Friday, March 29, 2024 Mar 29, 2024
60° F Dallas, TX
Advertisement
Publications

The King of Class

Atef Mankarios has developed, managed, and operated luxury hotels from Barbados to Spain. He could live anywhere in the world, yet he stays in Dallas. If the top names in the hotel business want him, they can come here.
By D Magazine |

Atef
Mankarios was born with an eye for detail—he can spot the difference
between 1,000- and 250-thread-count sheets from 50 feet away. When he
enters one of the many luxurious hotels he has developed, the staff
snaps to attention, a look of fear in their eyes. Understandably so—the
man who transformed the Mansion on Turtle Creek into a five-star
property is a demanding boss.

“I can’t stand it when I go into a
restaurant and the waiter’s or busboy’s uniform is missing a button or
the sleeves are too short,” says Mankarios, who was the president and
chief executive officer of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts for 10 years.
“A stain on the tablecloth? I lose it. A water spot on a glass? The end
of civilization as I know it,” he says, only half kidding.

During
the last 30 years, the suave, Egyptian-born perfectionist has created a
reputation that has allowed him to work around the world. After he
split from Rosewood in 1998, he formed a company that developed,
managed, and operated luxury properties in the United States, Barbados,
Egypt, France, Italy, Monaco, Spain, and Turkey.

His success
caught the attention of decision makers at Starwood Hotels &
Resorts. Mankarios ran the company’s St. Regis Hotels & Resorts
division until he resigned in January, moved back to Dallas, and formed
the Mankarios Partnership, a consulting firm.
 
Why does
this handsome, debonair, smooth-talking guy—who, at midnight, spotted a
run in the carpet of the lobby at the Mansion and had the entire room
recarpeted before breakfast—choose Dallas over Paris, London, or Tobago?

 “Oh, those are wonderful places for sure,” he says. “But they don’t have the Dallas Stars.”

Credits

Related Articles

Image
Arts & Entertainment

Here’s Who Is Coming to Dallas This Weekend: March 28-31

It's going to be a gorgeous weekend. Pencil in some live music in between those egg hunts and brunches.
Image
Arts & Entertainment

Arlington Museum of Art Debuts Two Must-See Nature-Inspired Additions

The chill of the Arctic Circle and a futuristic digital archive mark the grand opening of the Arlington Museum of Art’s new location.
By Brett Grega
Image
Arts & Entertainment

An Award-Winning SXSW Short Gave a Dallas Filmmaker an Outlet for Her Grief

Sara Nimeh balances humor and poignancy in a coming-of-age drama inspired by her childhood memories.
By Todd Jorgenson
Advertisement