Four Seasons successfully entered the Paris/French market with a strategic acquisition and localization approach. They purchased the historic George V Palace Hotel, maintaining its iconic facade while renovating the interior. They also hired a French designer and manager with both French and North American experience to appeal to French sensibilities of luxury and business culture. Key to their success was understanding and adapting to French labor laws, work hours, and prioritizing employee satisfaction through competitive pay and benefits. While upholding global quality standards, Four Seasons localized operations to integrate cultural aspects, gain trust, and avoid problems - demonstrating their ability to build an international brand in a new market through cultural adaptation.

1. Name Lucia Veronica Denis Senwayo Student
Number
2B4047
Case Name Four Seasons Goes to Paris Date 2014.10.12
Memo
1. What is like to stay a Four Seasons?
Four Seasons generally operates midsized luxury hotels and resorts, providing
consistently exceptional service: high-quality, truly personalized service to enable
guests to maximize the value of their time. Four Seasons also try to mixture it’s
international standards with cultural aspects of each location. So, staying at Four
Seasons seems to good, confortable and amazing.
2. What made four Seasons successful over the last 30 Years?
Divers factors have contributed to the success of Four Seasons over the last 30 years.
 Four Seasons has had an exceptional structure and management team that was
able provide and maintain high quality service standards at each property in a
cost-effective manner.
 Diversity and Singularity - While the essence of the local culture may vary;
the process for opening and operating a hotel is the same everywhere. Each
hotel is tailor mad and adapted to its national environment. So, Four Seasons
has done an exceptional job adapting to local markets.
 Globally Uniform Standards - The seven Four Seasons “service culture
standards” expected of all staff all over the world at all times. Four Seasons
had 270 core worldwide operating standards. Exceptions to the 270 standards
were permitted if they made local sense. Due to Four Season's extensive
coverage, standards were often written to allow local flexibility, which has

2. contributed their success.
 Delivering “Intelligent, Anticipatory, and Enthusiastic Service” Worldwide -
an exceptional, personal service that puts the customer above all. Four
Seasons offers a “just for you” service, which takes ‘intelligence service’ to a
whole new level.
 Human Resources and “The Golden Rule” - Human resource management at
Four Seasons started and ended with “The Golden Rule,” which stipulated
that one should treat others as one would wish to be treated.
3. How do you feel about the way Four Seasons entered the Paris/French
market? What was good and/or bad about the entry strategy, and why?
The entry strategy was very important and absolutely right, considering that it would
have been difficult to gain a permission for new building in Paris to make a hotel.
Since they look for the highest possible quality assets in the best locations, the
George V was perfect. It established them very powerfully in the French capital. Four
Seasons paid tribute to the George V Palace Landmark by redesigning the interior
while the facade was maintained. Also, they hired a French Designer to signal the
French that Four Seasons understood what they meant by luxury.
Other relevant elements were:
 Four Seasons realized the difference between French and American managers
‘styles. Entering in French market implied understanding French labor laws,
business culture, and national idiosyncrasies. This was the reason why they
appointed Didier Le Calvez with a Franco- Français” background and North
American experience.

3.  Four Seasons managers implemented the 35-hour workweek at the F. S.
George V in order to meet the letter and spirit of French law.
 Strong recruitment and selection process - high salaries, recruiting young and
open-minded employees, training approach.
 Four Seasons launched an employee-of-the month and of the year program;
annual evaluations.
 Emphasis on its “Golden Rule” to ensure costumer satisfaction
 To promote communication and problem solve, Four Seasons implemented
direct line. Externally, Four Seasons cultivated communication with press
 In a diversion from Four Seasons practice, a non-Four Seasons
executive chef was hired.
 Four Sean improved guest and employee relationship management
In conclusion, Four Seasons was very successful in implementing various strategies
because of their understanding of how French workers wanted to be treated. Their
entry strategy was successful because it helped to build a French hotel with international
standards without causing any unsolved problems. So, They used cultural cocktail to create a
French hotel with also international features.
4. Are the lessons from this case applicable to firm entering markets other
than France? If yes, how, and what types of markets? If not why?
The lessons from this case can be applicable to firm entering markets in other
countries, but it should be adjusted to local market structure. This means that if Four

4. Seasons decides to move to a different country It should adjusts its standards to the
local practice.
Four Seasons can use the example of France in some Franco countries where the
language and habits are similar to France. On the other hand, they might modify in
different cultures as for example Asian countries. But the international standards
would tend to be similar in all Four Seasons worldwide.
Questions in the Class (if any)