MEXICO - Tourism

Heart of the City

General Manager, Four Seasons Mexico City

Bio

José Adames joined Four Seasons in March 1999 as Assistant Front Desk Manager at the Pierre (formerly a Four Seasons hotel) in New York City. He was quickly promoted to Front Desk Manager in July 2000. In November 2003, he transferred to Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel, where he was promoted to Assistant Director, and then Director of Rooms. In 2006, José was transferred as Director of Rooms to Four Seasons Resort and Club Dallas. In July 2008, he was promoted to Hotel Manager at Four Seasons Hotel Austin. In November 2010, José made his way to Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, where he served as Resort Manager. Prior to joining the Four Seasons family, José spent five years with the Peninsula Hotel company in New York City.

TBY talks to José Adames, General Manager of the Four Seasons Mexico City, on promoting excellent guest services, the importance of international events, and the growth of Four Seasons in Mexico.

In the year that you have served as GM here, what new ideas have you introduced to the hotel and what have been your priorities in this period?

I believe innovation is something you cultivate within your team, and my job is to motivate them to come up with new ways to impress our guests, and continue to improve our level of service each day. From day one, it has been about supporting the staff in order to create a personalized experience for our guests, which in turn creates more demand for our hotel and allows us to take our rates to new levels not previously seen in Mexico City. As far as what’s new is concerned, the enhancements we are making to the hotel vary: we are opening a new restaurant and renovating another, we have the arrival of a new pastry shop specialized in Mexican deserts, and we are unveiling a new men’s salon called Gentlemen’s Tonic in October 2015. These new developments will allow us to present our loyal guests with something new and exciting, while attracting a new generation of future Four Seasons patrons.

How important are international events and conferences for your business?

International Events are extremely important for our city. They change the dynamics of demand and continue to promote Mexico City as a cultural destination. Formula One is returning to Mexico City this year, and has been a blessing for the country and for our hospitality industry. In October, we will once again take to the global stage due to the popularity of this global sport.

What would you say is the significance of the Four Seasons Mexico City within the company’s Latin American portfolio?

The Four Seasons in Mexico City was the first to open in Latin America and remains the headquarters of the business in the region. Since its opening in 1994, we have opened three additional Four Seasons: Punta Mita, Costa Rica and Buenos Aires. In short, the success in Mexico City has spurred robust development throughout Latin America today.

Mexico is a country known for excellent customer service. In your view, what factors enable this, and what does Four Seasons Mexico City add to the field?

The Mexican people take pride in their jobs, and the genuine manner in which they approach service cannot be duplicated. Four Seasons is known for its service training and delivery around the world, but the Mexican people take it to a new level. The staff at the Four Seasons Mexico City continues to prove this theory correct, as does the team at the Four Seasons Punta Mita. They create a bond with their guests that fosters long-term loyalty. They do not strive only to provide excellent service, they ensure everything possible is done to make the customer’s experience memorable.