talking with someone who is a major partner or someone who works in our hotels. He’s very genuine,” she says. Mr. Sharp’s convictions run deep, whether he’s talking about Rosalie (his wife of 51 years), his company or his wellness. What is luxury? “Luxury, by definition, means something that appears to be the best of whatever it represents. It’s a word that raises people’s expectations, whether talking about clothing for women or locations for people to live. … You pay for recognition, but probably the most important thing it represents is delivery on the promise of the brand’s name.” —Isadore Sharp, founder, chairman and chief executive officer, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts I’m not sure of the definition of hotelier. I would say I do have a kinder view of people—an appropriate way to deal with a customer as a guest. So in that regard I would consider myself a hotelier. — Isadore Sharp “I enjoy my lifestyle. I’m surrounded by people who turn me on,” he says. “I’m working with people who are bright and have a great sense of humor, and who deal with things in a manner in which they’re comfortable. Work has never been stressful.” Mr. Sharp, whose strong and unwavering voice allows a listener a glimpse into his personality, says that even as the company’s recent deal with Cascade Investment LLC and Kingdom Hotels International to go private was meeting some resistance from shareholders, stress was nowhere to be found. Why? Because that deal was the right thing to do, he says. “At this stage in my career, time will tell [how long I stay active],” he says. “If something happened to me, it would be a shock. But now we know nothing’s going to happen to the company. And I assure you that everybody who was involved would find what was needed to continue. It would almost be like a challenge. You can’t let this thing slip. There’s no doubt CONTINUED ON PAGE 24 Luxury Hotelier | September 2007 | www.LuxuryHotelier.com http://www.LuxuryHotelier.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Luxury Hotelier - September 2007

EDITOR’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER INFORM NETWORK PERSONALITIES INSIGHT INSIGHT PROPERTIES ROPERTIES INSPIRE DELIVER PROTOCOLS INSIGHT INNOVATE DEVELOPMENT INDULGE INSIGHT CONNECT UPDATE DOSSIER

Luxury Hotelier - September 2007

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