Four Seasons’ Megayacht Has a 4-Story Suite That’s Wrapped in Glass
While most of the other luxury-hotel brands have opted for relatively staid vessel designs, Four Seasons I takes a more daring approach—striking a balance between a superyacht and a futuristic cruise ship. The element that sets the 95-suite 679-foot ship apart is its signature Funnel Suite, reminiscent of the smokestacks of early-20th-century ocean liners. Spanning nearly 10,000 square feet across the tops of four decks, the atrium-like structure is a first of its kind.
“We designed it for the Maserati Effect,” says Fredrik Johansson, partner and executive director of Stockholm-based Tillberg Design, referring to the phenomenon in which inanimate objects—like a classic Maserati—provoke visceral reactions. The studio worked closely with Four Seasons to create a dramatic visual statement that would extend the hotel brand’s D.N.A. to the water. “We really wanted this [yacht] to be recognized far away on the horizon,” Johansson says. Paris-based creative Prosper Assouline, founder of publishing house Assouline, was enlisted as creative director to oversee interior refinements.
The Funnel’s curved facade features the largest single pane of glass ever installed on a yacht, wrapping around a three-bedroom suite with a central staircase, a private splash pool, an outdoor gym, and expansive indoor-outdoor living and dining areas. Butlers attend to the glass penthouse, which can accommodate six guests—or up to 11 when connected to the three adjoining suites—with more suite-specific staff on hand.
The exterior of the nearly 10,000-square-foot enclave incorporates the largest single piece of glass on a yacht.
Courtesy of Four Seasons Yachts
“Surrounded by glass, with nothing but horizon in every direction, it was pure theater,” says Ben Trodd, C.E.O. of Marc-Henry Cruise Holdings, joint operator of Four Seasons Yachts, recalling his tour of the completed Funnel in August. With its 280-degree views, the innovative suite made him feel “almost like being suspended in a glass lantern”—albeit one engineered to withstand the fiercest storms at sea.
The other exclusive enclave, the 8,000-square-foot Loft Suite, faces the stern and unfolds across two decks, offering three bedrooms, a living room, dining for eight, a full kitchen, and outdoor terraces. The suite accommodates six adults and a child but can be expanded through seven connecting suites for up to 20 guests. The Loft distinguishes itself with a private spa, comprising a splash pool, sauna, and steam room.
These interiors are “consistent with the overall aesthetic of Four Seasons I,” says Trodd, but their scale proves that luxury doesn’t need heavy ornamentation to impress. Sometimes, the purest grandeur is an unobstructed view of the sky.
