Four Seasons Hotel Washington was the first hotel to fly the Four Seasons flag in the US, and the Canadian company had a challenge convincing travellers that this unknown brand was the place to stay in Washington.
Opportunity knocked when the Hotel was asked to make a donation to Governor Ronald Reagan’s bid for president. As managers of the Hotel, not owners, Four Seasons couldn’t offer cash, but could offer accommodations to the Governor so that he’d have a place to do interviews. As it happens, there was more on the campaign agenda, as hundreds of America’s most influential business leaders descended on Four Seasons for a three-day fundraiser.
Enamoured of Four Seasons service and the new Concierge (the Hotel was the first in the US to provide concierge services, having imported the concept from the company’s experience in Europe), these leaders became loyal Four Seasons guests. Suddenly, Four Seasons – fortuitously located at 2800 Pennsylvania Avenue, just down the street from the White House – was on the map. And the rest, as they say, is history.