Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) has appointed Lara Haddad as Commercial Director, bringing 20 years of luxury hospitality experience across the Gulf and Levant to the role.
Haddad joins from Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas in Abu
Dhabi, where she served as Commercial Director and led the property’s
repositioning, driving growth in revenue per available room (RevPAR) and
average daily rate (ADR).
Born in Beirut and educated in France, Haddad began her
hospitality career in Dubai before holding positions in Beirut, Abu Dhabi and
Kuwait. She spent more than 13 years with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts,
joining the pre-opening team at Four Seasons Hotel Beirut in 2009. In 2010, she
was named EMEA Manager of the Year.
In 2014, Haddad moved to Dubai to help launch Four Seasons
Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach as Director of Catering Sales & Conference
Services. She joined Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island in 2018,
followed by a role with Hyatt in Kuwait. In 2022, she returned to Abu Dhabi as
Director of Sales at Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island.
Her appointment at Waldorf Astoria DIFC marks a return to
Dubai, where her career began, following eight years working in Abu Dhabi and
Kuwait.
Haddad holds a master’s degree in Luxury Hospitality
Management from Vatel Institute in Nîmes, France, and a second master’s degree
in International Tourism from the University of Perpignan.
“Joining Waldorf
Astoria DIFC was an easy decision,” said Haddad. “Dubai is where my career
began 20 years ago, so the city has always been special to me. I’ve watched it
change enormously since then, so to come back now, to a heritage brand as
respected as Waldorf Astoria, feels like a homecoming.”
Georges Al
Asmar, General Manager, added: “We’re delighted to welcome Lara to Waldorf
Astoria DIFC. Her experience and results at some of the region’s leading luxury
hotels speak for themselves, but what stood out to us was how well she
understands this city. She knows Dubai and its guests, from the business
travellers passing through DIFC to the residents who dine and celebrate with
us, and what keeps them coming back.” -TTN
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