Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at Hangzhou Centre

Four Seasons Tenure

• Originally hired 2002; now since 2022
• First Four Seasons Position: Opening Director of Rooms, Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai (formerly a Four Seasons hotel)
  

Employment History

• Four Seasons Hotel Suzhou; The Biltmore Mayfair, London; The Bailey’s Hotel London; Four Seasons Hotel Pudong, Shanghai (formerly a Four Seasons hotel); Four Seasons Hotel Shenzhen; Four Seasons Hotel Macao, Cotai Strip; Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong; Four Seasons Hotel Shanghai (formerly a Four Seasons hotel)

Education

• Bachelor of Science, Hotel, Restaurant and Travel Administration, University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Birthplace

• Hong Kong

Languages Spoken

• Cantonese, Mandarin, English

“When people here talk of Four Seasons, they look at it as epic. So, we’re positioning the Hotel as they view it, with the best of everything in the heart of the city.” That’s Arthur Ho on his latest assignment as General Manager, this time of Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at Hangzhou Centre. A long-tenured member of the Four Seasons family who has played a role in five openings as part of the company’s expansion in China, Ho knows what it takes to leave lasting impressions on guests. “At the end of a stay, what people take away most from hotels are memories. So, it’s incumbent upon us to make everyone the centre of our attention and build their loyalty to return.”

Set above a high-end shopping centre accessed by two major subway lines, the object of Ho’s managerial expertise offers a luxurious gateway to engage the vibrant city centre of Hangzhou. Highlighted by Four Seasons service and amenities as well as sweeping city views and access to attractions along the Grand Canal, the Hotel is appealing for business travellers and vacationers, as well as a bustling complement to its composed sister property, Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou at West Lake.

The first step in building guest loyalty is building a team that delivers, says Ho, who counts himself fortunate to have strong managers, including an experienced and well-connected Director of People and Culture, to round up local talent. Indeed, he notes that a number of members of the management team took a step down, title-wise, to join the Hotel. “Such is the enthusiasm on the hospitality scene in China to be part of Four Seasons these days.”

Contemplating his own management expertise, Ho admits to being a perfectionist – not that there is anything wrong with that – tracing his personal predilection for precision to his upbringing.  In the pursuit of excellence, “there is no quitting half-way through,” he says, “especially in shaping guest experiences.” Even still, Ho is careful not to go too far. “I’ve learned over the years that perfection should never become the enemy of good. Sometimes, you have to let things go.”

Hailing from Hong Kong, Ho recalls an amiable upbringing by parents who were “very humble,” but also focused on their progeny’s success. His father decided early on that Ho and his siblings would benefit from an education overseas because at the time, in the 1960s and ‘70s, “all the latest and greatest was coming out of the West.” Dad thought the UK would be right for Ho’s sisters, and that the US made sense for the boys. “I think my brother and I had more fun.”

Even before leaving home, Ho gleaned his suitability for hotels, drawn by the talent they employed and clientele they attracted. “Everyone always seemed so nice and well dressed.” After studying hotel administration at the university level in Massachusetts, he headed to Washington, DC, for an entry-level opportunity, and then returned to Hong Kong to work in various positions within a front office and housekeeping. He later went on to Knightsbridge, London, before finally joining a Four Seasons opening in Shanghai.

He made the most of his time with the company, rising within the Rooms division before being appointed as Hotel Manager in Macao and General Manager in both Shenzhen and Pudong. He departed the company for a spell to close and reopen two properties in Mayfair, London, and then returned to China in 2022 to open Four Seasons Hotel Suzhou on a private island surrounded by Jinji Lake.     

Though the management of any Four Seasons property comes with challenges, Ho says the “secret sauce” for success remains the same. “It always comes down to sticking with our methodology and culture: Treat others as you would have them treat you; form the right team to provide services that customers are looking for; and always be genuine, whatever the prevailing trends.”