JAMES ANDERSON has spent eight years at Gleddoch Golf & Spa Resort in Langbank, but the last year has been transformational. SUSAN YOUNG reports.
General Manager of Gleddoch Golf and Spa Resort, for more than a decade and it was great to catch up with him at Gleddoch, get a tour of its new spa and talk to him about his earlier career in hospitality and what has kept him thriving in the industry.
It has been a whirlwind few months for James. He’s just presided over the relaunch of the hotel’s Imperia Spa and the introduction of Scotland’s largest sauna – a multi-million-pound investment by owners, the Johal family.
Says James, “Originally the plan was just to realign the pool and then the owners said to me, ‘We know it’s not ideal but we’ve decided to do the whole spa and start the job in ten days!”
James works closely with the family, particularly the three directors who now have responsibility for the hotel. “The younger generation of the family have taken on the mantle now,” he explains, “and they’re all really forward-thinking and progressive. It also helps that one of them is an interior designer.”
Originally James joined the 75-bedroom hotel as Operations Manager in 2017, but by the end of his first year he was promoted to General Manager – a role he’s relished. But that wasn’t what he imagined for himself when he took his first job in hospitality at the tender age of 16 at Cameron House.
“I lived in Balloch at the time, so the choices were working either at McDonald’s or Cameron House – and my friends all worked there as well. Despite doing a degree in fitness and health, once I had the hospitality bug there was no going back. It really was a wasted degree. I realised I liked working with people and being around good people – that was the big thing for me.
“At Cameron House I was working in what was Breakers Restaurant at the time. It was an American-style diner and every Wednesday we did a Scottish night – we played Scottish music and served up haggis, neeps and tatties. It was a fun environment to work in. I also picked up shifts in the kitchen – I remember being shut in the fridge as a joke because I inadvertently cleaned the skillets until they were back to the stainless steel, which you aren’t supposed to do!
“It was fun at the time. I worked with people who were great to be around and who taught me lots of things – people like Ian Fisher and Colleen McKinley. And by 17 I was restaurant manager.”
When his Operations Manager, Don McGregor, moved to the Glasgow Thistle Hotel, it wasn’t long before James made the move too, taking the role of Assistant Manager F&B.
“The hotel had 300 bedrooms and did functions for 1,000 so it was a real learning curve,” he says. “You could say I was out of my comfort zone because having worked at a five-star hotel it doesn’t really teach you life experience. I remember being astounded by the multi-cultural agency staff who worked at events – not least because they all spoke different languages.
“And one of my first shifts at the Thistle was as duty manager – and there was a homeless gent who was locked in the toilet. I hadn’t experienced that at Cameron House!
“However, running events for 1,200 people at The Thistle gave me experience I would never have had at Cameron House. But when I went back I took with me the lessons I’d learned. For instance, when I first started doing events there without a toastmaster, I used a drinks measure as a gavel – and ended up with a bloody hand. I didn’t realise that a gavel was required! These are mistakes you make, and you don’t make them again.”
After 18 months the lure of Cameron House was too much to resist. “I went back to work there for Resort Director, Stephen Carter – Mr C – for the De Vere Group. I was the new Meetings and Events Operations Manager.
“Once again I learned a massive amount from the great people I worked with there. Mr C was, and is, a legend. He didn’t miss anything. I also got to work with Graeme Nesbitt, Barry Makin, Helen Clark and Graham Kelly. Both Graeme and Barry had worked with Mr C before at St Andrews Bay.
“They taught me to sit in his seat and see what Mr C would see – which would allow us to see what we had to deliver. You could also tell a lot depending on whether he was having sparkling mineral water or wine – if he was drinking wine you could relax a wee bit, but if he was drinking sparkling water you really had to be on your toes.
“He was always brilliant and he was always surrounded by really good people. He taught me to look after the little people who help make events work – the photographer, the toastmaster, or a band. He would say, ‘Make sure they get a drink, make sure they’re fed, because they’re the people that make the most noise about your venue and you.’ That stayed with me.
For James, the hardest part of hospitality is making sure everything is set up correctly and on time.
“The easiest part,” he says, “is when you’ve actually got guests in front of you – because at the end of the day they’re just people. They don’t intentionally set out to be difficult.” His next move took him to Laurie Nichol at the Principal Hayley’s Grand Central Hotel in Glasgow, not long after it opened. His initial role was Champagne and Banqueting Beverage Manager.
