When I was 9 years old, I spent a week with my family at the Four Seasons Maui over Christmas. I will never forget the outstanding experience I had as a child. I remember, one afternoon while playing by the pool, I turned to my mother and said,
“This is my favourite place in the world…can we come back every year!?”
Four Seasons Maui
Photograph retrieved at http://www.fourseasons.com/maui/photos_and_videos/#image-maui-resort-MAU_686
Today, as I complete my Bachelor of Arts in International Hotel Management at Royal Roads University (@Royalroads), that vivid but distant memory has stuck with me. I believe that particular day was the defining moment of my passion for hotels and in a way, marked the beginning of my ‘career’ in the hospitality industry. It had always been a dream for me to work with Four Seasons and when the opportunity came up I was thrilled to be able to intern with Four Seasons Toronto.
Royal Roads University
Friday June 17th- 2:30 pm
Excited, intimidated and anxious would only begin to describe how I felt as I stepped off the airplane. A blanket of warm air swept over my body as I walked through the glass doors of the Pearson International Airport
Toronto.
I sat on the airport shuttle, staring eagerly out the window en route to downtown. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the CN tower for the first time! A quick 45 minutes ride, and I arrived at The Best Western hotel downtown, http://www.torontoprimrosehotel.com; my new home for the summer.
Over the next few days I spent some time exploring Toronto, learning the subway system and enjoying the beautiful weather. Toronto surprised me. The city was packed with ethnicity, beautiful architecture, extensive cuisine, high fashion, arts and most importantly, opportunity. I found myself quickly adapting to the Toronto life style and gaining a rather high appreciation for the city, even the sporting events!
My first Toronto Jays Game
I eagerly awaited my first day of my internship at Four Seasons Hotel Toronto
Monday Morning…
As I set out onto the bustling streets that Monday morning on my way to work, I felt oddly at ease considering the long journey ahead of me. My previous hospitality experience allowed me to feel fairly confident with the new role I was undertaking. Upon arriving at Four Seasons Toronto, my new boss Angela, Marketing Manager, greeted me in the lobby of the hotel; she was fantastic! Angela showed me around the beautiful property and introduced me to the rest of the team. Shortly after, we sat down and discussed a brief framework of what I could expect for my internship this summer. It sounded almost too good to be true!
It didn’t take long for me to recognize that all my previous assumptions of the Four Seasons brand were very accurate, and my distant childhood memories were confirmed. The company itself was extremely well structured, service was consistent, and what impressed me the most was Four Seasons seemed to always be one step above other leading chains and competitors. Outstanding colleagues, exceptional amenities, and fantastic service, it was no wonder Four Seasons was a global hospitality leader in luxury. I knew very early on, this internship would be one of the most valuable experiences for me both professionally and personally.
A special personalized amenity prepared for a little girl staying at the hotel.
Over the course of the next few months, I was assigned to work on various projects related to public relations and communications. Although the hotel was extremely well structured, my work days were quite the opposite. Each day was quite different from the last, which made this experience so valuable. Some of my responsibilities were, answering general inquiries from the public and media, plan coordinate and execute special projects, assist with communication materials such as press releases and social media, coordinating magazine and television interviews with the Concierge, and capturing photos of new products and promotions to upload to various social media platforms. Although, aside from these tasks, my main focus for the internship was assisting Four Seasons Toronto prepare for the Toronto International Film Festival 2011 in September (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/26/toronto-film-festival-2011_n_909717.html).
Having never been to Toronto before, this event really sparked my interest and I felt incredibly fortunate to be a part of it. There was a lot of hype around TIFF and Four Seasons Toronto was very much involved in many of the events.
July- Preparation for TIFF
Four Seasons Hotel Toronto hosts a luncheon on the first Saturday of TIFF yearly for George Christy, a former columnist for the Hollywood Reporter, along with several of his guests, close friends and the media.
George Christy- http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0160690/
This is the 27th consecutive year the George Christy Luncheon has taken place at Four Seasons Hotel Toronto and is considered a high profile event for the hotel. This year, I was Mr. Christy’s “personal assistant” intern. His arrival to the hotel was set for early September however; I was in contact with him in July to being preparing for the event. Prior to his arrival I helped build the guest list, contact guests and potential invites and ensure his upcoming visit to Toronto would be executed flawlessly. During the actual event itself, I would be responsible for the guest list at the door while also assisting George in any way possible.
Aside from assisting with Mr. Christy, I was also able to be very involved in planning for the TIFF events hosted in Avenue Bar, Four Seasons Hotel Toronto’s legendary lounge. I was able to contribute ideas and suggestions for some of the events such as, theme, décor, invitations, wardrobe and cocktail ideas.
Four Seasons Hotel Toronto has been a major player in the Toronto Film Festival for many years, although this year was specifically important. A new Four Seasons Hotel Toronto is currently under construction in the neighbourhood, and in about a year, the team will move to their new home down the street. http://www.fourseasons.com/toronto-new/. Therefore this year’s Film Festival is the last TIFF to be celebrated at this property, as next year the new hotel will be open.
The new Four Seasons Hotel Toronto. Set to open Summer 2012
-Under construction
Urban Toronto’s “Photo of the Day” Retrieved: http://urbantoronto.ca/news/2011/08/photo-day-lifetime-developments-and-menkes-sexy-four-seasons-hotel-and-private-residenc
In the next few months, I really am looking forward to continuing my journey with Four Seasons Hotel Toronto. The city of Toronto, specifically the hospitality industry, is constantly evolving however; Four Seasons has consistently maintained their brand integrity and their presence in the market place. Four Seasons has exceeded my expectations as a company from both a guest and an “employee” perspective. As I look to the future, I hope to continue to develop professionally establish a long term career with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.
