Q&A | Kris Kaminsky | General manager of Four Seasons Hotel Macao: New phase of Four Seasons targets to be city’s ‘Premier Product’

Four Seasons Hotel Macao is set to hold its annual charity event Run of Hope Macau, a community program that aims to support the fight against cancer, for the tenth consecutive year this Sunday.

Themed “Superhero,” the hotel is expecting some 300 participants this year, with funds donated to Kiang Wu Hospital for cancer research initiatives and Evangelize China Fellowship Orphanage.

General manager of Four Seasons Hotel Macao, Kris Kaminsky, sat with the Times, detailing the hotel’s activities in regards to this cause, as well as disclosing updates on the second phase of Four Seasons – which Sheldon Adelson, chairman and chief executive officer of Las Vegas Sands referred to as “Four Seasons Tower Suites Macao.”

Although no budget for this particular project was revealed, Adelson noted in the LVS third quarter results that investments in the Four Seasons Tower Suites Macao, St. Regis Tower Suites Macao and The Londoner Macao totals to a USD2.2 billion investment through to 2021.

Macau Daily Times – Run of Hope is set to enter its tenth year. Are there newly added elements that we can expect?

Kris Kaminsky – It’s a special event for Four Seasons. It’s been around for a long time. Our founder, Isadore Sharp, decided to do something about it. If you look around the globe, all our 112 properties are doing something around Run of Hope. Four Seasons, as a company, has raised more than CAD700 million throughout the years [which has] gone to help fund cancer research, with this goal of eradicating cancer.

In Macau it’s our tenth year so it’s an exciting one. There’s a little bit of twist this year. [The event] has become more of a family event and I think there’s certainly a desire for family friendly events in Macau.

To celebrate our tenth year, […] we’ve asked all the participants to come and dress up like superheroes, and we’ll treat them like superheroes because they’re really doing good things too.

MDT – Is this a part of the hotel’s branding?

KK – Yes, the hotel and the company in general. It is part of our corporate social responsibility. We’ve got three pillars in Four Seasons. One is building communities, […], second is cancer research and the third pillar is supporting sustainability. So, certainly we’re hitting some of these markets with Run of Hope.

MDT – Are we seeing an increase in the funds being raised?

KK – We are, but that’s because we are doing more events; we’re sort of diversifying this. Run of Hope is becoming more of a series of events than just one run. We’ve got Cocktails for a Cause, which we did for the first time last year and raised MOP50,000. We finished that event two weeks ago and […] we broke MOP100,000. It’s double the amount of the donations year-on-year, so if we just keep that trend, we’ll be making a great impact.

MDT – There aren’t a lot of establishments in the SAR that have activities to support cancer research programs, particularly in Macau. Thus how significant is this Four Seasons in supporting local research?

KK – You know it’s special when you see what they do with the money.

We don’t always know the [direct impact]… but for example two years ago, they used the money to offer breast cancer scans for people that could not afford it and would not be able to go to a private hospital to have it done. When you think about that, how can you not feel good? That’s making an impact.

The people of Macau who wouldn’t otherwise have the resources are able to go to Kiang Wu and because of these funds that we’ve been able to raise, they’re able to go and have a free scan.

MDT – Can you tell us details about the new phase of the Four Seasons Hotel?

KK  – There are exciting things happening at this property. One of them is the addition of the second tower. I think that we’re at point where it is an extension of this hotel, so it’s a new experience coming.

We kind of look at it as saying Four Seasons Macau has established itself as really the premier property in Macau.

It will be an all-suite product. There will be some of the biggest suites in town, the design is spectacular and it’s really designed with home in mind. So this is a different product for this market.

If you can imagine a very high- end residential product, that’s what you’ll have with the comfort of home. Partner it along with the legendary service and anticipatory service, [and with] all this, it’s going to be a really amazing experience.

MDT – Will we see different branding in this new tower?

KK – This is a Four Seasons product. A lot of that is still in the works in terms of developing it, but it’s Four Seasons [so] you’ll have the service and the experience of Four Seasons.

MDT – How will this new tower differ from the integrated resorts that Macau currently has?

KK – I think product-wise it’s going to have its own identity. This is designed as a home, as a residential product versus a hotel product. In terms of the looks and feel of it, it will absolutely have its own identity. In terms of experience, it’s part of the Four Seasons.

The Four Seasons brand is enhancing the product. […] There will be a pool overlooking the Cotai Strip, giving more experiences to our guests.

MDT – How many suites are we expecting?

KK – Let’s say around 300.

MDT – Can you reveal the budget for this new tower?

KK – I certainly can’t comment on the budget but I can say that this is being designed and built to be the premier product in Macau.