I always like to support Canadian products, and that includes tourism and related companies like Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, which has its world headquarters in mid-town Toronto.
I’ve been lucky enough to stay at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts around the world, including Maui, Hawaii Big Island, New York City, Santa Barbara, Chicago and other places. They’re all different but they all raise the bar in terms of rooms, style, food, drinks and service. So I’m always happy to give them a little bit of attention when I can.
I got a note from their public relations team today to say they’re opening six new hotels this year, two of them in my home state of California.
Four Seasons continues to expand its presence in the northern part of the state with the spring opening of its second hotel in San Francisco, a soaring building in the Embarcadero district. Also scheduled for 2020 is the highly anticipated opening of Four Seasons resort in Napa Valley, including a unique collection of Private Residences as well as Four Seasons first on-property winery in partnership with acclaimed winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown.
Also in the United States, a recently announced hotel in New Orleans is expected to open in late 2020 in the city’s historic World Trade Center.
The first Four Seasons Hotel and Resort in the Napa Valley opens this year. FOUR SEASONS PHOTO
Three other new openings are anticipated for 2020, including the return of Four Seasons to Bangkok with the glorious new Jean-Michel Gathy-designed landmark along the Chao Phraya River, debuting with nearly 300 guest rooms and more than 350 private residences. Also opening in the Asia-Pacific region early in the year is a third address in Japan, in the Otemachi area of Tokyo facing the Tokyo Imperial Palace.
In Europe, Four Seasons will debut in Spain for the first time with a new hotel in central Madrid, an assembly of several historic buildings now fully restored and re-imagined, and highlighted by a rooftop restaurant by three Michelin-starred Spanish celebrity chef Dani García.
2019 Openings
Planned openings for 2020 follow an exciting year as Four Seasons celebrated a significant number of new openings around the world in 2019, including its first entry into Greece with the rebirth of the legendary Astir Palace Hotel in Athens, and the company’s return to Montreal with a stunning and sleek new hotel in the heart of the city’s Golden Mile, featuring the opening of the restaurant MARCUS with celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson.
The Four Seasons Hotel in Montreal opened in 2019. FOUR SEASONS PHOTO
Additional openings included a new hotel in the Garden City of Bengaluru, its second in India; the return of the brand to Philadelphia (located within the Comcast Center, the city’s tallest building) as well as a second hotel in Boston at One Dalton Street; a third address in Mexico, this time on the pristine beaches of the East Cape of Los Cabos; the company’s first all-inclusive wellness retreat in the fully refurbished Lodge at Koele on the Hawaiian Island of Lanai; and the completion of its full suite of historic chalet offerings in the French Alpine community of Megève.
Looking Further Ahead
Four Seasons has unveiled plans for new hotels in Okinawa, Japan; Nashville and Minneapolis, USA; Cartagena, Colombia; and a second resort in Cabo del Sol, Mexico. The company also previously announced new Four Seasons projects in Dalian, China; Makkah, Saudi Arabia; Hanoi, Vietnam; and Caye Chapel, Belize.
CANADIANS HEADING TO MARTINIQUE, MALAGA AND MAUI
With 2019 in the books, the website Skyscanner analyzed Canadian traveller data to determine where Canadians have been, where they’ll go next, and what the best value destinations are in 2020.
According to the 2020 Canadian Travel Trends Report, a study of 1,500 Canadians commissioned by Skyscanner and conducted by research firm Maru/Blue, more Canadians plan to travel in 2020. Nearly three-quarters (73 per cent) of Canadians intend to travel this year, compared to the two-thirds of Canadians (66 per cent) who travelled in 2019.
“Canadians are planning to take the road less travelled in 2020,” said Juliano Lopez, Head of Research & Insights at Skyscanner. “While Southeast Asia has historically been a popular destination, Canadians have an increased interest in visiting Caribbean getaways and European countries. They’re focused on destinations that could be considered off-the-beaten-path compared to crowded city squares and tourist areas.”
Wise move, in my opinion. Barcelona, for example, gets far too many visitors. Go if you must, but I recommend Valencia for folks looking for a similar destination with fewer tourists.
Skyscanner says Canadian bookings for Maui are up 104%. JIM BYERS PHOTO
These are the top five emerging travel destinations from Canada in 2020, as determined by year-over-year growth in bookings:
Fort-de-France, Martinique (+386%)
Málaga, Spain (+188%)
Kahului, Maui, Hawaii, (+104%)
Porto, Portugal (+67%)
Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe (+60%)
The top 10 travel destinations for Canadians in 2019 included New Delhi, India; Paris, France; London, United Kingdom; Manila, Philippines; Cancun, Mexico; Toronto, Canada; New York City, United States of America; Bangkok, Thailand; Dublin, Ireland; and Vancouver, Canada.
Spend a little, save a lot: Best value destinations
Affordability plays a large role in vacation planning. With the fares below decreasing upwards of 18 per cent, these are the best value destinations when flying from Canada in 2020:
Havana, Cuba (-28%)
Fort-de-France, Martinique (-24%)
Lisbon, Portugal (-22%)
Miami, Florida (-21%)
Athens, Greece (-18%)
“Whether you’re looking to make the most of your time with a weekend getaway or get the best bang for your buck on a limited budget, Skyscanner offers a comprehensive range of flight, hotel and car rental options for every traveller and budget, making it easier and more affordable than ever to plan a dream vacation,” said Lopez.
To book your next trip or learn more about Skyscanner’s 2020 Travel Trends, visit Skyscanner.ca.
