Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita

Four Seasons Tenure

• Since 2007
• First Four Seasons Assignment: Current

Employment History

• Le Coco Beach Resort, Mauritius; Anahita Golf Course (formerly managed by Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita)

Education

• National Higher Diploma in Hotel Management at Ecole Hôtelière Sir Gaëtan Duval

Birthplace

• Mauritius

Languages Spoken

• English, French, Mauritian Creole, Italian, Hindi

Measured and meticulous are two words that describe Darmen Santoo and his approach to work. A seasoned professional, Darmen is the embodiment of what Four Seasons represents in Mauritius.

Leading from the front is the only way Darmen knows, and his many different roles in varying capacities enables him to read situations and people in a way that a leader must. His now tenured tryst with  Four Seasons was almost coincidental at first, as Darmen applied for a job at the adjacent Anahita without expecting to be recruited as part of the Four Seasons pre-opening team.

With the launch on the island in 2008, Darmen was identified as a key resource and moved to in-villa dining. Keen to excel with an innate sense of team and structure, Darmen has played a hand in the success of almost every food and beverage promotion at the Resort. From 2013 to 2018, Darmen grew into the roles of Assistant Restaurant Manager and Restaurant Manager at Acquapazza and Beau Champ, the two signature restaurants at the Resort. “With its strong core values, Four Seasons empowers its employees to excel and grow,” says Darmen. “Encouragement is a key aspect of performance that tends to get overlooked with other companies, but here, talent is nurtured and allowed to express itself.” One of the reasons he decided to begin his career here and has stayed on, is that the brand is always raising the bar when it comes to service and guest interaction. “Intuitive service, where we are able to deliver what a guest wants through an instinctive ability, is what we are striving for today,” he explains.

Promoted to his current role as Director of Restaurants and Bars with the re-opening of the Resort post-pandemic, Darmen feels he has been equipped to deliver what is expected from him. “It is a chain-like dynamic in food and beverage, and we are only as strong as our weakest link,” he insists. “If I identify an area in which we need to improve, then we come together as a team to support that function and help maintain the very high standards that our Four Seasons guests expect.”

A true islander, Darmen loves to cook and spends his weekends with family. As one of the longest serving colleagues at the Resort, he feels he shoulders a lot of the responsibility when it comes to bringing in new recruits up to speed with Four Seasons standards. “There are so many moving parts here at the Resort, with new restaurant launches and pop-up kitchens, and it is up to the old hands like me to keep the faith and steer on a consistent course,” he smiles.