Meet the brothers driven to succeed

In the latest edition of Marketing Derby’s Innovate magazine, we meet the brothers behind the multi-award-winning Morley Hayes hotel, restaurant and golf complex.

For more than 30 years, the business, a 300-acre complex comprising two golf courses, driving range, hotel and three restaurants, has been run by Andrew and Robert Allsop.

In that time, Morley Hayes has won several regional and national awards. Despite over three decades at the helm and awards glory, both Andrew and Robert remain driven to providing the very best customer experience.

They tell Innovate that the secret to their success is attention to detail and bringing a personal touch.

It is a formula that has reaped numerous industry accolades – the latest being named as one of the top 25 hotels in the UK by users of TripAdvisor – an award decided solely on recommendations from guests.

More than 97 per cent of Morley Hayes visitors who left reviews on the travel website ranked it as “excellent” or “very good” and praised the venue’s “courteous staff, excellent food, beautiful surroundings and spotlessly clean and spacious rooms”.

Morley Hayes, with its 32 bedrooms and four-star rating, appeared at number 11 on the list – higher than many of the biggest names in the sector.

The hotel was the only one in the East Midlands to make the top 25 and was one of just six outside of London to feature.

The TripAdvisor accolade followed hot-on-the-heels of Morley Hayes being named East Midlands Wedding Venue of the Year for a third successive year at the I Do Weddings Awards.

The honour is decided by the magazine’s 30,000 readers and recognises businesses who offer exceptional experiences and put customer satisfaction at the heart of everything they do.

Andrew tells Innovate: “It’s about attention to detail and exceeding people’s expectations.

“We give them a warm welcome and ensure that their visit, whether it’s for a round of golf, a meal or a hotel stay, is great from the time they arrive.

“The whole journey needs to be given a personal touch and, of course, include excellent service, excellent food and excellent accommodation.

“There are many sides to Morley Hayes. You have the golf, the weddings, the conferences, the restaurants, the hotel, the driving range, the golf academy.

“But the common denominator is that we are appreciative of someone’s custom, whether they are just coming for a cup of coffee or holding their wedding here.”

Innovate also finds out more about the fascinating backstory behind Morley Hayes, which was created after the brothers, both from a farming background, decided to diversify, spotting a gap in the market for more golf courses.

Andrew said: “At the time, there were massive waiting lists for membership of clubs and so we thought, shall we do a course? There was no business plan, but the rest is history.”

To read the full feature in the latest Innovate magazine click here