Glenapp Castle is a 21-bedroom luxurious Relais & Chateaux Hotel tucked away on the breath-taking Ayrshire coast, Scotland. Since its first acquisition in 1901, Glenapp Castle has seen various strong female characters who have moulded the Castle into one of the most sought-after and spectacular travel destinations that it is today.
Overall, 48% of employees at Glenapp Castle are female and 59% of managerial roles at Glenapp Castle are occupied by females. Glenapp Castle boasts an impressively high staff retention rate across all sectors of the hotel and is proud to employ many local and loyal staff, testament to high quality staff development and training programmes, opportunities for career progression, and more importantly, an innate, warm and welcoming team nature. Various members of its current female senior managerial team have held positions at the Castle for a significant number of years, including:
Jill Chalmers, Managing Director (7 years service)
- Annmaree Mitchell, Consultant Head Gardener – (18 years service)
- Edite Paramonova, Duty Manager – (15 years service)
- Hazel Cowieson, Breakfast Manager – (13 years service)
- Fiona Moore, Head Housekeeper (5 years service)
Combined, these years of service make an impressive total of 58 years.
Alongside Paul Szkiler, Proprietor of Glenapp Castle, Managing Director, Jill Chalmers, has been integral to delivering the entrepreneurial vision and innovation of the castle. Jill is an experienced hotelier with more than 30+ years in the international hotel and hospitality industry and is widely recognised as a leader in her field. She is instrumental in the successful growth of the business, transforming the hotel from a family-run business to a slickly run and globally recognised five-star hotel, whilst ensuring high standards are always maintained. Since joining the team, occupancy has increased from 28% to 77%, business turnover has tripled in 3 years and staffing levels have doubled.
Jill worked closely with the Glenapp team for a successful launch of the Hebridean Sea Safari – a unique seaborn adventure exploring the Scottish Hebrides by boat, before arriving at the remote and beautiful island of Jura, the hotel’s glamping site. She has also been key to the ongoing success of The Endeavour Penthouse Castle apartment – the most opulent apartment in the whole of Scotland and introducing a new style of global traveller to Glenapp and the local area. Jill has also been influential in implementing an extensive Activities & Experiences Programme with over 70 activities now offered. Not only has this attracted more guests, but this also provides the local area with more employment opportunities.
In June 2022, Jill won the ‘Going the Extra Mile’ award from the Women in Tourism Top 100, a truly fantastic cause that strives to motivate and support women across the sector, advocating for greater gender balance within the industry – an excellent accolade as only the most highly regarded female hoteliers are recognised in these awards.
Jill also worked tirelessly with the BBC to bring the flagship hospitality programme ‘Amazing Hotels: Life Beyond the Lobby’ to air an entire dedicated episode on Glenapp Castle – the only UK hotel to be featured in the most recent season. This brought phenomenal recognition not just to the property but for the whole of South West Scotland.
This year, Jill accepted a position on Relais and Chateaux’s UK & Ireland’s steering committee; credit to her wide acknowledgment within the industry and success in leading Glenapp Castle to its recognition as an award winning, five-star hotel in one of the UK’s most beautiful destinations.
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