Women At Work: Elizabeth Wayner, Head of Membership at Gleneagles Townhouse

Elizabeth Wayner

With less than a week till the much-anticipated opening of the Gleneagles Townhouse…it seemed a good opportunity to meet the woman many will be looking to impress, Elizabeth Wayner, who holds the role of Head of Membership. 

Elizabeth brings with her a wealth of experience from some of London’s most sought-after private members’ clubs including Annabel’s and most recently, The Groucho Club, where she was membership manager.

As momentum builds for the Gleneagles Townhouse launch, we sit down with Elizabeth to hear how she’s settling into life north of the border, how Gleneagles Townhouse is set to introduce a different type of member’s club for the city, and how you can apply to become a member.

Q. What excites you most about your recent move to Scotland?

Everything is beautiful! The scenery, the city, the people! Everywhere you look there’s a view – be it the beaches over in Fife from the top of Frederick Street, the Pentland Hills in the south or the ever-changing skyline over in the Old Town. For me, it’s a brilliant contrast to the hustle and bustle of London and I feel blessed to have moved during the pandemic when Edinburgh was that bit quieter than normal and I was able spend time getting to know the city and its surroundings. I’ve already discovered so many places to explore – from the Lobster Shack out in North Berwick to Neighbourgood Market down in Stockbridge, I’m loving the vibe of the city.

Q. We’d love to learn more about the Townhouse, Gleneagles’ first city-outpost in Scotland’s capital. What can you share?

Well…it’s a 33-room hotel, all-day restaurant, roof terrace with serious views and member’s club situated on St. Andrew Square. The building is bold, beautiful and full of stories. It was originally the British Linen Bank before becoming the Bank of Scotland more recently and the team has done an incredible job of meticulously restoring it to its former glory. For example, the all-day restaurant is located in the former banking hall with the most magnificent, domed ceiling and the bank’s former vaults will be our impressive gym and wellness space.

Q. Tell us a bit about Gleneagles Townhouse membership. We understand there will be a pretty progressive wellness offering. Can you share more?

Absolutely – we’re working with some of the city’s most exciting innovators in the world of wellness from PTs to nutritionists and a number of experts in their respective fields. We hope to make wellness a part of our members’ lifestyle both via our physical wellness space as well as via virtual platforms and outdoor exploration to the city’s surrounds through running clubs, cycling clubs etc.

Our holistic philosophy will encourage our members to move, recover and restore. This will be woven throughout our offering which includes the gym (featuring top of the range studio equipment, in partnership with Technogym including free weights, half rack, OMNIA and DAP), two studios, a menu of bespoke classes and treatment rooms.

Q. What can members expect from the membership offering?

We hope the Townhouse will be a place for social souls to gather, connect with like-minded peers and their love for the City and what it has to offer. We’d like our members to guide us on what they’d like to see, both at the club and in our cultural programming; be that unplugged gigs, film nights or gin-tasting experiences. We’re passionate about our community and want to introduce our members to innovative brands – both here in Edinburgh and further afield – so expect a calendar of pop-up chefs, out-there wellness experiences and access to the latest happenings.

Q. What does a typical day at the Townhouse look like?

Mornings begin as you like – be it stretching it all out with a spot of yoga or letting off some steam in our spinning studio. Or, if it’s fresh air you’re after, our swift city runs and brisk wild swims down at the beach are sure to get rid of fuzzy heads. When it comes to refuelling, we’ll be serving breakfast in the member’s lounge, downstairs in our all-day restaurant or if it’s just a juice you’re after, we’ll have fresh press to go, too.

Daytimes can be spent solo laptopping in our member’s snug (where members can also have up to three guests for meetings, catch ups or early evening drinks) or indulging in a long, lingering lunch with friends. We’ll also have our calendar of both day-time and evening events which members are welcome to dip into as they please – from cycling excursions in the Pentlands to bespoke perfume-making experiences in the city. As night time draws in, gather with chums for a post-work de-brief overlooking the city in our rooftop bar or tuck into some of the city’s finest fare in our buzzy all-day restaurant.

Q. How do you become a member?

Head to our website, where you can download our member’s brochure for further details and apply via the form on the top right hand side.