Service With Heart: All Are Welcome Here

At Four Seasons, our values aren’t just talking points or buzzwords. They are what we strive for and practice every day, both as individuals and as a brand. Many of them are visible - including sustainable menu ingredients, eco-friendly cleaning products and team members living out our guiding principle, the Golden Rule. But there are some values that aren’t as readily apparent as locally sourced produce.

Our culture of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging is one example. As an essential part of the brand’s DNA, our team at Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis works every day to advance diversity and foster a culture of inclusion where people truly feel like they belong.

This initiative is led in part by our Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging committee. Helmed on the Hotel side by Maya Haines, a reservations and communications supervisor, the committee meets monthly to create and execute events and opportunities to support the many people, cultures and perspectives that make our Hotel shine.

“There is a natural effort for diversity, inclusion and belonging infused into Four Seasons culture,” Maya says. “But we also wanted to create a specific Minneapolis Four Seasons culture. We say that Minneapolis is your Four Seasons. We want the community – and all who visit – to know we represent them.”

Committee initiatives incorporate education and celebration, and they are tailored to both guests and employees.

During Black History Month, the DIBs committee commissioned a playlist of local Black artists to play throughout the Hotel and lobby and compiled a list of local Black-owned businesses for employees to explore. Team members also participated in Black History Month trivia and took in a private tour of Testify, a collection of African-American art and artifacts from former Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Alan Page and his family, led by Page’s daughter Nina.

For Pride, Socca Café offered rainbow croissants and special weekend hours to serve attendees of the Pride festivities, while Riva Terrace featured a playlist of music by LGBTQ+ artists.

For Hispanic Heritage Month, DIBs partnered with the internal cafeteria to create Latin-inspired meals, spotlighted management born in Latin countries, and similarly compiled a list of local Hispanic-owned businesses.

As Maya explains, it’s important for DIB initiatives to serve our guests and our team.

“Everything is about the guests, and the biggest piece of taking care of the guests is taking care of the employees,” Maya says. “If you don't feel comfortable or represented at work, you can't show up and do your best. Making sure we're taking care of the employees and they feel good at work is the first step.”

While diversity, inclusion and belonging are key to Four Seasons culture, we’ve learned through events such as Cultural Collisions these values are important to those who visit us as well.

“Today’s guests are looking to stay with and support companies who share their values,” says Mark James Syputa, Director of Residences for Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis, who manages DIBs initiatives for property. “They want to know if they stay at a hotel or live in a residence, that it’s engaging with and supporting the local community. They want it to be intertwined.”

As Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis continues to grow, so does the reach of the DIBs committee. Moving forward, we will continue to curate even more experiences and opportunities to ensure everyone feels like there’s something here for them.

“I haven’t always felt included, or like I belonged in a lot of places,” Maya says. “Any effort that I can do to make other people know that I'm an ally or someone who will advocate for them - it’s really important to me.”