Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Unveils New Website & Inaugural Luxury Trend Report

The new fourseasons.com offers an immersive and user-friendly experience, combined with rich global content, impactful design and social media integration. Guests can transport themselves to a distinctive Four Seasons destination with just a click.

As the first luxury hotel brand to fully embrace social media, Four Seasons moved digital to the forefront early on with Four Seasons magazine online, the introduction of blogs such as Have Family Will Travel, and a strong presence on social networking sites to suit the ways guests and travel partners communicate. The new Four Seasons website was thoughtfully designed in the same vein, to deliver an immersive and effortless experience tailored to every user. The brand's signature service, locations and experiences are showcased through photo-rich, informative property and destination pages. Key features of fourseasons.com include:

Ease of booking - A new booking process that allows for multi-destination, multi-hotel, and multi-person reservations. Spa and restaurant bookings can now be made in one step for many properties.

On the go - Fully optimized for mobile devices and tablets.

Access to reviews - Each of the 80-plus property pages feature user generated content direct from Twitter, Facebook and TripAdvisor.

Every property has a story - "Five-star highlights" and "why you'll love it" sections both demonstrate first-rate service and the story behind the individual property. A quick reference tool kit right on the booking page offers need-to-know information specific to each stay.

Location, location, location - Four Seasons awe-inspiring destinations are front and centre, with descriptions of amenities, itineraries and experience offerings, while painting an authentic picture of the local culture.

Personalization - After setting up a profile and indicating personal interests, related content and recommendations from Four Seasons will become available on a guest's next visit and over time, delivering a completely personalized experience.

Extensive research around digital consumption of luxury consumers, both in the travel sector and across other categories, was conducted for the development of the new website. In addition, Four Seasons held focus groups globally to better understand guest and travel partner needs. This insight informed the content of the inaugural issue of the 2012 Four Seasons Luxury Trend Report. The first issue, The Luxury Consumer in the New Digital World: Then & Now, is now available online.

The Four Seasons Luxury Trend Report affirms that luxury consumers are not only embracing, but engaging with new technologies in ways that are changing the face of travel. Some of the insights from the report include:

Luxury is back. 2011 was the year of luxury's rebound. Almost all regions saw at least six percent year-over-year growth in the luxury travel sector - a key indicator of luxury in general. This surge is projected to continue; industry experts project 10 percent growth in luxury overall in 2013. At Four Seasons, revenues are projected to grow 9.2 percent in 2012.

Branding moves to the social sphere. Seventy-eight percent of the affluent participate in social networking sites, with more than half using social media to connect with a brand. Four Seasons brings digital media to the forefront of marketing efforts to suit the ways guests communicate.

E-commerce is king. The luxury consumer is increasingly going online to research and make purchases. Four Seasons online bookings rose 10 percent from 2010 to 2011.

The rise of the iPad. One-third of wealthy consumers own a tablet or e-Reader. Four Seasons revenue generated from the iPad and other tablets has grown 200 percent from 2010 to 2011. This number is predicted to grow significantly in 2012.

For more on these topics and further insight, download the full 2012 Four Seasons Luxury Trend Report: The Luxury Consumer in the New Digital World: Then and Now.

In 2012, fourseasons.com will continue to evolve with more multilingual sites and rich video content. For more information about Four Seasons and to see the new website, please visit https://www.fourseasons.com.