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Isadore sHarp built a global brand synonymous with a 24-karat philosophy of service . He ’ s the father of the modern luxury hotel — and the embodiment of that ideal .
by BarBara Bohn , managing editor
Photos by : Melissa Valladares
Isadore Sharp never intended to become an hotelier . He was a builder , and the first hotel he constructed , in 1955 , was for a friend . But his curiosity about the business was piqued , and in 1961 he and his partners constructed and opened the Four Seasons Motor Hotel in Toronto .
Still , it was just a real estate deal , “ nothing more ,” he says . What if it hadn ’ t succeeded ? “ I would still be working today to pay it off .”
An audacious entrepreneur , Sharp followed a vein of gold in the lodging industry that he mined to unparalleled success . With an uncompromising approach to luxury and an eye for detail , he made Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts synonymous with a standard of service and an elegance of environment that few competitors can rival . Today , it has 96 hotels and resorts in 41 countries and about 44,000 employees .
At 84 , Sharp has stepped back from operations but retains the chairman title . “ There are a handful of individuals of his generation who shaped the hotel industry ,” says Allen Smith , who took over as president and CEO in 2013 and is a relative newcomer at a company comprising many lifetime employees .
In an industry that extols buzzwords like authenticity and personalization , Sharp was decades ahead of the curve with a management mantra that still seems counterintuitive . “ I have seen him
Keeping everything in perspective : Isadore Sharp , photographed at his home in Palm Springs , remains chairman of Four Seasons .
18 HOTELS April 2016 www . hotelsmag . com