Saskia Evraert joins as Hotel Manager of JA Palm Tree Court, Natalia Gecziova as Hotel Manager of JA Lake View Hotel, and Joao Garcia as Executive Chef of JA Beach Hotel and JA Palm Tree Court
JA The Resort, Jebel Ali Beach has made three senior appointments across its properties. Saskia Evraert takes on the role of Hotel Manager at JA Palm Tree Court, Natalia Gecziova joins as Hotel Manager at JA Lake View Hotel, and Joao Garcia becomes Executive Chef at both JA Beach Hotel and JA Palm Tree Court. JA Resorts and Hotels has operated for more than four decades and the three appointments bring a range of international experience to the teams at each property.
Saskia Evraert - Hotel Manager of JA Palm Tree Court
Saskia Evraert steps into her new role backed by two decades of experience across internationally recognised brands, having led city hotels, multi-property environments, and large-scale luxury operations. Originally from Germany, she began her career with an apprenticeship at Sheraton Frankfurt before uprooting to Dubai, where she held senior leadership roles at the likes of Sheraton Creek, Le Meridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre and Jumeirah.
Image: Saskia
A key chapter of her career was at Le Méridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre, where Saskia took on the role of Hotel Manager, overseeing five hotels within the complex. Managing a large and diverse operation, she worked closely with teams across the property, balancing day-to-day operations with the guest experience and learning how to lead at scale without losing the human touch.
As Hotel Manager of JA Palm Tree Court, Saskia’s focus is on protecting the property’s calm, spacious character while evolving the experience in ways that feel thoughtful and intuitive. She believes the strongest guest experiences come from teams who feel listened to and supported, placing real importance on collaboration and mentoring. By encouraging ideas from those closest to the guest experience, she aims to create stays that feel warm, personal, and truly memorable.
Natalia Gecziova – Hotel Manager of JA Lake View Hotel
Recently appointed as Hotel Manager of JA Lake View Hotel, Natalia joins the JA The Resort portfolio with a clear focus on elevating luxury service delivery and creating seamless guest experiences. Overseeing all aspects of the contemporary lifestyle property and its strong focus on sports and wellness, she aims to deliver a refined stay defined by consistency, attention to detail, and a strong sense of place within the wider JA ecosystem. Central to her approach is how she supports her team, placing emphasis on collaboration, clarity, and empowerment as she leads the hotel into its next chapter.
Image source: Natalia
Natalia’s career spans Europe and the Middle East, with experience across luxury resorts, lifestyle hotels and complex multi-property environments. After relocating to Dubai, she built a strong foundation in the city’s luxury and resort market at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, gaining deep guest-facing experience across rooms and operations. She later moved into cluster roles with Hilton at Al Seef, overseeing operations across Canopy by Hilton, Curio Collection by Hilton, and Hampton by Hilton Dubai Al Seef, a three-hotel cluster totalling 540 keys.
Most recently, Natalia spent over three years as Hotel Manager of Studio One Hotel Dubai, where she held full responsibility for end-to-end hotel operations and asset performance. Her remit covered rooms, food and beverage, sales and marketing, finance, engineering, and shared services, while working closely with ownership on strategy, budgets, capital planning, and long-term value creation. During this time, she led major refurbishments, repositioned food and beverage marketing strategies, and embedded sustainability practices that achieved Green Key certification and DET Sustainable Stamp recognition.
Joao Garcia - Executive Chef at JA Beach Hotel and JA Palm Tree Court
With more than two decades spent in professional kitchens, Joao Garcia brings a career shaped by classical training and hands-on experience across international dining scenes. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America and the Alain Ducasse School, he has worked in Michelin-recognised kitchens in Europe before taking on senior culinary roles in the Middle East. Earlier in his journey, Joao served as Group Executive Chef at Meraas, where he developed and oversaw a wide range of dining concepts. Most recently, as Executive Sous Chef at Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts, he played a key role in shaping the brand’s flagship beach dining projects.
As Executive Chef across JA Beach Hotel and JA Palm Tree Court, Joao is focused on strengthening culinary identity while respecting what makes each venue distinct. His approach is rooted in seasonality, fresh produce, and honest flavours, paired with a strong emphasis on team development behind the scenes. By building connected kitchens and nurturing talent, he aims to deliver dining experiences that feel balanced, engaging, and closely aligned with JA’s people-led approach to hospitality.
Rene D. Egle, Cluster General Manager, JA The Resort, shared, ‘JA The Resort holds a very special place in our story, home to JA Beach Hotel, the first property in our portfolio, and the foundation of who we are today. Remaining relevant in today’s hospitality landscape means welcoming new voices and fresh ways of thinking, while staying true to the values that have shaped us from the beginning. With leaders like Saskia, Natalia, and Joao bringing their perspectives to the resort, we’re confident we have the right people behind us to deliver intuitive service and experience-led stays.’
These appointments reflect JA Resorts & Hotels’ continued focus on people-led hospitality driven by thoughtful leadership. With new perspectives shaping operations, guest experience, and culinary direction, JA The Resort is well placed to evolve while remaining deeply connected to its roots. Together, the new leadership team reinforces the brand’s belief that meaningful stays begin with the people who bring them to life.
