Veteran hotel executive Sven Wiedenhaupt brings more than 23 years of luxury hotel management experience to the beautiful Caribbean island of Nevis.
2013-02-28 — /travelprnews.com/ — Four Seasons Resort Nevis welcomes international hotelier Sven Wiedenhaupt to his new home in Nevis, West Indies as the General Manager of the Caribbean’s first AAA Five Diamond resort.
A tri-lingual hospitality professional and graduate of the famed L’Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne in Switzerland, Wiedenhaupt brings more than 23 years of luxury hotel management experience in resorts and hotels around the world.
The tranquil destination of Nevis is a far cry from Wiedenhaupt’s recent assignments. The world traveller has spent the last decade working in the hustle and bustle of international cities including Four Seasons hotels in Damascus, Doha and New York City.
Wiedenhaupt began his Four Seasons career in 2004 as the Director of Food & Beverage for Four Seasons Hotel New York, a plum assignment that shined on his passion for food and wine in a city heralded for its diverse and vibrant culinary scene. In 2008, after three successful years in the Big Apple, Wiedenhaupt was promoted to Hotel Manager at Four Seasons Hotel Doha in Qatar. In 2011, Wiedenhaupt seized the opportunity to continue his tour of the Middle East with a transfer to the Syrian capital, where he was promoted to General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Damascus.
“In addition to building lasting relationships with his teams, Sven has left a mark of innovation and inspirational leadership at all Four Seasons hotels he has worked with,” says Craig Reid, president, hotel operations, Americas at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. “He was won over the hearts and minds of his staff with his passion for service and tireless dedication to developing the people talent within the hotel.”
Nevis is a welcome assignment for Wiedenhaupt, who describes his style as part German-born work ethic and part American-raised entrepreneurial spirit. He is now faced with the task of ensuringFour Seasons Nevis flag on the world map and admits there is a bit of a debate about how much of a secret the little known Caribbean gem of an island should be.
“There is a certain cache and small town charm that the lack of ‘glitz’ brings to the place,” says Wiedenhaupt. “This is not to ignore that tourism is still the top opportunity here and a special opportunity for the only Four Seasons hotel in the Caribbean.”
Wiedenhaupt is a worldly scholar having attended schools in England and Australia and ultimately receiving his hotel management degree in Switzerland. Prior to joining Four Seasons, he worked for major hotel brands including Intercontinental Group and the Marriott Hotels and for a number of other four and five star properties in Arizona, California and Wisconsin.
Wiedenhaupt’s passions as a first class hotelier, gourmet foodie, wine lover and fitness fanatic are a natural fit with Four Seasonsresort and Nevis life. He also enjoys music and reading. A golf enthusiast, he is looking forward to one of the major perks of his new post. A three-minute walk from his new executive office in Nevis is the gateway to the Robert Trent Jones II golf course. He is ready to be humbled on the 18-hole championship links known for its signature hole #15, which includes a 240-yard carry over a ravine to the fairway.
As for Wiedenhaupt’s move from the big city to the Caribbean, he is enjoying the simplicity of life on an island with not a single traffic light. He is looking forward to welcoming his wife Michele, a native New Yorker, in a couple of weeks to their new home. “The people of Nevis have this genuine way of extending their heart to make you feel instantly at one with Four Seasons and the island,” he says. “We are excited about our next chapter here in paradise.”
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Four Seasons Resort Nevis, West Indies Welcomes New General Manager Sven Wiedenhaupt