Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens Announces Jann Kaiser as New General Manager

Innovation and excellence are the cornerstones of the iconic Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens – and with the appointment of former Hotel Manager Jann Kaiser to the position of General Manager, the Hotel's enduring legacy is reassuringly set to continue.

Kaiser is a creative visionary with a diverse background in design and hospitality. His stellar career spans two decades across five countries, six cities, and seven Four Seasons properties. Renowned as a “proven disruptor,” Kaiser interweaves disparate perspectives to create environments of innovation and growth, driven by a desire to push the boundaries of the luxury hospitality experience.

To Kaiser, the entire luxury hospitality experience is underpinned by a holistic, cyclical and evolutionary process. "It’s about uniting form, functionality and feeling in every aspect of the hotel’s operations," he says. “For me, it comes down to how the employees feel, how that makes the guests and community feel, and the impact that has on the hotel’s overall development and evolution."

Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens attracts high-profile international names alongside a wide range of global guests and Athenian residents. Being part of the local culture and community is vital to Kaiser's vision – as is extending his team's vision of luxury hospitality into a wider lifestyle experience charged with depth and resonance. "I love to lean into and learn from other industries, from fashion to automotive, weaving new concepts into the hospitality industry that help move hospitality forwards in unexpected directions.”

Hired upon graduation from Hotel School The Hague, his first tenure was at the legendary Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel followed by acclaimed roles as Restaurant Manager and Director of Food and Beverage at Four Seasons properties in Istanbul, Beirut, Chicago and London. While Hotel Manager of Four Seasons Ten Trinity Square, the property secured its first Forbes Five Star rating, a second Michelin star for La Dame De Pic, and AA Hotel of the Year London 2018-2019.

In 2021, Kaiser traded the streets of London for the promenades of the Greek Riviera – and, more specifically, Astir Palace's pine-clad 30-hectare (75-acre) sanctuary on the glittering Saronic Gulf: a stylish peninsula enclave with three private beaches, eight restaurants and bars, Tennis Academy, Hippocrates-inspired Spa, upscale retail and more.

Driven by a desire to advance sustainability, set visionary strategy, and spotlight cutting-edge creativity, he soon made his mark: revising the way the Hotel empowers its 1000+ staff to embody the traditional hospitality "filoxenia" at the heart of Greek culture and inspiring a dynamic, diverse and inclusive culture of care and connection, boosted by team members from all over the world.  In 2023, Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens took the 35th spot in the World’s 50 Best Hotels and was awarded its first Forbes Five-Star designation.

Following his June 2024 appointment to General Manager, Kaiser is looking forward to strengthening the visionary Astir Palace culture and setting ever-more inspiring strategy across its entire hospitality experience: hotel-wide programs celebrating the dynamic heritage of Athens; ongoing envisioning of the perfect layout and design for every space and of course, empowering his team to be their best in order to bring the best to the hotel and its incredibly loyal roster of international and local guests. “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 concludes. “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.”