Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC Celebrates 40 Years of Magic

In 1979, Chairman and Founder of Four Seasons Isadore Sharp introduced his idea of luxury hotels to the USA by opening Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC and immediately a new standard for hospitality was set. For four decades, Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC has maintained its unrivalled position as the hotel of choice for royalty, diplomats, captains of industry and celebrities alike, and today remains the first and only hotel in Washington to be awarded Five Stars by Forbes, and Five Diamonds by AAA in acknowledgement.

Built on what was a previous site of maintenance sheds for Washington’s bus system, Isadore Sharp and property developer William Louis Dreyfus opened the first Four Seasons-branded hotel in the United States, while simultaneously introducing concierge service in North America. Since then, Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC has been committed to serving Georgetown and Washington, DC by providing exceptional service to its elite guests.  Home to Seasons restaurant’s “Power Breakfast,” Michael Mina’s BOURBON STEAK (which celebrated 10 years this year), ENO Wine Bar and The Spa (awarded Four Stars by Forbes), Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC  is where Washingtonians and visitors alike gather for both business and pleasure.

Soon after opening, Pennsylvania Avenue hotel hosted then-Governor Ronald Reagan’s fundraising campaign, and First Class magazine recognised it as “the best first-class hotel in North America” just 15 months into operations.  The Hotel’s accolades continued over the years with recognitions in Travel + Leisure’s Best Hotels List, Condé Nast’s Top 45 Hotels in the Northeast and its Gold List, US Travel News’ Best Four Seasons Hotel and Resorts, and Best Hotels in Washington, DC.

Constantly evolving, the Hotel has transformed the 2800 block of Pennsylvania Avenue with more than USD 150 million in renovations since 1989. Anticipating guest needs and supporting fitness trends of the early 90s, the Hotel closed Desiree, its popular nightclub, to open the three-level, Forbes Four Star Fitness Center and Spa, which has been featured on Condé Nast Traveler’s Reader Polls.  Major renovations were completed in 1998, in 2006 and most recently in 2015. Enhancements included the opening of BOURBON STEAK by Michael Mina, a new lobby, a complete room renovation and the addition of The Royal Suite, the most prestigious suite in DC with a private terrace and bullet-proof windows overlooking Georgetown. Today, the Hotel has 222 guest rooms including 58 suites, and 13 event spaces with multiple outdoor options.

Four Seasons prides itself on giving back to the community, supporting the company’s mission of finding a cure for cancer. Since 2001, Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC has raised and donated more than  USD 1.5 million to the Washington Cancer Institute at MedStar Washington Hospital Center, and since 2003 has donated more than USD 3 million in in-kind gifts to the local community.

General Manager and Regional Vice President David Bernand states, “The 40-year success of the Hotel is due to the employees who are committed to making every single one of the guests who come through our doors feel welcome. We foster a caring connection with our guests and through the years we have developed personal relationships with them. When people come here they feel at home.” With only two corporate owners, Groupe Louis Dreyfus S.A. and Strategic Hotels and Resorts, and eight general managers throughout its history, Four Seasons Hotel Washington, DC has been a training ground for many company executives, including members of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts executive leadership group.

From the guest’s perspective, things may seem to appear, or disappear, as if by magic. A water glass is refilled without it being noticed. A microphone appears in hand, just before the speaker goes on stage. Shoes are shined and replaced in the exact same spot before they are noticed missing. Everything is exactly how guests want it, even before they ask for it.  Morgan Freeman is quoted as saying, “There is something different about a Four Seasons hotel. It’s like gravity doesn’t have the same effect there – the weight of the world lifts from your shoulders as soon as you walk in the door.” This is the hallmark of Four Seasons and it is not magic. It is the tireless devotion of a small army of passionate individuals who work persistently to hone their craft, spending hours, days, week and years repeating the same motions until they appear effortless, just like magic.

On March 9, 2019, Four Seasons Washington, DC will host a party in the style of the opening party that launched the hotel in 1979, not to look back in memory of all that has happened in 40 years, but to celebrate the craftsmanship and passion that resonates through the halls every day and look to the future.

40th Anniversary Party is by invitation only.