By mixing innovation with a rich family legacy, Glendola Leisure delivers stand-out hospitality experiences  

As one of the UK’s leading providers of hospitality services, Glendola Leisure pairs creative concepts with second-to-none service. Founded in 1973, the company’s long legacy is underpinned by its unique entrepreneurial approach, as Managing Director, Alex Salussolia, begins: “We’re a family-owned business, and have been for over 50 years. We have two key divisions; one is a hotel chain, and the other is a group of bars and restaurants.   

“Our hotels operate under the Carlton Hotel Collection brand, and we have locations across the Benelux and the UK, including Edinburgh and Glasgow. We have 11 hotels in total, all of which are four-stars, with an average of 100 rooms per site. We take a unique approach to each of our hotel locations. It’s important for us that when customers stay in one of our hotels, they have a sense of where they are in the world. Each location is designed with the city in mind, reflecting local cultures and aesthetics wherever possible.  

“On the other side of the operation, we have Glendola Leisure Limited. This brand covers pubs, restaurants and retail sites across 17 different units. We’re primarily located in London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Belfast. As a group, we’re proud to report a £100 million annual turnover.   

“We’ve been making some major strides as a business in recent months. We’re developing a new hotel location in Belfast, with planning currently underway. This new site will be the latest in our series of Design Hotels alongside eclectic dining and leisure concepts. We’re always developing new ideas, from high-end pub concepts to beer and coffee ranges.   

“Our goal is to create unique experiences that exceed the expectations of our customers. Our strong foundation as a family business allows us to be innovative and try new things. We have a generational focus, which means we’re always looking to the bigger picture. This approach has allowed us to create something timeless that goes beyond passing trends.”  

An elevated experience 

Vibrant, creative, and luxurious, Glendola Leisure’s latest ventures embody everything the business stands for. As Alex details: “Our latest development is on a site called the Tipsy Bird, located in central Belfast. With the site we acquired a cocktail bar, which became part of our development strategy. Alongside that, we’re building a 150-room hotel, and a large-scale venue Pub.   

“While we’re still confirming the details, the final structure will most likely reach 16 stories and offer something genuinely novel to the local leisure market. We’ve got a unique theme and loads of ideas on how to make the space really special. We’ll of course include a restaurant, and potentially an open rooftop and champagne bar that can be used for private events. The views will be absolutely fabulous, and I think it’s going to be really exceptional.  

“We’re still in the planning stages, and I’m sure the original concept will grow and evolve over time. But that’s one of the exciting things about the work we do. Going on these journeys as a group, creating something monumental that brings people joy, it’s all worth it.  

“We’ve also been working on another project, which will be opening towards the end of June. Located in London’s Waterloo station, we’ll be opening the doors to an all-new premier pub/bar concept. The vision for this location is all centered around the products we serve — tapped beer, wine, and cider. We’re going to have a huge variety, even including some tapped cocktail options, which is a fairly new innovation for us.   

“We’ve got a great venue, so the idea is to deliver an elevated experience, serving a range of carefully selected products. We’re working with different producers, looking to acquire really high-quality products that will give the venue a high-end feel. The tap-based concept means we can get customers served quicker, so it offers a nice balance between luxury and convenience. Especially since it’s a station environment, speed will be of the essence.   

“This concept will also allow us to reduce packaging and waste. By minimizing the amount of glass, plastic, and metal we use, we hope to create a more sustainable and eco-friendly operation. It’s a bit of an experiment, but we’re committed to reducing our carbon footprint and so building that mission into our concept was absolutely vital.”  

Enduring success 

By blending bold creative decisions and business savvy, Glendola Leisure secures its enduring success. As Alex concludes: “There’s always a level of risk when creating something new. Any food and beverage provider knows how important it is to offer something novel. We invest heavily in research and development, but at the end of the day, it’s always a gamble. You don’t know how people are going to respond until the doors are open.   

“Thankfully, we’ve got a lot of experience in the industry. It’s all about trying to find an angle within the marketplace. Once you find that niche, it’s important to capitalize, and become the very best at whatever it is you do. That’s how we’ve managed to stay successful for so long, and it will no doubt keep us going into the future.”  

www.glendolaleisure.co.uk