It’s another busy day at the Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore in Santa Barbara. Guest rooms are being meticulously serviced, the restaurant is full, and the concierge is busy making arrangements. Atop this perfectly orchestrated controlled chaos sits Karen Earp, General Manager of not only Four Seasons Biltmore, but also the Montecito Country Club and the Coral Casino Beach and Country Club.
One of only four female General Managers for Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Karen couldn’t be farther away from her first weekend job as a hotel chamber maid. “I fell in love with the hotel and travel industry at a young age,” Karen said. But when she told her father that she’d like to specialize in hospitality while at University, he was less than enthusiastic. “He won’t admit that he said this, “ she joked. “But he told me that a career in hotels would mean long hours, low pay, and that I wouldn’t have to work when I got married anyways.”
Twenty-six years in the hotel industry later, her parents couldn’t be happier. “As I was promoted, they got to stay in bigger and better suites!” Karen’s success is a direct result of both hard work and calculated moves throughout her career. In fact, she even left the Four Seasons Corporation when Michael Eisner, CEO of Disney, personally invited her to help open 7,000 new guest rooms at Disneyland Paris. Karen did more than earn her stripes with that massive projects; she also learned the value of taking risks for the sake of personal growth and improvement.
With the Disney project under her belt, the Four Seasons organization knew what an asset Karen was and promoted her to bigger and better positions within the company. As General Manager of the stunningly beautiful Four Seasons Biltmore in Santa Barbara, Karen is living her dream of providing four star travel accommodations to her grateful guests. When was the last time you took a risk and zig’d when your parents, naysayers, or friends told you to zag? Maybe the time is now!
