Four Seasons Hotel Tunis

Four Seasons Tenure

• Originally hired 2009; now since 2021
• First Four Seasons Position: Banquets Chef de Rang, Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris

Employment History

• Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza; Emerald Palace Kempinski Dubai, Palm Jumeirah; InterContinental Hotel Group, Qatar; Trianon Palace Versailles, Waldorf Astoria Collection; Hotel Le Bristol, Paris; Hotel Ritz, Paris; Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris

Education

• Bachelor’s Degree, Marketing Communications, The American College of Greece, Athens; MBA, Luxury Brand Management, ESSEC Business School, Paris

Birthplace

• Athens, Greece

Languages spoken

• Greek, English, French, German

There are many ways to dazzle restaurant clientele, and for Marios Triantafyllou, nothing does it like creativity. “I believe in putting the product forward, playing with colours, and framing beautiful presentations on the plate and in the glass,” he says, detailing his role as Director of Food and Beverage crafting dining and drinking scenes at Four Seasons Hotel Tunis. The property is in a unique position as the only luxury address in the city and the country beyond, he adds. “So, our goal is to create experiences that stand out on their own.”    

Now at his second consecutive Four Seasons address, Marios arrived along the Mediterranean Sea in the Gammarth section of Tunis after a turn along the Nile in Cairo, where he opened four restaurants over three years. His new assignment has the same focus and began with the post-renovation reopening of Salon Alyssa, an elegant-yet-comfortable, bistro-like lobby lounge serving snacks and drinks from breakfast to night cap, as well as afternoon tea.

Marios has another four outlets to work with, including signature seafood outlets, and has “boho chic” in mind for the in-crowd in Tunis. He also lends expertise to the in-room dining operation and banqueting for weddings and more in 1,550 square metres (16,684 square feet) of event space.

Whatever the venue, Marios is particularly keen to increase local traffic by appealing to the community as well as international travellers. He sees the Hotel as inspiration on the scene, noting how his addition of live music quickly became part of the identity of Salon Alyssa. “We want locals to think of us as the dining room as well as the living room of Tunis.”

Restaurant development is Marios’s favourite part of the job, and he taps business knowhow and entertainment experience to spotlight offerings. He also works closely with the Hotel’s Executive Chef and managers to ensure that outlets are seen as approachable, rather than high-end. “Instead of lowering prices, we make sure people know they’re getting bang for their buck.”

Born and raised in Athens where the ancient Greek concept of hospitality was rooted in generosity and mutual respect, Marios had no thought of going into the hotel industry until a professor suggested it would be a good fit for his master’s degree in luxury brand management.

He headed straight for properties at the top of the line, including Four Seasons landmark address in the Golden Triangle of Paris, where he started in the banquets and restaurants to get a feel for operations. He later moved on to Doha, where he was on the food and beverage pre-opening leadership team for various properties of an international brand as the city’s hotel scene boomed.

Along the way, he grew quite fond of life in the Middle East. “I was a total European when I arrived in 2014, but I have long since decided to stay,” he says, noting his fondness for “the mentality of the region” as well as the opportunity it offers him to learn about new cultures.

Marios’s opportunity to join Four Seasons again in Cairo came during the global lockdown, and literally 15 minutes before he received word that his father had passed away. Looking back, he realizes, “when you lose something, you get something else. I’ve always felt that the offer I received from Four Seasons came from my father.”

Now right at home in Tunis, Triantafyllou has found much to enjoy about life along the Mediterranean, especially indulging his passion for surfing from the beach in front of the Hotel. “I used to skateboard. Then I got into snowboarding. Now I’ve spent 10 years looking for great waves,” he says with a laugh, adding that easy access to surf led to his choice to further his Four Seasons career in Tunis. “I’ve already made friends with some kite surfers here, so maybe that’ll be next.”