Starwood Hotels and Resorts appoints Food and Beverage Director for Middle East

With Starwood's current portfolio of hotels boasting of 277 food & beverage outlets, Lacin will overlook the operations of the company's outlets in the region and also work to set up new concepts with the hotels in development.

Lacin joined The Westin Dubai and Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina as Complex Executive Assistant Manager Food & Beverage in 2009, bringing over 17 years of experience in the hotel industry with him.

Prior to moving to Dubai, Lacin joined Starwood's Asia Pacific team in 2006 as Food & Beverage Executive Manager at The Westin, Shanghai.

In his role, he directly managed a team of Executive Chefs, two assistant F&B Managers, seven department heads and 357 associates and overlooked operations of three restaurants, bar, lobby lounge, kitchen, outside catering and banquet departments.

He has been a member of the Starwood Asia Pacific Food & Beverage Council since 2006. Lacin's extensive experience in the Far East included Food & Beverage roles with the W Hotel in Seoul, South Korea and the InterContinental in Hong Kong.

Lacin first begain his career in Istanbul in 1992 with Hilton and later went onto join the opening team of the Hyatt Regency. Following his time in Istanbul, he has held Acting Food and Beverage Manager positions in hotels from Kazakhstan, Kanuhura in the Maldives and also held the title of Deputy Food & Beverage Manager with the Sheraton Doha in 2001. Educated in both England and Istanbul, of Turkish origin, he is married with two children.