Sam Ioannidis

Four Seasons Tenure

• Since 1992
• First Four Seasons Assignment: Director Restaurant and Bars, Four Seasons Hotel Toronto

Employment History

• Four Seasons Resort Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt; Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel Athens; Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Maryah Island; Four Seasons Hotel Baku, Azerbaijan; Four Seasons Hotel New York; Four Seasons Hotel Boston; Four Seasons Hotel Houston; Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach; Four Seasons Resort Nevis, West Indies; Four Seasons Hotel Toronto

Education

• BA in Hospitality and Tourism Management, Ryerson University, Toronto

Birthplace

• Frankfurt, Germany

Languages

• English, Greek

“I’m always excited at being part of something elaborate and impressive,” says Sam Ioannidis, General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Montreal. “I really believe it’s important to wake up every day and find something that challenges you because it’s good to be motivated to succeed.”

A native of Frankfurt, Ioannidis grew up in Germany and Greece steeped in the culture of his Greek parents. His mother owned a restaurant, and his father owned a commercial painting company, and what he learned from each helped focus his career. “I learned early to approach hotel work with an appreciation for architecture and design as a setting for the ways hospitality can bring people together.”

After making his way to Toronto, Ioannidis worked at a renowned fine-dining restaurant while studying hospitality and tourism at a local university. The dean gave him good advice, encouraging him to work “only in places of the highest calibre.” He started at the local Four Seasons, known then as Inn on the Park, using the opportunity to soak up everything he could about food, wine and travel. Though all went well, Ioannidis left after six months to open his own restaurant.

Then one evening he bumped into his old Four Seasons General Manager. “He told me he could use my talents again, and I’ve been with the company ever since.”

Rising in operations on the food and beverage side, Ioannidis worked at properties throughout North America before being appointed to lead Four Seasons Hotel Baku in 2013. In 2015, he opened in Abu Dhabi, and two years later became the opening General Manager in Athens. “As a proud Greek,” he remembers, “introducing Four Seasons' highest standards of luxury and service to Greece for the first time was really special for me.” Most recently, he held the position of General Manager at Four Seasons Resort Sharm El Sheikh where he oversaw the property’s entire operations while it underwent expansion plans to transform the Resort into the largest Four Seasons in the region and one of the largest around the world.

Wherever Ioannidis travels, he takes his passion for food and beverages with him, experiencing destinations through local ingredients and cooking experiences. Ioannidis also puts his heart and soul into staying in shape, finding new ways to stay active wherever he travels.