Editors’ Note

Upon receiving a degree from Cornell University in 1981, Christopher Hunsberger began his career with Four Seasons as a management trainee at the Pierre, New York. Since that time, he has held posts in Toronto, Chicago, New York, Houston, and Carlsbad, California. He assumed his current post in 2001.

Property Brief

Located in historic Georgetown, the U.S. capital’s most exclusive residential neighborhood, the AAA five-diamond, Mobil five-star Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC (www.fourseasons.com), features 211 guest rooms, including 51 suites. Guests enjoy 24-hour concierge and room service; a state-of-the-art health and fitness center; private spa room treatments; and award-winning dining in the Seasons restaurant. The property is a member of Toronto-based Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts.

Were you pleased with the Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC’s growth in 2007? Do signs point to continued success in 2008?

We believe so. We were blessed to have a very good year in 2007, and Washington continues to have, for many reasons, a strong and vibrant economy and is a place where people of many orientations need to conduct business.

Is the hotel primarily a destination for business travelers?

During the week, we are busiest with traditional business guests. In fact, we were just named, in Travel + Leisure’s reader’s poll, as the number one business hotel in the United States. On weekends, we cater to people who are in the city strictly for leisure. Overall, we appeal to a diverse clientele who enjoys the service levels associated with luxury.

Do you have any significant updates planned for the property?

We’re getting ready to start a $35 million renovation, having just finished a $30 million project a couple of years ago. First, we’re converting our Garden Terrace Lounge into a vibrant lunch and dinner restaurant. We are also going to take our spa to the next level, updating the interior design of the spa and fitness club and expanding its footprint so we can enhance our spa experience. Thirdly, we’re going to add another 11 room keys, one of which will be a fifth Presidential suite. The new suite will be 3,000-plus square feet, with all of the latest amenities found in high-end residences presented in a comfortable, user-friendly way. It’s an elegant and sophisticated space. We’re also redoing our ballroom, and lastly, we’re adding a wine bar to the hotel.

We will always need to evolve to stay out in front of the competition and to give our guests what they want. We’re excited to have all of these different projects going, and we’ll complete them in a way that is unobtrusive for our guests.

In light of these renovations, it seems fairly obvious that you think a comprehensive spa offering is a must-have for a luxury property today.

Yes. Luxury travelers – even business travelers – expect that. We believe it’s a competitive advantage to have an exceptional spa in a city hotel. We’re taking the spa to the next level because the demand is there, from both our guests and the local community. We have found that local spa customers also become good customers for our restaurants and other facilities in the hotel. A spa is a great way to connect with your local community, in addition to your guests.

In a luxury hotel, how do you balance technological amenities with personalized service?

It is a balancing act, but we try to offer our customers choices. Some customers want the human touch and are, in some ways, adverse to technology. Some people prefer services like express check-in and check-out. We don’t want to only offer our guests one option. That said, we do look at ways in which technology can enhance our guests’ experience, but the technology has to be user-friendly. Some of our competitors jumped on the technology bandwagon and implemented devices that were proven in residential settings, but that didn’t really make sense when applied in a hotel setting. We have to remember that our guests have varying technological aptitudes. So we like to offer them a technological alternative, but we don’t make it their only alternative.

In an industry known for its high employee turnover rates, the Four Seasons organization is able to retain talent. Does that have something to do with the company itself?

It has to do with the Four Seasons’ culture. We have a basic philosophy: Treat employees the way you would want to be treated – the Golden Rule. That’s the same philosophy we take with our guests. That very simple premise guides our thought process and acts as a beacon to ensure we stay the course.

Has your experience in running the Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC, been what you expected it to be when you joined the hotel over six years ago?

Running the Four Seasons in Washington is unlike running any other hotel in the world. We continually have the good fortune to be able to evolve, create a competitive product, and remain the hotel of choice for world leaders and captains of industry in Washington. That keeps me very engaged. I am looking forward to the years ahead. There’s a lot more on the agenda, and we’ll keep moving forward and focusing on providing our guests with the things they expect of a property like ours.