Cruising from the beaches of Fort Lauderdale and Surfside to the trendy cityscape of Brickell, Haytham Said, a 24-year Four Seasons leader with a keen attention to detail and a forte of making every stay memorable, is continuing to make a mark in South Florida, joining Four Seasons Hotel Miami as General Manager.
With a career that blossomed from trainee to General Manager, always with the acclaimed Four Seasons marque, Haytham knows every detail about managing the most service-centric collection of hotels and resorts in the world. Most recently, during his tenure in Fort Lauderdale, the city gained its first Five Diamond hotel on the heels of earning a position on Travel + Leisure’s It List of the Best News Hotels in the World. Many service moments and experiences created under his leadership were instrumental in these accolades as well as the hotel’s reputation for steering a new course of luxury within this oceanside town. Among his favorites was developing an all-new beach concept with elevated design, dining, and activities that brought even more unrivalled service to Fort Lauderdale Beach. The hotel’s signature restaurant, Evelyn’s Fort Lauderdale, garnered numerous awards while the hotel also welcomed MAASS by Michelin-starred chef Ryan Ratino, another first within the city.
Now taking the lead as General Manager of Four Seasons Hotel Miami, Haytham arrives driven by innovation, growth, and a desire to be boundless in hospitality, an ideal match for this relaxed tropical paradise with the grandest of pools and coolest of cosmopolitan surroundings. Haytham looks forward to immersing himself in the hotel’s concept of Seventh Heaven; not just a state of extreme joy, but also everything one experiences when arriving to level seven of this lustrous tower within the centre of Miami.
“There’s so much synergy between Fort Lauderdale and Miami – pool club style environments, our stunning interior design by Tara Bernerd, and city lifestyles just outside our doors,” says Haytham. “I look forward to returning to Miami’s unique culture and rising to the rooftop above Brickell Avenue to join this incredible team that has already created such a premier vacation experience.”
Further south along the coast, Haytham previously held the role of Hotel Manager of Four Seasons Hotel at The Surf Club, the legendary oceanfront destination. Prior to arriving in South Florida, Haytham also held the position of Hotel Manager at Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta, and his brand career first began in his hometown at Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at The First Residence. Said’s determination and eye for detail led to a series of promotions, from Restaurant Manager Trainee and eventually to Bar and Restaurant Manager. In 2006 he moved to the United States, arriving to the bustling Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas as Assistant Room Service Manager, and then moving to Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco as Food and Beverage Manager. Continuing his impressive trajectory, Said was soon promoted to Director of Banquets at Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore. During his time at Four Seasons Atlanta, Haytham was also a major collaborator in opening a new Four Seasons in South America and Four Seasons at The Surf Club.
Said’s extensive experience across diverse cities, cultures, and hospitality areas has sharpened his natural eye for detail and grown his innate ability to anticipate needs and show genuine care for both guests and employees as a true Four Seasons ambassador.
A proud Egyptian, Said achieved a Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Tourism at the Higher Institute of Qualitative Studies in Heliopolis, Cairo; and later pursued a Master in Global Hospitality Management at Georgia State University. In his free time, he enjoys cooking Thai and Peruvian food, fishing, and watching his favourite team Liverpool football club, a pastime he looks forward to enjoying once again in Miami.
