Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is launching a new global safety programme in collaboration with Johns Hopkins Medicine International.

Four Seasons said Wednesday that the Lead With Care programme will be reviewed and validated by experts from Johns Hopkins Medicine International, the global division of healthcare and research leader Johns Hopkins Medicine, and implemented by dedicated teams at Four Seasons properties around the world.

“Within this new environment, our singular goal is to provide guests, residents and employees with the confidence and assurance that their health and safety is our first priority,” John Davison, President and Chief Executive Officer at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, was quoted in a statement, as saying.

“We are incredibly proud to work alongside the renowned experts at Johns Hopkins Medicine International, leveraging their global expertise to strengthen our already stringent health and safety measures through our new Lead With Care programme.”

Covid-19 advisory board

Johns Hopkins Medicine International and Four Seasons have established a dedicated Covid-19 advisory board, bringing together Four Seasons leadership and top experts from Johns Hopkins Medicine International to inform health and safety decisions based on the latest scientific knowledge.

Evolving in lockstep with rapidly changing discoveries, the advisory board will create, enhance and review current procedures, along with virtual and in-person training to guide implementation of Lead With Care across Four Seasons global portfolio.

This builds upon the early experience of Four Seasons Hotel New York, as well as Four Seasons hotels in Riyadh and Mumbai, in providing accommodation to high-risk medical personnel fighting on the frontlines of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Four Seasons Hotel New York was transformed into a safely zoned environment in a matter of days, implementing enhanced procedures to safely house guests, as well as properly train all employees.

Lead With Care

Grounded in healthcare expertise and enabled by access to leading technologies and tools, the Lead With Care programme is focused on providing care, confidence and comfort to all Four Seasons guests, employees and residents within the new Covid-19 environment.

The new programme outlines clear procedures that educate and empower Four Seasons employees to take care of guests and each other.

“Along with already-commonplace measures such as more sanitisers, masks and heightened cleaning and hygiene, our collaboration with Johns Hopkins equips our property teams with access to leading international experts and real-time Covid-19 information, enhancing our tools and training to deliver an experience grounded in safety and trust,” Christian Clerc, President of Global Operations at Four Seasons, said.

“While the Four Seasons experience may look different in this new environment, it will ultimately feel the same – our dedicated people will continue to deliver the same intuitive service and personalised care for which Four Seasons is known and trusted for the world over.”

Four Seasons collaboration with Johns Hopkins Medicine International will ensure the review and validation of the Lead With Care programme in two phases.

Phase one of the collaboration – Review and Validation – involves a comprehensive review of Four Seasons existing health and safety procedures along with enhanced protocols in response to the current situation at a global, regional and property level.

Phase two – Ongoing Guidance – provides Four Seasons with ongoing collaboration with the Johns Hopkins Medicine International team, including direct access to curated critical updates, relevant COVID-19 research outcomes, and expert advice to ensure real-time adjustments to operating procedures.

Customised through on-property Hygiene Officers, the ongoing guidance will allow Four Seasons to respond quickly and anticipate future needs, providing assurance that all appropriate infection control safety measures have been taken.

Four Seasons and Johns Hopkins will also establish a joint response team where senior experts in infectious diseases from Johns Hopkins will provide on-demand response and guidance to hotels facing Covid-19 situations.

Implementing Lead With Care

To support the development of procedures to be verified by Johns Hopkins, as well as the procurement of supplies and equipment for Lead With Care implementation, Four Seasons will be working closely with EcoLab and International SOS – partners who were also critical in the transformation of the Four Seasons hotels in New York, Riyadh and Mumbai that housed medical personnel.

While guests will see many of the enhanced Lead With Care procedures, behind-the-scenes measures will also take place through employee training, additional food handling protocols, and enhancements to ventilation systems and other back-of-the-house operations.

In addition, Four Seasons continues to invest in its award-winning App and Chat that further allows guests to control how they engage with others – limiting face-to-face interactions while maintaining the highest levels of personal service.

Since its launch in 2017 the popular Four Seasons Chat – one of the only in the industry to be supported by actual employees on property, versus chatbots – has received 10+ million messages and averages approximately 580,000 messages a month.

Features include the ability to make and manage reservations, request luggage pickup, airport transfers, room service, restaurant and spa reservations, and much more. Wait-free check-in and check-out is also offered, while Four Seasons Chat integration offers instant translation of 100+ languages giving guests the flexibility for contactless engagement throughout their stay.

“For nearly 60 years, Four Seasons has set the global standard for excellence in hospitality and service,” chief executive Davison said.

“Lead With Care is a continuation of this high standard, building upon the strong foundation of trust and confidence that we have established through decades of experience. This new programme is about offering genuine care and the highest levels of service, enhancing procedures to protect our guests, residents and employees, while also ensuring that they feel safe and reassured.”

Four Seasons operates three resorts in Maldives: Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru, Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa, and Four Seasons Private Island Maldives at Voavah.

Combining innovation, wellness and conservation, Four Seasons Resort Maldives Landaa Giraavaru is a 44-acre, 103-villa wonderland in the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve — a 30-minute seaplane flight from the main Velana International Airport.

Its sister property, Four Seasons Resort Maldives Kuda Huraa lies to the south: an enchanting garden island complete with Island Spa sea sanctuary and Tropicsurf coaches and guides. It features 96 thatched beach and water accommodations constructed by local craftsmen using indigenous materials and techniques to reflect a true sense of the Maldives.

The luxury catamaran Four Seasons Explorer connects the two properties via three, four and seven-night cruises, plus private leisure, surf and manta ray charters.

The latest addition to the Maldives collection, Four Seasons Private Island Maldives at Voavah, Baa Atoll opened in 2016 as the group’s first exclusive-use private island: off limits to everyone else, limitless to the guests.

Additional details about the Lead With Care enhanced global health and safety programme can be found here.