Al Habtoor City Hotel Collection has appointed two industry stalwarts to lead the team at their landmark luxury hotels – Hilton Dubai Al Habtoor City and V Hotel Dubai, Curio Collection by Hilton.
Leading Hilton Dubai Al Habtoor City, Saeid Heidari has just joined as its new General Manager. Overseeing the 1,004-room property, Saeid brings over 30 years of experience in managing luxury hospitality. A seasoned hospitality professional, Saeid comes with a proven track record in providing top-notch quality assuring seamless guest satisfaction and delivering first-rate financial results and operations management.
Saeid exhibits strong skills in managing profit targets, developing new and innovative projects, and being proactive in property sales efforts. He is also adept with negotiations and motivating diversified colleagues while maximizing productivity and efficiently controlling costs. One of Saeid’s remarkable achievements includes winning the HR leadership award twice in a row. He lives by the motto ‘Compassion is more important than passion’.
In 2022, Saeid started his time with Habtoor Hospitality at The Ritz-Carlton Budapest, and now finally at Hilton Dubai Al Habtoor City. He loves seeing the progress in Dubai while celebrating how this beautiful city embraces diversity.
Previously, Saeid led luxury properties such as Marriot International, Katara Hospitality, Anantara Hotel & Suites and many more. He began his hospitality career in 1988 at Marriott International in Frankfurt, Germany as a buy-out in Housekeeping, Executive lounge attendant and security officer while funding his education in Chemical Engineering and Nuclear Chemistry. In 2001, Saeid decided to move back to his roots in the Middle East by joining Marriot International in Saudi Arabia as the Director of Food & Beverages and then moving across the world in different positions – Egypt, Czech Republic, Dubai, India, Doha, etc.
Likewise, Luke Wooley has just joined V Hotel Dubai, Curio Collection by Hilton as General Manager and Director – F&B. He brings over 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry with a track record in managing immaculate F&B operations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South East Asia. Luke was part of the Al Habtoor Group since the early 2000s and having been elevated to V Hotel Dubai, Curio Collection by Hilton as its General Manager, he will now be overseeing the operations at the 356-key luxury property along with two food and beverage outlets, and meetings & event spaces.
First joining Monkey Island Hotel in his home town UK in 2000, he was transferred to Metropolitan Beach Club, Dubai and then to Habtoor Grand Resort and Spa for the grand opening of the resort. He then joined Habtoor Grand Convention Center and Spa in Beirut and returned to Habtoor Grand Resort and Spa in 2010 as the Director of Food & Beverages. Luke is proof of a true Habtoorian with his two-decades-long association with the Al Habtoor Group.
Luke’s taste for travel took him to Georgia, Botswana and Kenya where he held leadership roles at independent properties and not least to the Sultanate of Brunei as the Executive Hotel Manager of the prestigious Empire Hotel. Before joining V Hotel Dubai, Luke was associated with Habtoor Grand Resort and Spa as its Hotel Manager and was also in charge of the hotel’s F&B section since April 2022.
Welcoming the two seasoned professionals, who jointly bring over 50 years of experience in contribution towards the sector, Al Habtoor City Hotel Collection is poised to become the most sought-after destination in Dubai, recognized for its luxurious hospitality clubbed with exhilarating experiences including La Perle, seasonal Winter Garden, only Bentley Suite in the region, and several other attractions in the vicinity.
