Lara Haddad, Commercial Director, Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Centre
Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Centre has appointed Lara Haddad as Commercial Director. Haddad brings 20 years of luxury hospitality experience across the Gulf and Levant, including more than 13 years with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts.
Born in Beirut and educated in France, Haddad has built her career in hospitality in Dubai, Beirut, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait. Her appointment at Waldorf Astoria DIFC marks a welcome return to Dubai, where her career began, after spending the last 8 years in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait.
She joins from the five-star Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas, where as Commercial Director, she led the property’s repositioning as one of Saadiyat island’s leading luxury resorts, delivering significant growth in RevPAR and ADR.
Earlier in her career, Haddad spent more than 13 years with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts across Beirut, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. She joined the pre-opening team of Four Seasons Hotel Beirut in 2009 and was named EMEA Manager of the Year in 2010. In 2014 she moved to Dubai to launch Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach as Director of Catering Sales & Conference Services, before joining Four Seasons Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island in 2018. After a period with Hyatt in Kuwait, she returned to Abu Dhabi in 2022 as Director of Sales at Al Maryah Island.
“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.”
Haddad holds a Master’s degree in Luxury Hospitality Management from Vatel Institute in Nîmes, and a second Master’s in International Tourism from the University of Perpignan.
