Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Cartagena

Four Seasons Tenure

• Since 2017
• First Four Seasons Assignment: Resort Manager, Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita

Employment History

• Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita; Rosewood Hotel Group, Abu Dhabi; Rosewood Mayan Riviera; Ritz-Carlton Sharq Village & Spa, Doha; Bvlgari Hotels & Resorts, Milan; Jumeirah International, Dubai; Hotel de Russie, Rocco Forte Hotels; Accor Group Novotel Geneve Centre; Carlton Hotel, St Moritz

Education

• Ecole de Secretariat Hotelier Lausanne, Switzerland

Birthplace

• Lausanne, Switzerland

Languages Spoken

• French, English, Spanish, some German and Italian

“I really believe the experience we create comes straight from the heart,” says Annie Monnier of the operation she shapes and the team she oversees as General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Cartagena. Noting owners who want to give back to the community and team members who feel they are “part of the soul” of the property, Annie believes that the Hotel is making hospitality history along the country’s Caribbean coast. “The level of luxury we’re bringing here is something Cartagena has not previously experienced. So, the opportunity for us is to show our sincerity and belief in our hospitality so that everyone feels welcome to enjoy it.”

“Four Seasons Cartagena is more than a hotel—it is the realization of a vision nearly 15 years in the making,” says Annie. “Every space has been designed with intention, blending Cartagena’s heritage with modern elegance to create something truly extraordinary. This project is about more than architecture; it’s about crafting experiences rooted in authenticity and care. Our team brings this vision to life through service that feels personal and heartfelt, so that every guest becomes part of a story that will stay with them long after they leave.”

More of a resort than a city hotel, Four Seasons third Colombian address blends onsite opulence and modern conveniences expected by contemporary travellers with the centuries-old charm and the vibrant culture of Cartagena. Nestled in the Getsemaní neighbourhood, an up-and-coming part of town just southeast of the historic walled city, the property offers a range of room types and private retreats through six buildings of different ages; seven dining and drinking outlets celebrating local and international cuisines, including a rooftop deck; and a signature spa that combines age-old rituals with modern wellness. The Hotel is further arrayed with versatile venues for meetings and events, including and especially elegant weddings and lively social gatherings.   

Central to the draw for Annie in her first turn as GM is the opportunity to work with an owner-sponsored foundation to educate locals on the finer points of luxury hospitality – at Four Seasons standards, of course. The benefits go beyond future staffing, she says. “The idea is to aid people in learning and growing their career while taking hospitality to the next level.” The effort is not philanthropic but about building a new platform for people to learn and grow. “Cartagena is full of talent. We want to provide guidance to elevate the industry here and put the city the travel map.”

And what of Annie’s own style of managing the Hotel team? “It’s very Swiss!” she says with a laugh. “Actually, I don’t believe that people progress like clockwork – everyone advances at a different pace.” For her, personality is particularly important. “It can’t be taught, which is why we staff so carefully. We want guests to come back because so-and-so is at the Front Desk.”

Growing up in Switzerland, Annie originally set her sights on becoming an athlete with eyes on making a living teaching tennis and skiing. Instead, she discovered that she had faculty for languages and studied several in hopes of using what she learned for travel, just like her father who frequented Eastern Europe on business as she grew up.

When she finished her hospitality degree at school in her hometown, her father gave her a suitcase. “He told me, ‘This is your gift. Now, go travel the world and see it with all of your heart.’ I’ve always remembered that – and I still have the suitcase.”

Annie got started at a grand lakeside hotel in St. Moritz, where she hoped to land on the Front Desk to use her languages. Instead, she was ushered to the rooms side of operations and unexpectedly appointed as executive housekeeper. Much travel, many challenges, and success followed, as Annie wound her way up in management at hotels and resorts in Geneva, Dubai, Milan, Doha, and along the Riviera Maya in Mexico.

Finally, while working as a hotel manager in Abu Dhabi, she received a call from Four Seasons and soon enough was considered for a spot as Resort Manager in Punta Mita, Mexico. An “amazing” interview with the General Manager followed – “We talked about everything but work” – and she spent the next five years overseeing all operations along the Pacific. The posting was good for her family to reconnect with Mexico, including her husband, whom she met in Doha but hails from Cancun Mexico, and their daughters Siddhani and Moon, both born in Playa del Carmen.

Whatever the property, her position, or the destination, Annie has always drawn satisfaction from contributing to the guest experience and learning about the people and cultures around her. So, how does she feel at the helm in Cartagena? “With a property like this, you take everything that comes your way, especially the beauty and all that is not written in the lines.” The Hotel has a soul all its own, she says, and that’s very inspiring. “It really gets into you.”

Meantime, there is plenty to inspire Annie and her family beyond the Hotel’s doors. The all love to travel, play tennis, and lose themselves in nature with their dogs Nemo and Loki, adopted in Mexico, she says. “We let them lead, and we follow.” yes!