Whats with all the hype for Four Seasons and why is "Old School" Luxury completely dominating?
How have Four Seasons managed to remain more relevant than ever in 2025? Now opening in locations like Mykonos this year and recently announced their entry into Gstaad…
Four Seasons came from humble beginnings starting out in Canada. I feel they defined the ideal “Traditional Luxury Hotel” that our parents would day dream about while sitting at their office job contemplating about needing a Holiday and sipping on a Pina Colada somewhere nice. Four Seasons was definitely that idealistic place in the 80s & 90s.
How have they managed to remain more relevant than ever in 2025? Now opening in locations like Mykonos this year and recently announced their entry into Gstaad…
Below is the first ever Four Seasons hotel that opened in 1961 in Downtown Toronto simply as a stopover for business people traveling to Toronto. They had no intention of becoming what they are today but even this hotel was just effortlessly iconic so they were onto something without even realising it.
With the new digital age and AI becoming the new norm for creative concepts, I believe nostalgia is stronger than ever. We miss the old days of Authenticity and “being present”. If you travel to most hotspot destinations in season they have become overly crowded and we tend to now compare everything to “the good old days”. Places like The Four Seasons has tapped into that nostalgia and made it their identity
There truly is nothing more iconic than a good Four Seasons property and they know that. Theres something about the idea of saying “I am staying at The Four Seasons” that can silence any hater. No hotel quite has that same effect and as we all know there are some pretty fascinating hotels but still none quite like The Four Seasons.
THE WHITE LOTUS EFFECT?!
White Lotus showed us exactly what kind of luxury we have been yearning for. Quiet luxury and class has completely exceeded the millennial era of loud champagne spraying, name brands, overly modern hotels and pretty much any opportunity you have to show that you have money is thankfully a thing of the past. Less is more and once again The Four Seasons know this…
The White Lotus effect is real and has a hold on pretty much all of us. We all want to re-live Season 2 at The White Lotus Taormina and have our own shot at finding love or some other crazy experience there and rightfully so, I mean look at the place!
FOUR SEASONS NEWEST OPENINGS?!
Four Seasons is about to debut their first ever location on the Greek Island of Mykonos in the summer of 2025 and many of us are struggling to accept or come to terms with this. Mykonos as an Island was one of the most iconic and cosmopolitan islands of its day and sadly it ended up becoming an Ibiza 2.0. which no one asked for but here we are.
FOUR SEASONS MAKING MYKONOS GREAT AGAIN?
Some might see this as a bad thing as they believe Mykonos isn’t necessarily cool anymore? I still adore the Island and have many fond memories visiting the Island myself and it sure is not what it used to be …
Hotels like Four Seasons brings a sense of restoration and class to places like Mykonos that have sadly lost its way and I think where we see a Four Seasons is a start to something good in places that have potentially lost its way.
FOUR SEASONS COMING TO GSTAAD?!
Now there is another side to this Four Seasons obsession… I believe in places like Mykonos and certain destinations a Four Seasons can only uplift a location that needed some flare. You pop a Four Seasons there and you know you’ll get a ton of American tourists flocking there and helping the local economy or adding a luxury factor that was maybe missing but when it comes to GSTAAD it couldn’t be a complete opposite. GSTAAD as a destination is famous for being a place that the 0.000001% can enjoy without being bothered by too many loud obnoxious tourists.
Gstaad does not need tourism money. With the recent growth in popularity that has now put Gstaad on the map from a low-key hangout for the ultra wealthy to now one of the major hotpots is not sitting well with many. & Now with the Four Seasons taking over The Park Gstaad hotel which is busy with a revamp and will be reopening as a Four Seasons Hotel in 2026 this will be the first American Hotel Chain to break ground in this ultra luxury & authentic Swiss ski resort.
Let me know if you guys are happy about this and if you had a choice would you want the Four Seasons to be making is Gstaad debut?
If you made it to the end thank you for reading and I definitely intend to keep these coming so if you are not subscribed, it would be an honour to have you as subscriber and if you’re feeing potentially generous, a paid subscriber would be extremely appreciated. (most posts sadly will be paid only)
Brad :)