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Marios Trantafyllou – Image Credit Four Seasons Hotels
Four Seasons Hotel Tunis announces the appointment of Marios Trantafyllou as Director of Food and Beverage. Arriving at the beachfront property located along the Mediterranean Sea in the leafy Gammarth section of Tunisia’s capital city, Marios oversees operations of all dining and drinking outlets, including five restaurants and lounges, in-room dining, and banqueting for weddings and more within the Hotel’s meeting and event space.
Hailing originally from Athens, Greece, Mario’s road to Four Season in Tunis began at Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris, where, soon after earning a master’s degree in luxury brand management from ESSEC Business School in Paris, he joined the team of Banquets as Chef de Rang to get a firsthand feel for event operations. His career path took him to other properties in the city, including Hotel Le Bristol, Hotel Ritz, and Trianon Palace Versailles before he headed to Doha, Qatar, in 2014 to join the food and beverage pre-opening leadership team of InterContinental Hotel Group properties as the city’s hotel scene boomed.
After a turn at a luxury hotel in Dubai, Marios made his way back to Four Seasons in 2021, leading food and beverage operations at Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza, where he oversaw the openings of four new restaurants over three years. His new assignment in Tunis has the same focus, starting with the post-renovation reopening of Salon Alyssa, an elegant-yet-comfortable, bistro-like lobby lounge, to which he added nightly musical entertainment to broaden the outlet’s appeal to Tunisians as well as international travellers.
Whatever the venue or the cuisine, Marios emphasizes creativity. “I believe in putting the product forward, playing with colours, and framing beautiful presentations on the plate and in the glass,” he says, noting restaurant development as his favourite part of the job and his entertainment experience as key to spotlighting creative offerings. “We’re in the business of entertaining guests, after all. The more we innovate, the more we stand out.”
Meantime, Mario’s fondness for the Middle East has grown since he first arrived as a “total European” to begin work in the region in 2014. “I’m very fond of the mentality here and the opportunity to learn about new cultures.”
He is also quite taken with the surf, having sought to continue his role with the company at Four Seasons Hotel Tunis in part for the property’s access to great waves. “I used to skateboard. Then I got into snowboarding. Now I’ve been surfing for the past decade,” he recalls, adding with a laugh, “I’ve already made friends with some kiteboarders here, so maybe that’ll be next.”