Four Seasons Appoints Thomas Krooswijk to Lead Istanbul’s Bosphorus and Sultanahmet Hotels
Thomas Krooswijk has been appointed General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus and Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet. The dual appointment places the experienced hospitality executive…
News Desk
3 min read
Thomas Krooswijk has been appointed General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus and Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet. The dual appointment places the experienced hospitality executive at the helm of two of Turkey’s most celebrated luxury properties, both recipients of Forbes Travel Guide’s Five-Star rating for 2025.
Krooswijk brings more than two decades of international luxury hospitality experience to Istanbul. His Four Seasons career began in 2001 at The Pierre in New York, where he started in food and beverage operations. He subsequently spent four years with the Four Seasons team in Dublin before departing in 2006 to explore opportunities elsewhere in the industry.
He returned to Four Seasons in 2012 as Director of Food and Beverage at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles, where he was later promoted to Hotel Manager. In spring 2015, he transferred to Four Seasons Hotel Toronto as Hotel Manager before assuming the Hotel Manager position at Four Seasons Hotel Amman in January 2018. He was appointed General Manager of Four Seasons Resort Marrakech in 2020, where he oversaw extensive property enhancements at the flagship Moroccan resort.
Born in France and raised across Africa and the Middle East, Krooswijk is multilingual, speaking fluent French alongside English with working knowledge of German and Dutch. His international upbringing has shaped what colleagues describe as a people-first leadership philosophy emphasising cultural sensitivity and genuine human connection.
The Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus occupies a restored 19th-century Ottoman palace known as Atik Pasha, converted into a Four Seasons property in 2008. The waterfront hotel features 170 rooms including 25 suites, with interiors designed by Sinan Kafadar that blend contemporary elegance with Ottoman heritage. The property includes a 2,100-square-metre spa with traditional Turkish hammams, indoor and outdoor pools, and the Aqua restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine with Italian and Turkish specialities.
Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet offers a contrasting experience in the heart of the Old City. The 65-room property occupies a neoclassical building designed by Mimar Kemaleddin Bey in 1918–1919 as Istanbul’s first modern prison. Following extensive renovation completed in 2022, the hotel features the Michelin-recommended AVLU restaurant showcasing modern Anatolian cuisine, the Kurna Spa with traditional hammam treatments, and a rooftop terrace overlooking Hagia Sophia.
Both properties have earned considerable recognition. Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet was named the world’s number one hotel in Travel + Leisure’s 2023 World’s Best Awards, while the Bosphorus property ranked eighth globally. The hotels received Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star ratings for 2025 and were recognised among Turkey’s finest hotels by Condé Nast Traveller readers.
Krooswijk’s appointment aligns with Four Seasons’ broader strategic expansion. The company currently operates 133 hotels and resorts across 47 countries and plans to reach 180 properties by 2033. Recent developments include over 60 projects in the pipeline and the anticipated January 2026 launch of Four Seasons Yachts.
