GALLERY: Issy Sharp and Daniel Boulud cut the ribbon on the new Four Seasons Hotel
Fittingly, the Four Seasons, Toronto’s homegrown hotel chain, capped the recent parade of luxury lodgings openings in the city. The company, which operates 88 locations, opened its flagship in Yorkville last week, and a tanned chef Daniel Boulud, television personality Liza Fromer and Ontario tourism minister Michael Chan were among those who showed up for the ribbon-cutting, champagne and canapés.
The best joke of the day went to Chan, who, referring to the mystery buyer who purchased the tower’s top condo (Canada’s most expensive ever), assured the crowd, “I’m not the guy who bought the $28-million penthouse.” (The second-best joke was from the hotel’s general manager, Dimitrios Zarikos, who jested, “The best thing about this job is that there’s no pressure.”) However, Issy Sharp, who opened the first Four Seasons hotel on Jarvis over 50 years ago, netted the longest round of applause—and not just because he was sporting a bad-ass fedora.
See all the photos from the opening »
169956 Issy Sharp and Rosalie Wise Sharp (Image: Erin Seaman) Four Seasons Hotel opening Four Seasons Hotel opening https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty17-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty17.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty17.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/four-seasons-ribbon-cutting/slide/oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty17/ oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty17 0 0
(Image: Erin Seaman)
169955 Issy Sharp and Michael Chan (Image: Erin Seaman) Four Seasons Hotel opening Four Seasons Hotel opening https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty16-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty16.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty16.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/four-seasons-ribbon-cutting/slide/oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty16/ oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty16 0 0
(Image: Erin Seaman)
169954 Issy Sharp (Image: Erin Seaman) Four Seasons Hotel opening Four Seasons Hotel opening https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty15-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty15.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty15.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/four-seasons-ribbon-cutting/slide/oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty15/ oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty15 0 0
(Image: Erin Seaman)
169953 Four Seasons Toronto general manager Dimitrios Zarikos and CEO Katie Taylor (Image: Erin Seaman) Four Seasons Hotel opening Four Seasons Hotel opening https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty14-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty14.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty14.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/four-seasons-ribbon-cutting/slide/oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty14/ oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty14 0 0
(Image: Erin Seaman)
169952 Four Seasons CEO Katie Taylor (left) (Image: Erin Seaman) Four Seasons Hotel opening Four Seasons Hotel opening https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty13-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty13.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty13.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/four-seasons-ribbon-cutting/slide/oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty13/ oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty13 0 0
(Image: Erin Seaman)
169951 Issy Sharp (Image: Erin Seaman) Four Seasons Hotel opening Four Seasons Hotel opening https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty12-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty12.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty12.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/four-seasons-ribbon-cutting/slide/oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty12/ oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty12 0 0
(Image: Erin Seaman)
169949 Murray Menkes, Issy Sharp, Alan Menkes and Daniel Boulud (Image: Erin Seaman) Four Seasons Hotel opening Four Seasons Hotel opening https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty10-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty10.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty10.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/four-seasons-ribbon-cutting/slide/oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty10/ oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty10 0 0
(Image: Erin Seaman)
169948 Four Seasons Toronto general manager Dimitrios Zarikos, CEO Katie Taylor, founder Isadore Sharp and his wife, Rosalie Wise Sharp (Image: Erin Seaman) Four Seasons Hotel opening Four Seasons Hotel opening https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty09-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty09.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty09.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/four-seasons-ribbon-cutting/slide/oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty09/ oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty09 0 0
(Image: Erin Seaman)
169947 Former <em>Breakfast Television </em>host Liza Fromer (Image: Erin Seaman) Four Seasons Hotel opening Four Seasons Hotel opening https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty08-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty08.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty08.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/four-seasons-ribbon-cutting/slide/oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty08/ oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty08 0 0
(Image: Erin Seaman)
169957 Developer Murray Menkes (Image: Erin Seaman) Four Seasons Hotel opening Four Seasons Hotel opening https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty18-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty18.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty18.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/four-seasons-ribbon-cutting/slide/oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty18/ oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty18 0 0
(Image: Erin Seaman)
169940 Developer Alan Menkes (Image: Erin Seaman) Four Seasons Hotel opening Four Seasons Hotel opening https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty01-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty01.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/four-seasons-ribbon-cutting/slide/oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty01/ oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty01 0 0
(Image: Erin Seaman)
169944 Dimitrios Zarikos (Image: Erin Seaman) Four Seasons Hotel opening Four Seasons Hotel opening https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty05-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty05.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/four-seasons-ribbon-cutting/slide/oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty05/ oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty05 0 0
(Image: Erin Seaman)
169943 Four Seasons Toronto general manager Dimitrios Zarikos (Image: Erin Seaman) Four Seasons Hotel opening Four Seasons Hotel opening https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty04-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty04.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/four-seasons-ribbon-cutting/slide/oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty04/ oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty04 0 0
(Image: Erin Seaman)
169942 Daniel Boulud, the celebrity chef behind Café Boulud, a 150-seat casual fine-dining restaurant in the hotel (Image: Erin Seaman) Four Seasons Hotel opening Four Seasons Hotel opening https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty03-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty03.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/four-seasons-ribbon-cutting/slide/oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty03/ oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty03 0 0
(Image: Erin Seaman)
169946 The ribbon-cutting was held in the driveway, whose interlocking brick pattern was inspired by a Persian rug (Image: Erin Seaman) Four Seasons Hotel opening Four Seasons Hotel opening https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty07-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty07.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/four-seasons-ribbon-cutting/slide/oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty07/ oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty07 0 0
(Image: Erin Seaman)
169958 The ribbon-cutting. From left: a rep from the Kingdom Holding Company, owned by Prince Al Waleed bin Talal, Four Seasons CEO Katie Taylor, Four Seasons Toronto general manager Dimitrios Zarikos, developers Murray and Alan Menkes, Minister of Tourism and Culture Michael Chan, and Four Seasons founder Isadore Sharp (Image: Erin Seaman) Four Seasons Hotel opening Four Seasons Hotel opening https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty_intro-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty_intro.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/oct12FourSeasonsHotelTorontoParty_intro.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/city/four-seasons-ribbon-cutting/slide/oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty_intro/ oct12fourseasonshoteltorontoparty_intro 0 0
(Image: Erin Seaman)