Martin Rhomberg

Four Seasons Tenure

• Since 2000
• First Four Seasons Assignment: Director of Food and Beverage, Four Seasons Hotel Caracas (formerly a Four Seasons hotel)

Employment History

• Four Seasons Hotel Lion Palace St. Petersburg (formerly a Four Seasons hotel); Four Seasons Hotel Damascus (formerly a Four Seasons hotel); Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo; Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, México; Four Seasons Hotel Caracas (formerly a Four Seasons Hotel); Hyatt International, Mexico and Argentina

Birthplace

• Innsbruck, Austria

Education

• Modul Tourism College, Modul University, Vienna, Austria

Languages Spoken

• German, Spanish, English and French
  

With nearly 200 years of history and a lakeside setting steps from charming Old Town, Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues Geneva has long shined on the Swiss hotel scene. But Martin Rhomberg, who joined as General Manager in 2016, continues to polish the experience nonetheless. “We have achieved several record performance years,” he says, noting the rare feat of consecutive Forbes Five Star ratings for the Hotel and its Spa Mont Blanc. “I see our success as predominantly due to our talent. We are all aligned on delivering for the guest, and we give everyone the space they need to be the best.”

The luxury hotel scene in Geneva is white hot, especially for a smallish city, with upgrades to established addresses and new openings. Rhomberg has no intention of ceding Four Seasons position at the top. Much of his focus is on broadening the Hotel’s base to the weekend-getaway crowd. “Geneva hasn’t always promoted itself as a leisure destination. Bankers and business travellers already know us, so we’re reaching out to families with diversified offerings and stay packages that showcase the city, the lake, and great experiences for children.”

Rhomberg’s overall strategy has been on “loosening” the guest experience and layering on “inclusive luxury,” with familiar amenities adapted to appeal to those who are in town to explore the city and desire attentive hospitality on top without stuffiness and old-fashioned “rules of service.”

He points to the Hotel’s signature dining experience Il Lago, still serving Michelin-starred Italian but in a brighter, easier-going space and with a sharing concept on the menu to encourage sociability at the table. Meanwhile, up on the rooftop, Izumi serves the heights of Japanese fusion cuisine in a space with redefined dimensions, providing a distinctive setting for its largely local clientele. “Izumi has always been a favourite of locals, and its appeal continues to grow. We get people from all walks of life, plenty of them dressed casually, who just want to enjoy.”

A destination all its own, the Spa Mont Blanc experience continues to benefit from intensive training for therapists as well as wellness programming that guests won’t find easily elsewhere. A partnership with a Japanese firm, for instance, now provides an Iyashi Dôme infrared sauna, while another with a Swiss skincare line offers cutting-edge skin analysis and customized products to reverse signs of ageing. “Our guests are busy people. If they can squeeze in a few hours for our Spa, they deserve something special and they expect tangible results.”

Rhomberg’s focus on wellness is in keeping with his dual role as Spa Lead for Four Seasons properties across Europe, which sees him guiding Regional Spa Directors and consulting with Spa Directors at individual properties. He believes that wellness is essential to the Four Seasons experience, and that the company’s spas are beautiful not just in design, but from an operational perspective.

“Here in Geneva, we’re spreading wellness throughout the property via little moments intended to make guests and employees feel good. We want all of our properties to see their Spas as sources for the same.”

Rhomberg was first drawn to Geneva by desire, shared by his family, for a change of scene – something he has seen a lot of over a peripatetic Four Seasons career that has included leadership positions on four continents. He was the right choice for ownership that was seeking a senior manager who could deliver changes, he says. “I was fortunate to fit into what everyone was looking for here.”

Austrian by birth, Rhomberg originally considered following his father into the corporate world or pursuing a medical career, but realized his heart wasn’t in either. “So I was chatting with my parents and they suggested tourism. I said, ‘Hey, why not?’”

Off he went: Not to grand palace hotels, but to an uncle’s wellness resort in the Austrian Alps. “I loved every minute,” he recalls of 16-hour days on the hotel floor. “The idea that you can make a guest’s day with a small gesture and be surrounded by beautiful things was so appealing. Most people never have a chance to experience a world like that.”

He was in the right place at the right time for Four Seasons, having led the Park Hyatt in Buenos Aires as hotel manager when it became part of the company’s South America portfolio. He quickly realized that Four Seasons was the one company in the luxury segment that engaged guests the way he always wanted to. When Four Seasons offered him a slot as opening Food and Beverage Director at another property on the continent, he took it “without hesitation.”

Rhomberg later went on to lead Four Seasons former hotel in Damascus, Syria, and then to open the company’s first Russian address in St. Petersburg. Not long after arriving in Geneva, he was promoted to Regional Vice President.

“This is a high performing asset with a dedicated customer base not unlike that of our sister property in Paris,” he says now, noting the ability of the Hotel in Geneva to generate revenues and influence the local hospitality scene. “What I love best here is being in the lobby watching guests come in to dine and stay. The arrival experience that greets them is very special – just like home.”