FORTUNE Magazine recognizes Four Seasons as top employer Four Seasons Earns Place in Best Companies Ranking for 7th Consecutive Year TORONTO, Dec. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- For a company built on the premise that guest satisfaction depends on employee satisfaction, the results of this year's FORTUNE magazine ranking of The 100 Best Companies to Work For indicate that Four Seasons guests must be quite happy. For the 7th consecutive year, the leading luxury hotel company in the world has earned a place on the list, this time ranking 66th. Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is the only company outside the U.S. to make the list. "From the time we opened our first hotel in 1961, we've created a working environment at Four Seasons based on trust and mutual respect, allowing our employees to thrive," said Isadore Sharp, Chairman and CEO, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. "This recognition by FORTUNE is a tremendous honour." FORTUNE magazine's 100 Best Companies to Work For ranking is compiled by Robert Levering and Milton Moscowitz of the Great Place to Work Institute in San Francisco. The results are based on a survey completed by tens of thousands of employees from companies all over North America. Candidate companies are also asked to submit information about Human Resources policies and workplace culture, though the final scores are weighted most heavily on the responses from employees. "We've always recognized that guest satisfaction is dependant on employee satisfaction," said Nick Mutton, Executive Vice President, Human Resources, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. "In our 42-year history, our employee focus has enabled us to attract and retain the best people in our industry, many of whom have spent their entire careers with Four Seasons." With a history spanning four decades and a portfolio that extends worldwide, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is the world's leading operator of luxury hotels, currently managing 60 properties in 28 countries. Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the company's first mountain resort, opened December 18, 2003. Four Seasons continues to grow, with more than 20 projects under construction or development in choice locations around the world. In the first half of 2004, the company will open new properties in Costa Rica, Budapest, Provence, Whistler, B.C. and Hampshire, England. In addition to the recognition by Fortune, Four Seasons continues to have more of its hotels designated as AAA Five Diamond properties than any other hotel company and it has the most Mobil Five Star awards in the industry. The company is also consistently highly ranked in readers' surveys in publications such as Conde Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, Institutional Investor, Andrew Harper's Hideaway Report and the Zagat Survey. Information on the company and its 42 years of achievement in the hospitality industry can be accessed through the Four Seasons Web site at http://www.fourseasons.com/. DATASOURCE: Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts CONTACT: Nicola Blazier/Aynsley Wintrip, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, (416) 449-1750, ,

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