“It was hard work to begin with – seven days a week. But we did it because at that time the business needed it. We never thought anything about it because we were a team.
“Laurie was just brilliant – she called a spade a spade and somehow always knew everything that was happening in the hotel without needing to ask! I remember one incident, not long after I started, when she said, ‘Do what you have to do to make it work.’
“We’d realised our main issue was a shortage of staff, so we brought a few people in – hoping Laurie wouldn’t notice. But when we were briefing them behind a curtain, Laurie clocked it straight away. She let us know she knew but let us carry on – she knew it was what needed to be done to get things moving.
“Laurie really was exceptional. I had such admiration for how she carried herself. She knew everyone’s name, was always present and visible, and made you want to be like her. She had a commanding presence and earned respect from everyone.
“But she could also have a laugh with you – one of those rare people who could strip you down and then build you right back up. Laurie knew exactly how to get the best out of people.”
Within two years James was appointed Director of Conference and Banqueting, where he stayed for two years before joining Interstate Hotels, not long after the launch of Marks Hotel in Glasgow’s Bath Street. He joined as Food and Beverage Manager and then became Operations Manager – his role was to get the hotel working efficiently.
“I needed to get the right team on board, because the hotel was struggling,” he explains. “Then it was put up for sale. I spent nearly two years with the group as Operations Manager at Hotel Indigo in Glasgow – again, my role was to energise the team. Maven Capital owned the building, then it was given to IHG and branded Indigo… so it felt like I worked for three different businesses.”
It was his next move, to Gleddoch, that has been his longest tenure – and the one he’s most proud of. It also suited his personal life, with a young family at home – he’s now the proud father of three boys, the eldest just ten.
“Coming here felt very much like stepping back to where I started – at Cameron House. You’ve got the golf course, the spa, the driving range and 400 acres of land.
“With 75 bedrooms, it’s a similar size to Indigo, so I knew it was manageable, but the footprint was completely different. All the elements were familiar, I’d done them before, learned from great people along the way, but when I arrived, reality hit quickly.
“My very first day was a voucher wedding, and I remember thinking, ‘Right, that’s losing us money.’ When I sat down with the owner afterwards, he said, ‘We’re in year three of our journey.’ And I had to be honest – if I’d come in blind, I’d have said it felt more like year one. The team just wasn’t trained.” It was the same family ownership, but this was their first real year running it themselves.
“There were little things that said a lot,” says James. “I remember being in the restaurant and pointing out a table that looked like they needed some water. Someone said, ‘I don’t pour water.’ I thought – that’s embarrassing. That mindset needed to change, fast. If you’re in hospitality, no one should ever feel above service. Moments like that told me there was a lot to do.”
He smiles as he recalls those early days. “One night the agency chef walked out midservice, leaving just me and the banqueting manager, Jordan – he’s at the Clayton now. He turned to me and said, ‘I don’t know how to cook.’ I asked, ‘What do you make at home?’ and he said, ‘Cereal.’ I laughed and said, ‘Right, you’re about to learn.’
“So I took off my jacket, went down to the kitchen, and told the team to tell the guests straight, ‘We’ve had a problem in the kitchen, but you’ll still get your food – we’ll do what we can.’ I started cooking.
“At the end of the night, when service was done and I was out apologising to guests, only then did the manager make an appearance. And that moment really stuck with me. It made me realise how important it is to be visible, especially when things go wrong.
“If I look back, that night reminded me what true leadership looks like – being present, calm and willing to roll up your sleeves when it counts.”
That Christmas James was appointed General Manager, and since then he’s been present on every Christmas Day.
“It’s a real mix of people who come here for Christmas – some local families who return every year, and others visiting for the first time. We’ve got one family who’ve been coming every single year, though naturally the group’s got a bit smaller over time. But that’s part of the magic – familiar faces, traditions that grow and change, and that genuine warmth that makes Christmas at Gleddoch feel like home.
