I was very excited at the prospect of meeting the Royal Cliff’s new General Manager Douglas Glen. Having read a little about his previous appointments I knew someone who had spent over two decades working in the famous hotels of London would have some interesting tales to tell – and I was not disappointed.
The first of these iconic hotels was Claridges, well known for its connection to British Royalty. Glen fondly remembers being there at the time of a British Royal Wedding. During a spectacular post-wedding party when the Ballroom had been magically transformed into an idyllic British countryside setting, who did Douglas Glen see when entering the suite? None other than prominent British and European Royalty sitting on a grass-covered mound perfectly at ease enjoying the smoked salmon sandwiches!
From Claridges, Douglas then went to the famous Grand Dame of Park Lane: Grosvenor House. At a spectacular event held in the hotel’s famous ballroom there, he fondly remembers Princess Diana’s sense of fun. She was seated with one of her favourite designers Bruce Oldfield (himself an orphan) being entertained by the cast of “Oliver”. She requested Mr. Glen come to her table and with a real sense of glee, held out her empty bowl and said “Please sir can I have some more?”. This was after eating an exquisite dessert, and I can vouch for her good taste having tried a sample of some of the new desserts Douglas and his chefs are planning to introduce at Royal Cliff.
However, back to London and the continuing story of his impressive placements: The Royal Lancaster, The Hilton and the magnificent Landmark Hotel. It was during his time at the latter that Douglas became captivated by Thailand. The owner of the Landmark Group cleverly invited him to the Four Seasons, Chiang Mai and then to enjoy a wonderful holiday in Phuket. As well as a well-deserved reward the purpose of this was to cleverly entice Douglas to relocate to the Kingdom as GM for The Landmark in Bangkok.
After many happy years at this appointment, a new challenge presented itself with an opportunity to work for the Carlton City Hotel in Singapore. Douglas was GM there during the pandemic when the hotel was designated a Quarantine location and during this time he made sure all the meals for the “enforced guests” were prepared in-house, sometimes up to 1,300 a day! After this valuable experience, Thailand again beckoned with a fabulous appointment as GM for Royal Cliff Hotels Group.
Douglas Glen has only been on site a couple of months but is already making his mark. Much of his management style he credits to his hero and mentor Sir Alex Ferguson who invited Douglas to Old Trafford to watch a match after which the two became firm friends. Sir Alex gave Douglas many golden pointers on management and team training, which he has put to good use. Certainly, Douglas Glen has hospitality running through his veins.
His enthusiasm is infectious as he tells of his delight at joining Royal Cliff. “From what I have seen so far this beautiful well-maintained resort has marvelous sunsets, with relaxed, happy guests visiting for a seaside experience. The wonderful team includes new and experienced generations and very caring family owners. My favourite places are the Head of State Chamber Ballroom plus the stunning Sky Aquarium, I love the setting in the evenings”
With impressive upgrades, refurbishments and enhancements such as the stunning Sky Aquarium Pool, it is a very exciting time for Royal Cliff Hotels Group and its dynamic new General Manager.
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