Christian Zandonella

Four Seasons Tenure

• Since 2025
• First Four Seasons Position: Current

Employment History

• W Rome; The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna; The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain; The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto; Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin; Hotel Arts Barcelona; The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman; The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun; Hilton Munich Park

Education

• Hospitality, Staatliche Berufsschule München-Land, Munich, Germany; Ascent Leadership Accelerator, Organizational Leadership, UNC Kenan-Flager Business School, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Birthplace

• South Tyrol, Italy

Languages Spoken

• German, English, Italian, Spanish

“There is a Venice for everyone. We want to lead our guests to discover how people really make their lives here and the beauty and history that inspire them.” That’s Christian Zandonella on the remarkable destination surrounding Danieli, A Four Seasons Hotel, Venice, and the experience he shapes for travellers to the same. As General Manager of the newly restored historic address with the Venetian Lagoon on one side, Piazza San Marco on the other, and the vibrancy of the city all around, he has a lot to work with. “Venice is living and breathing, with so much happening beyond its lively centre. Rather than just reveal our corner of it, we’re showing people the entire city.”

Key to that revelation is the Danieli itself. Occupying three interconnected palaces, the property is one of the oldest accommodations in Venice, having welcomed guests and the community since 1822. Christian arrived in 2024 during Four Seasons renovation, and he embraced the opportunity to be part of the transformation. “It has been such a privilege to add my experience, passion, and perspective, helping to shape both the soul and the content of our hospitality.”

Christian shares the same qualities with the team he leads: 300 strong and primarily Venetian, many of whom have worked at Danieli for several years and have always been generous about sharing their insider knowledge of the property and the city. He likes to lead “firmly but fairly” and with an eye toward polishing skills and building good relationships, he says. “If I can’t relate to the team, how can they relate to our clientele? The luxury service we provide is interwoven through everything, and everyone is here for the guests.”

Born in the shadows of the Dolomites in northeastern Italy and raised in Germany, Christian got the scoop on hospitality early, working behind the counter of his parents’ ice cream shop in Munich. By his own admission a “middling student,” the service skills he attained in his youth led to a plum apprenticeship at a local Michelin-starred restaurant where he began training to become a waiter at age 16. Though it was years before he reached peak table service, he spent the time well by observing more senior waiters interacting at tables. “That ingrained me with a real love of guest relations, which is absolutely my focus today.”

It didn’t take long for Christian to transfer that love to hotels, starting as a restaurant manager with an international luxury group in Mexico. He eventually rose in different locations to become a director of food and beverage, and later turned to broader operations, initially as a hotel manager in Toronto, then as a general manager in Bahrain and Vienna. Then in 2020, Christian returned to his home country to open a hotel in Rome, leading what he recalls as the property’s “unapologetically Italian vision,” including building collaborations with renowned chefs.

Now right at home close to his family and leading for Four Seasons in Venice, Christian likes to keep his eyes on the city’s famed lagoon and a finger to the breeze. “I learned to sail when I worked in the Cayman Islands, and I’ve always wanted to get back into it,” he says with a smile. “The only way to really know this city is to spend time on the water.”