“Every year has been better than the last, and we’ve got it down to a bit of an art. I always give the team the same pep talk: it has to feel like Christmas. We lay out a proper festive spread – pâtés, cheeses, nibbles and we use the leftovers properly – make sandwiches, do fish platters, warm bites – proper Christmas comfort food. We keep it cosy and fun – we do a quiz in the evening, and it’s always a lovely atmosphere. We’ve even had the same Santa for the past four years – the guests love it.”
There have been huge changes at Gleddoch over the past five years. “During the first few years it was all about stabilising the product and building a team,” says James. “Then we moved on to the hotel itself and opened a whisky bar, DRAM. I love the fact that we have that knowledge here.”
The golf course celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, and there’s a new extension planned for the driving range – following closely on from the refurbishment of the Imperia Spa. The refurbishment started after the pandemic.
“The bedrooms came first,” says James. “Then the restaurant – before it had lime green wallpaper, lime green seats, black-and-white carpet – the kind of carpet that was thin and cheaplooking. We replaced everything: new flooring, new furniture, a restaurant that finally looked the part. Then we tackled the function space, and finally the spa – that was the last piece, and it really needed it.”
The new spa includes two saunas, two steam rooms, an experience shower, cabanas, a deep relaxation room, a wellness studio and a 20-seater outdoor hot tub – plus a brass monkey ice bath and the largest panoramic sauna of its kind in the UK.
“With all those features, you can easily have 50 people using the space without it feeling crowded,” says James. “It feels like a real journey through wellness now – not just a quick dip in a hot tub.”
He laughs when he says, “I always joke that I speak to the owners more than I speak to my wife! We’re in constant communication – they genuinely care. They’ll text to ask about things, wish you or your family happy birthday, or just check in. It’s not just business.”
That close communication extends to capital projects. “When they’re here, we walk around together and talk about what’s next – what’s getting tired, what could be improved. A couple of the couches in one of the lounges are looking worn, so we’ll sort that. We’re also extending the driving range, which means we can repurpose one of the old golfer’s lounges into a more comfortable, homely space.”
Another difference at Gleddoch is the number of women in key positions. “I don’t think men and women doing the same job necessarily bring the same things,” says James.
“I genuinely believe they bring different strengths to a business. There are a lot of women here – the males are myself, the chef, the head of the golf estate and the head pro, and then everyone else is female. My deputy Amanda is phenomenal – she’s helped us win a few awards. But she prefers to be under the radar. but one thing is for sure she’s not afraid to challenge me either.”
For James, hospitality is something you live and feel – not something you can be taught. “You can’t teach someone what an experience is. It’s something you live – coming to stay, meeting people, going through the journey. No education authority can send people out to live that. You can only understand it when you’re there, immersed in it.”
That same philosophy shapes how his team operates behind the scenes. Each year, all 127 team members come together for a festive celebration that includes lunch, awards for Manager of the Year, Employee of the Year and Team of the Year – and a much-anticipated raffle.
“Nothing makes me happier than seeing someone win something that really makes a difference,” he says. “Like a big TV for someone who doesn’t have one – it’s those moments that mean the most.”
Every member of staff also gets the chance to experience what the guests do. The hotel offers complimentary spa access, with team members able to use the facilities themselves or bring friends along. “It’s about making sure everyone feels part of what we’re creating for guests,” he adds. When it comes to pay and recognition, transparency is central to his approach.
“I’ve got nothing to hide,” he says. “If someone asks for a pay rise, I’ll take it to the owners and be honest about what’s realistic. It’s important that managers feel they can have those conversations directly.” But increasingly, money isn’t the only thing people care about.
“A lot of our team are looking for things like extra time off, better pension contributions, or life insurance. Especially for those with young families – time is more valuable than a bit of extra cash.”
The hotel has introduced creative incentives, such as restaurant bingo, where prizes include four hours of paid time off. “You’d be surprised how much that motivates people – sometimes more than £20 would,” he smiles. “It used to be all about chasing money, comparing pay. Now it’s about wellbeing, family and flexibility.”
They’ve tried wage-streaming schemes too, but James isn’t a fan. “It can trap people in cycles of debt, and the fees add up. I’d rather focus on real, meaningful benefits: experiences, recognition and a culture where people feel valued.”
He pauses, glancing around the lounge, the view stretching over to Dumbarton. “You can’t change everything,” he says, “but you can make the time people spend here better – and that’s what we try to do.”.
