Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens

Four Seasons Tenure

• Since 2006
• First Four Seasons Assignment: Assistant Food and Beverage Manager, Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel

Employment History

• Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square; Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane; Four Seasons Hotel Chicago; Four Seasons Hotel Beirut; Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus; Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel

Education

• Bachelor of Business Administration, Hospitality Management, Hotel School The Hague, The Netherlands; PDT, Process Designed Emotional Intelligence, University of Chicago, Liautaud Institute, USA; Leadership Communication with Impact, INSEAD, Singapore

Birthplace

• Bonn, Germany

Languages Spoken

• Fluent German and English; conversational Spanish and French; basic Arabic

At the heart of Jann Kaiser’s approach to hospitality lies an intriguing combination of form and function, lifestyle and feeling. A creative visionary with a diverse background in design and hospitality, he interweaves disparate perspectives to create environments of innovation and growth, charged with depth and resonance.

“For me, the entire luxury hospitality experience is underpinned by a holistic, cyclical and evolutionary process,” he explains. “From the uniform to the rooms, it starts with creating that perfect vision, then orchestrating every element so that it has an emotional capacity to make you feel good, while ensuring its functionality allows you to do everything you want to. It comes down to how the employees feel; how that makes the guests and community feel, and the impact that has on the overall growth of the property.”

Kaiser’s innovative approach was honed along a multi-faceted path. Hospitality roles throughout his teens; an apprenticeship in technical drawing in his native Germany; hospitality management studies in the Netherlands, where he also coordinated large-scale food and beverage events for the university; a marketing internship in Copenhagen working on a Volkswagen car launch campaign in conjunction with a hotel, art studio and restaurant space. Kaiser was in his element. Utilizing his unique skillset of art, design and hospitality has defined his integrative style to this day.

“I’m a proven disruptor,” he says with a smile. “I always look to lean into other industries – from food service to wellness – and to learn from them. I love to introduce new ideas and things that may not have been done in our industry before."

Hired straight out of university, Kaiser found a perfect match in Four Seasons at the iconic Beverly Wilshire in 2006. His creative flair, strategic prowess and dynamic management approach saw him excel in food and beverage operations, moving with the brand to manage restaurants and culinary teams in Istanbul, Beirut and London before becoming Hotel Manager of Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity in June 2018.

In his current role as General Manager of Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens, Kaiser continues to bring a fresh perspective, driven by a desire to advance sustainability and challenge people to see things in a different way. Recent examples include reimagining the Michelin-starred dishes of Pelagos as affordable street food items to widen the accessibility of fine dining, and a quarterly evolving zero-waste cocktail menu at Avra, showcasing four ingredients in each of their seasonal forms. Diversity and inclusion are of utmost importance to him too, with the Astir Palace team spanning a wide range of different backgrounds and cultures – further expanding the Hotel’s philosophy of connection with the wider community.  

Kaiser is also well known for the warm connections he forges with his team. He combines his skills in five languages with groundbreaking management studies – from Process Designed Emotional Intelligence at UIC’s Liautaud Institute to Leadership Communication with Impact at Singapore’s INSEAD – to empower his 1000+ staff, creating a positive and fun work environment that is fulfilling and impactful for all.

“It’s about respecting the role that every person, team member, visitor and community contributor plays in the development and evolution of the whole,” he continues. “Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens is an iconic destination hotel, attracting international high-profile names alongside a wide range of global guests and Athenian residents. Being part of the local culture and community is vital to us – as is opening up the range of experiences at the Hotel to diverse visitors. I want to extend the luxury hospitality experience into a wider lifestyle that is relevant on a deeper scale.”