Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has announced the appointment of Mehdi Eftekari as General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel New York. Eftekari arrives at the IM Pei landmark and Four Seasons flagship at an opportune moment, amid a hotel-wide renovation including the opening of the new TY Bar and the recent the launch of the Hotel’s new event space FIFTY7.
A 27-year veteran of Four Seasons, Eftekari originally joined the company as Food & Beverage Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills shortly after the property opened in 1988. In 1992 he relocated an hour south to become Hotel Manager of the former Four Seasons Hotel Newport Beach, and four years later was named General Manager. In 2004, Eftekari rejoined the Los Angeles hotel as General Manager, and from there headed cross-country to take the helm at East 57th Street on the edge of Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
“I always told myself if I ever left California it would be for New York City,” says Eftakari. “When the opportunity presented itself, I raised my hand.”
Eftekari’s appointed to New York came just a few days short of this 30th year in the hotel industry in Southern California. A native of Tehran, Iran, he arrived in the United States to study first English at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, then business management and marketing at Louisville University, Kentucky, from which he earned a bachelor’s degree. Unable to break into management in the corporate sector, he followed his lifelong passion for food and beverage to become assistant manager of a hotel restaurant at the Louisville address of an international hotel group in 1980. Soon enough, he was relocated to the Pacific Coast – and there he stayed.
During 11 years as General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles, Eftekari successfully weaved his way into the fabric of the community, becoming integral to the efforts of several local non-profit organizations (actor Morgan Freeman once invited him to help launch a relief organization), esteemed by the entertainment industry (Oscar nominee Terrence Howard told People magazine that Eftekari was the third person he called after receiving his nomination, “because he’s been such a great supporter”), and trusted by the hotel team. “It was unbelievable to me the see the number of staff I started with in Los Angeles who remained eager to learn, grow and be inspired,” he says.
Eftekari led a five-year, full-scale renovation of the Los Angeles property and enhanced the Hotel’s reputation as a health-oriented destination with innovations including an open-air fitness centre and healthful choices on the menus across all dining outlets. Upon his departure, Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles was experiencing its best quarter ever.
A firm believer that longevity creates a stronger hotel team, Eftekari gained immeasurable experience at accommodating international and cross-country travellers during his years in Southern California. Indeed, the largest percentage of clientele at Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles came from New York.
Known as “Mr. Boot Camp” for his predilection for hardest-charging workouts, Eftekari plans to be a presence in front of the mirrors and on the spinners at Equinox in Manhattan. He also enjoys his downtime, particularly exploring the city on foot – something that just can’t be done in LA.
Eftekari replaces Christoph Schmidinger, who relocated across the Pacific to become General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong.
