What does luxury hospitality look like in a city defined by its coastal lifestyle?
In conversation with Molly Carow, General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Fort Lauderdale, we explore the hotel’s place within the city, the balance between elevated design and an approachable atmosphere, and the importance of creating spaces in which guests feel immediately at ease.
Drawing on 26 years with Four Seasons, Molly shares her perspective on the property’s distinctive character, where retro beach influences meet classic design in an expression of luxury that feels both refined and relaxed. Designed by Tara Bernerd & Partners, the interiors reflect this considered approach to contemporary hospitality.
Q: Please introduce yourself – tell us a little about your background and journey through your career:
My name is Molly Caro and I'm currently the General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel and Residences in Fort Lauderdale. This is my ninth Four Seasons. I have been with Four Seasons for 26 years starting back in Chicago in 2000. And really most importantly, my global experiences which included Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane.
Q: What do you believe distinguishes Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale from other luxury resorts in the region?
For me, Fort Lauderdale is about having high-end touches and experiences in design and decor, but in a very low-key and approachable way. That's how I think Fort Lauderdale is celebrated by people who live here. We love great things, but we like it to be in a little bit more of an approachable way.
What I think is so stunning about how this hotel was designed and came to life was that it has that retro beach feel, but it also has some classic elements, and nothing feels intimidating. Our guests feel comfortable walking through. Sometimes in the hotel lobbies you feel that you have to act a certain way or be a certain way. In our hotel, everything just feels comfortable.
Q: Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale is known for its sophisticated coastal design. What do you think are the standout design elements that guests appreciate the most?
Obviously, the one that is most recognised is how the shape of the hotel reflects that of a yacht or a ship. I think the interesting parts are what are not as obvious. The choice of artwork, how our corridors are lit, the color choices, the palette. Even after two years here, it's a property that I still am uncovering design elements, and you can tell the thoughtfulness that was put into it, which goes beyond the expected arrival experience in the lobby or the enjoyment of the beach and the pool.
Q: Having worked at Four Seasons at Park Lane London, with guest rooms designed by Tara, are there any design threads that appear in both projects? Did it feel like coming home?
It does, and I think home is the best way to explain Tara and her team, and their design and their vision. It is coming home in a certain location. So, in London, obviously you're going to have a different feel. There's gonna be more of a regal aspect of luxury, and as we said in Fort Lauderdale, it feels more of approachable.
I think where she's got such a stunning eye for detail is in the customisation of the furniture. All of her designs feel at home, but you don't see complete copy from one project to another. She really takes the time to bring a custom edge to every project she does, where you feel that it was designed specifically for you.
Q: Finally, what feeling or lasting impression do you hope guests take away after experiencing Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale?
Our property feels almost like a chameleon. Our guests, whether they're enjoying a great night out in their best clothes on a Saturday night or walking through the lobby with their flip-flops and their children after coming back from the beach, it just blends to whatever their mood is that day. This is a really difficult thing to do, and I think that's what makes our property most special.
Photography by Philip Vile
Comments