Naomi Thompson
Director of Guest Experience
Four Seasons Tenure
- Since 2022
- First Four Seasons Assignment: current
Employment History
- Hewing Hotel; Gumption Media; Fox 9; WCCO-TV
Education
- University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA
Birthplace
- Bismarck, North Dakota, USA
Languages Spoken
- English
For Naomi Thompson, Director of Guest Experience at Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis, it’s not what’s on the outside, but what’s on the inside that counts — especially when it comes to hospitality. “You can have the coolest, most beautiful hotel on the block, but if you don’t have a genuine heart for hospitality, you won’t be successful,” Naomi says. “Guests will definitely appreciate how lovely your hotel is, but they’ll keep coming back because of how you make them feel.”
Realizing her own heart for hospitality is what took Naomi’s career on a new path. She grew up in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and after moving to Minneapolis during college, she started working at WCCO-TV. She quickly worked her way up, becoming a live events producer for the Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Golden Gopher Hockey, where she won a regional Emmy Award for her WCHA Final Five Hockey Tournament coverage. (Fun fact: Naomi was also the first female game producer in Major League Baseball.)
Then, after taking time away to raise her daughters, followed by a role in the newsroom at FOX-9, Naomi started working in PR for hotels and restaurants — and was instantly hooked. “Once I got a taste of hospitality, I realized that it’s always given me great joy,” she says. “I’m the person making sure drinks are full, that people are having fun, that the music is the right volume. I was born with a heart to serve, and I finally figured out how to use it. It only took me 30 years, but I’m here!”
As Director of Guest Experience, Naomi is tasked with ensuring every single guest who visits Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis feels welcome. “Our guests are every kind of person, whether they’re just popping by for coffee at Socca, a cocktail at Mara, or they’re staying overnight or with us for a month. We need to make sure each one feels as welcome as the next. Our doors are wide open.”
Having lived in Minnesota for most of her life, Naomi has her favourites — and is excited to share them with guests. She and her husband visit Lutsen, Minnesota every fall, she’s a huge Prince fan, and she savours the local Twin Cities dining scene. “It’s dynamic, diverse and excellent,” she says. “It’s the best-kept secret, and once people around the world realize how good we have it here, we’re going to be inundated with foodies from everywhere!”
Naomi and her husband have lived in Chaska, Minnesota, for more than two decades, where they raised their two daughters. In her spare time, she loves to attend classic car shows, cook, run and plan trips. “My husband and I decided we’re not just going to say ‘someday we’ll do this or that’ anymore,” she says. “We’re saying ‘this is when we’re doing it.’ As a result, we’ve travelled more in two years than we have in the last 20. We’re slowly ticking things off the bucket list, and it’s been really fun.”
