Dimitrios Michalpoulus
Bemelmans Bar
Originally from the island of Rhodes, Greece, Dimitrios began his hospitality journey at 14, spending summers working at his cousin’s hotels. What started as a seasonal job quickly grew into a lifelong dedication to service, eventually leading him to study enology, specialize in bar... READ MORE
Originally from the island of Rhodes, Greece, Dimitrios began his hospitality journey at 14, spending summers working at his cousin’s hotels. What started as a seasonal job quickly grew into a lifelong dedication to service, eventually leading him to study enology, specialize in bar management, and earn a master’s degree in Tourism Management from IUKB in Switzerland. His career has taken him through a wide range of hospitality roles across Greece and the U.S., with a strong focus on pre-opening projects that shaped his hands-on, team-centered leadership style. After years in hotel and restaurant management, Dimitrios joined The Carlyle in 2016, initially as Assistant In-Room Dining Manager. Soon after, he found himself supporting bar operations organically leading to his role as General Manager of Bemelmans Bar, a position he’s held for the past several years.
At Bemelmans, Dimitrios brings a quiet dedication to preserving tradition while supporting thoughtful, measured evolution. He’s focused on the small details that shape the guest experience—staff training, service standards, cocktail consistency—and has worked closely with his team to build a strong, respectful culture behind the bar. When the pandemic closed doors, he used the downtime to reimagine the cocktail menu, creating drinks inspired by the hotel’s history and notable past guests. The result was a refreshed program that honors Bemelmans’ legacy while giving guests something new to discover.
For Dimitrios, being part of Bemelmans is both a responsibility and a privilege. He sees his role not just as managing a bar, but as caring for a place that holds significance for so many—a place that continues to welcome guests from around the world with warmth, history, and character.
READ LESS
