JA Resorts appoints Cluster GM for 2 Dubai hotels

JA Resorts & Hotels has made a series of senior leadership appointments, including appointing seasoned hotelier Christopher Wayne-Wills as Cluster General Manager for two of its Dubai properties, JA Ocean View Hotel and JA The Manor Hotel.

 

The UAE-born hospitality group, which operates across the Emirates as well as in the Maldives, Seychelles and Scotland, has also strengthened its leadership teams with a new GM in the Maldives and two senior people development appointments.

 

Bringing more than three decades of international hospitality experience, Wayne-Wills will oversee the continued success of JA Ocean View Hotel, a popular seafront property in Dubai’s JBR district, and JA The Manor Hotel, a business-focused hotel located in Jebel Ali’s Al Furjan.

 

Wayne-Wills’ career includes senior leadership roles at Marriott International, Macdonald Hotels, QHotels and Crerar Hotels, where he oversaw multi-property portfolios, led successful brand re-positionings and guided major investment projects across city hotels and resorts.

 

He is also a respected industry leader, serving as Chairman of UK Hospitality Scotland in 2022, Vice Chairman of HIT Scotland and holding Fellowships at the Institute of Hospitality and the Master Innholders.

 

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Beyond Dubai, JA Resorts & Hotels has appointed Roberto Garrone as General Manager of JA Manafaru in the Maldives.

 

With nearly 30 years of hospitality leadership across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and the Caribbean, Garrone brings extensive global expertise. His recent positions include Chief Operating Officer at Hong Kong’s Pirata Group and Hotel Manager at the Lusail Twin Towers in Qatar during the FIFA World Cup 2022.

 

The group has also appointed Smriti K Murray as Director of Learning & Development at JA Resorts & Hotels, based in its Dubai headquarters, as well as Laura Dunphy as Cluster People Director for JA Mar Hall Hotel and JA The Bruntsfield Hotel, marking JA’s expansion into the UK.

 

Commenting on the new appointments, Ralph Porciani, CEO, JA Resorts & Hotels, said: “Their expertise — from empowering teams to guiding our properties and shaping memorable guest journeys — strengthens the leadership that will carry us into the next stage of our transformation.”

 

For more information, visit jaresortshotels.com