Sebastien Carre has a talent for soaking up local culture, and as general manager of Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora, he’s found plenty to soak up. “Ancestral culture is deeply engrained in French Polynesia,” says Carre, who arrived in plenty of time to open the Resort in September 2008. “From the instant you live in a place, you gain new perspective. Working in a hotel only makes the culture that much more interesting”

Hospitality runs in Carre’s blood. Born in Lyon, France, he hails from a long line of chefs and was encouraged by his father – a talented cook who settled for a career in construction – to pursue hotel work. Following graduation from the prestigious Institut Vatel, Carre looped around the globe taking assignments from San Francisco to Tahiti, Mauritius to London, and Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC, to Four Seasons Resort Provence at Terre Blanche.

Now in the South Pacific, Carre works hard to heighten the guest experience by revealing Polynesian culture. Subtle local touches are everywhere throughout the Resort’s design and architecture. The concierge offers a rich range of authentic cultural options for off-property excursions.

And any kid who marks a birthday while at Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora can expect to party and dance with local children – a tradition that launched spontaneously soon after the opening of the Resort. “Exuding the spirit of a destination has always been the challenge in the hotel business,” says Carre, “but it’s important to remember that curiosity is what drives us from one place to the next.”

Carre has found much to keep him occupied during his limited downtime in Bora Bora. A keen diver with more than 300 expeditions under his belt, he has squeezed in day trips to top sites off of Motu and other islands. He’s also developed an interest in kite surfing, and is in the process of obtaining a boat licence. In a destination as water-focused as Bora Bora, that all counts as local culture, too.