People

Gracious Hospitality

As Complex General Manager at SLS Brickell and SLS LUX, Said Haykal makes his properties a place that people want to go to, not go through.
Words by Sandy Lindsey | January 25, 2023 | People

With a fascinating resume, Said Haykal worked the majority of his early life in retail and advertising before landing his current role as Complex Manager at SLS Brickell and SLS Lux. When he earned his MBA, he decided to take the LSAT only to realize that he wouldn’t enjoy Law School as much as he did engaging with people. He then completed a year of Pre-Med right before the economy went into a recession. He was then advised to consider hospitality. “Coincidentally, hospitality happened to be in my bloodline for over 70 years,” he says. He started his career on the front lines as a Front Desk Agent, and since then has worked in some of the best hotels in the world. “One of the most fulfilling parts of my job today is getting to know my team, knowing that they chose me as part of their growth, allowing me to help develop them in their careers. Through all the triumph and loss that our team members endured over the past few years, their passion for hospitality never deterred them from continuing to deliver memorable experiences for our guests. I’m lucky that I get to be a part of it.” He has always lived and vacationed in beach destinations. “I like to use movie and song quotes to guide people to happier times,” he says. “Somehow I always have a response with a quote that relates to a conversation or situation.” During 2020, he discovered a love for painting, and his condo has since turned into an art gallery. With as fast-paced as this city is, he also enjoys his time off bicycling around Miami and enjoying it in slow motion. As for the future? “In hospitality,” he says, “the fun is embracing the unknown!”; Ennismore.com.