JA Resorts & Hotels Announces Three Senior Appointments at JA Mar Hall Golf & Spa Resort and Introduces Halal Dining for GCC Travellers

JA Mar Hall Golf & Spa Resort has announced the appointment of three senior leaders across its culinary, food and beverage, and housekeeping teams, alongside the introduction of halal dining options across all of the resort’s menus. The latest developments is part of JA Resorts & Hotels’ continued evolution, listening to the changing needs of travellers, and ensuring every stay is shaped around comfort, choice, and genuine hospitality. As the Dubai-born hospitality brand continues to strengthen its presence in Scotland, these enhancements champion its ambition to become the preferred luxury destination for GCC travellers seeking an authentic Scottish escape without compromising on the familiar touches that matter most.

HALAL DINING DESIGNED WITH GCC GUESTS IN MIND

Since joining the JA Resorts & Hotels portfolio last year following a refurbishment of more than £20 million, JA Mar Hall has continued to adapt its offering to better serve its growing international guest base. Recognising the increasing number of visitors travelling from the GCC, the resort has now introduced halal options across every dining experience, ensuring guests can enjoy breakfast, casual dining, and signature evening meals with complete confidence.

Featuring breakfast favourites including shakshuka skillets, signature waffles, and avocado toast, alongside all-day dishes such as loaded hummus, grilled chicken, and steak frites, halal choices are now available throughout the resort. In the Dining Room, halal alternatives for beef and lamb dishes are also available on request, allowing guests to experience the best of Scottish dining while enjoying meals prepared to suit their preferences.

THREE SENIOR APPOINTMENTS STRENGTHEN THE GUEST EXPERIENCE

Alongside these enhancements, JA Mar Hall has welcomed three experienced hospitality professionals into key leadership roles. Brian Scanlan joins as Executive Chef, Yasmine Gibb has been appointed Food & Beverage Services Manager, and Conrad Cooper takes on the role of Executive Housekeeper. Collectively bringing decades of experience across luxury hotels and award-winning hospitality destinations, the trio will play a key role in further elevating the resort’s culinary offering, service standards, and overall guest experience as JA Mar Hall continues to establish itself as one of Scotland’s leading luxury resorts.

BRIAN SCANLAN | EXECUTIVE CHEF

One of Scotland’s most respected culinary talents, Brian Scanlan brings more than 25 years of industry experience to his new role as Executive Chef. His distinguished career has seen him hold senior positions across renowned restaurant groups and luxury hotels, including The Ivy and, most recently, Cameron House on Loch Lomond, earning him an outstanding reputation within the industry.

At Mar Hall, he will shape a bold new culinary identity rooted in provenance, sustainability and craft, with a renewed focus on local producers and ingredients grown in the estate’s own herb garden.

“JA Mar Hall’s setting and ambition make this a rare opportunity,” says Brian Scanlan, Executive Chef at JA Mar Hall. “My vision is to build a food and beverage experience with a real identity of its own – one that puts Scottish provenance and craft at its heart.”

YASMINE GIBB | F&B SERVICES MANAGER

A rising force in Scottish hospitality, Yasmine Gibb brings five-star service excellence developed over seven years at Hilton Glasgow, where she progressed to the role of Food & Beverage Training Manager. As F&B Services Manager, she will set a new standard of consistency and polish across every setting on the resort, from dining and events to weddings.

Known for her eye for detail and ability to develop high-performing teams, she will help make food and beverage one of Mar Hall’s defining strengths.

“Food and beverage is central to how guests experience Mar Hall,” says Yasmine Gibb, F&B Services Manager at JA Mar Hall. “My focus is on making it one of the estate’s defining strengths – every setting with a clear purpose, distinct character and world class service.”

CONRAD COOPER | HEAD OF HOUSEKEEPING

With extensive experience in luxury hospitality, most recently at Crowne Plaza Glasgow, Conrad Cooper joins Mar Hall as Executive Housekeeper. He will uphold the impeccable standards and attention to detail that shape the guest experience throughout the resort.

Known for his precision and genuine passion for guest care, he brings the discipline and quiet warmth that define a five-star stay. “At a five-star estate like Mar Hall, every detail matters,” says Conrad Cooper, Executive Housekeeper at JA Mar Hall. “I’m looking forward to upholding the standards, care and pride that define the resort.”

Set within 240 acres of ancient woodland on the banks of the River Clyde, ten minutes from Glasgow Airport, JA Mar Hall boasts 74 stunning, individually styled rooms and suites, an 18-hole championship golf course, a destination spa and two restaurants. The resort reopened in 2025 following its multi-million-pound restoration and is the only hotel in Scotland to be part of the GHA DISCOVERY loyalty programme.