Hilton has announced the appointment of Alastair Laird as Cluster General Manager for its two Seychelles properties: Mango House, LXR Hotels & Resorts, and Canopy by Hilton Seychelles. Based in Mahé, he takes up the role in July 2026.
A return to Hilton after several years away
In a post published on LinkedIn, Alastair Laird said he had “thought long and hard about his decision to leave his team at The Bristol Belgrade, while judging the Seychelles opportunity too compelling to turn down”. It marks a return to Hilton after three years split between Serbia and Ireland.
The repositioning of The Bristol Belgrade, the final stop before the Seychelles
From July 2024 to July 2026, Alastair Laird served as General Manager of The Bristol Belgrade, a 143-room heritage hotel opened in 1912 in the Serbian capital. There, he oversaw the pre-opening and complete repositioning of the property, including brand creation, definition of the operating model, supplier strategy, and direct responsibility for the P&L and owner reporting.
Before this assignment, he held the position of Hotel Manager at Carton House, A Fairmont Managed Hotel, in Ireland, from October 2023 to July 2024, a luxury hotel complex combining accommodation, dining, golf and MICE facilities.
A career built entirely within Hilton’s brands
Alastair Laird has built the bulk of his career within the Hilton group. From December 2021 to September 2023, he was Hotel Manager for the combined Hilton Prague & Hilton Prague Old Town, a 792-room urban property with extensive dining and conference facilities, where he led renovation projects while maintaining operational continuity.
From 2019 to 2021, he was Director of Operations at Waldorf Astoria Berlin, an upscale urban hotel combining accommodation, dining, spa and events. He then led, between 2017 and 2019, Hilton’s revenue management hub for a portfolio of more than 1,600 rooms spread across the Middle East, Africa and Turkey, in markets including Istanbul, Cape Town and Nairobi.
His career at Hilton began in 2013, with a role as Cluster Sales Manager GC&E in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, before joining the Hilton Elevator General Management Trainee programme in Vienna. He trained at the Swiss Hotel Management School, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Events and Hospitality Management.
Mango House and Canopy by Hilton, two landmark addresses in the archipelago
Mango House, LXR Hotels & Resorts, comprises 41 rooms, suites and beachfront villas on the bay of Anse Aux Poules Bleues, on the southern coast of Mahé. The property opened in 2021 under the luxury LXR banner, following the transformation of a private estate that once belonged to Italian photographer Gian Paolo Barbieri, whose artistic influence remains visible in the design of the spaces.
Canopy by Hilton Seychelles, the cluster’s second property, opened in March 2024 in southern Mahé, marking the lifestyle brand’s debut in the Indian Ocean.
At a glance by The Hospitality Tribune
New leadership for Hilton’s Seychelles cluster.
Alastair Laird appointed Cluster General Manager, Mahé, Seychelles (July 2026)
Oversees Mango House, LXR Hotels & Resorts (41 rooms, suites and villas) and Canopy by Hilton Seychelles
Previously General Manager of The Bristol Belgrade (2024-2026), a 143-key heritage hotel reopened in Belgrade
Career built almost entirely within Hilton, including roles at Waldorf Astoria Berlin and Hilton Prague
Holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Events and Hospitality Management from Swiss Hotel Management School
