The Peak spoke with Tom Roelens, General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur
TELL US ABOUT THE NEW PROPERTY IN KUALA LUMPUR.
Four Seasons has teamed up with the renowned Kuala Lumpurbased architectural and design firm, NRY Architects, to introduce a new 65-storey mixed-use tower to the city’s majestic skyline. Combining Four Seasons’ legendary sophistication and elegance with the vibrancy and energy of the city, Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur features 209 rooms, 27 Serviced Apartments and six restaurants and bars, in addition to the six-floor 250,000 sq ft luxury retail space known as The Shoppes at Four Seasons Place, and 242 Four Seasons Private Residences. Collectively referred to as Four Seasons Place Kuala Lumpur, this landmark property will be an inviting space, where locals and guests from around the world can experience a new destination in dining, nightlife and entertainment, with the best location in the city and the most phenomenal access.
WHAT WILL FOUR SEASONS HOTEL KUALA LUMPUR BRING TO THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IN MALAYSIA?
Kuala Lumpur is one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing cities in the world, and Four Seasons is thrilled to establish our second property in Malaysia. Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur will offer an urban compliment to the award-winning Four Seasons Resort Langkawi and create a new benchmark in luxury travel within South-East Asia. As one of the world’s leading luxury hospitality companies for more than 50 years, Four Seasons has transformed the global industry with intuitive and genuine service, and reinvented the guest experience through innovation, intuitive world-class service, and offering the extraordinary. At Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur, we will be introducing these same luxury standards in hospitality, service and lifestyle, while offering unforgettable experiences that capture a sense of place and define the destination.
THE FOUR SEASONS BRAND IS RENOWNED FOR ITS LUXURIOUS HOSPITALITY. WHAT, SPECIFICALLY, CAN WE EXPECT FROM FOUR SEASONS HOTEL KUALA LUMPUR?
At Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur, we’d like to redefine the way Malaysia views hospitality and provide guests from around the world with an exclusive introduction into everything this city has to offer. With every Four Seasons property, our singular focus has been to provide an entirely immersive luxury lifestyle through intuitive and personalised service. Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur offers remarkable access to the heart of the city; its vibrant energy and central location will be reflected in making the hotel a true destination, from our very own chocolate and gelato shop, Decadent by Four Seasons, to the stylish bespoke cocktail bar, Bar Trigona, and an authentic Cantonese restaurant, Yun House. Additionally, The Spa at Four Seasons will be Kuala Lumpur’s newest centre for healing and wellness, for a complete and unrivalled lifestyle experience.
TELL US WHAT’S UNIQUE ABOUT THE FOUR SEASONS BRAND.
For more than 50 years, our globally recognised brand has set itself apart by reinventing guest experience through innovation and consistently evolving to anticipate the needs of our discerning travellers. Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur will usher in a new era of luxury, intuitive service and unrivalled experiences that goes beyond the ordinary – from redefining the culinary scene to introducing the latest in holistic spa healing. Four Seasons is the city’s most captivating and dynamic new destination to discover.
IT HAS TAKEN FOUR SEASONS A LONG TIME TO OPEN A SECOND PROPERTY IN MALAYSIA. WHY IS THAT?
Four Seasons takes a considered approach to growth. Growth for us is not about speed and having a large number of hotels in as many locations as we possibly can. It is about collaboration with a trusted and valued partner, a hotel or resort product with a quality that Four Seasons guests can expect, and a location that our guests will truly appreciate. I’m delighted to say that we have all of these at Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur.
YOU’VE SPENT 20 YEARS WITH FOUR SEASONS. HAVE THINGS CHANGED DURING THAT TIME?
Guest-centric innovation has always remained a focal point at Four Seasons. Over the past 20 years, Four Seasons has had to re-imagine the conventional limits of travel and, in 2015, the company launched the hotel industry’s first-ever fully branded private jet. In 2017, we launched Four Seasons Chat that allows guests to connect with Four Seasons staff in real time. This is a new digital service where guests can send and receive instant messages with localised property teams before, throughout and after their stays. True to our roots, Four Seasons continues to believe that human connections are the most important element of our guest experience and that’s something we can expect to never change.
WHAT’S YOUR TAKE ON THE FUTURE OF THE LUXURIOUS HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IN GENERAL?
In a world that’s becoming increasingly more dependent on technology, we believe fostering human connections will always remain key to luxury hospitality. While continuing to drive innovation and technology through such features as our Four Seasons Chat, a service that connects guests with Four Seasons concierge staff in real time, Four Seasons will continue to evolve while keeping true to its commitment to building personal connections and assuring intuitive care through guest-centric mindfulness.
