Lara Haddad returns to Dubai as Commercial Director of Waldorf Astoria DIFC

Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Centre has appointed Lara Haddad as Commercial Director, tasking her with supporting the hotel’s continued commercial growth and market positioning.

Haddad brings 20 years of luxury hospitality experience across the Gulf and Levant, more than 13 of them with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts. Born in Beirut and educated in France, she has worked in Dubai, Beirut, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait. The move marks a return to Dubai, where her career began, after eight 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.

A Four Seasons grounding

Haddad 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. 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.” – Lara Haddad

General Manager Georges Al Asmar said: “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.

Images: courtesy of Waldorf Astoria DIFC