Founder and Managing Director Gillian Polyhos told TTG she had been searching for a suitable site in Ilkley for "many years" but couldn't find the right location or didn't have enough staff or the right management structure to make it work.
"Having been the manager at Going Places in Ilkley 30 years ago at a time when there were three or four established agencies in the town, I felt the current situation represented real potential for growth, as well as an opportunity to give the people of Ilkley and the surrounding areas more choice and the chance to experience what Olive Lounge Travel is all about."
Polyhos added: "We’ve always had an incredibly strong share of the Jet2 and Leeds Bradford product mix, and we only see this growing alongside our tailor-made, cruise and long-haul operations."
'Management challenge'
However, with three other branches in nearby Cross Hills, Bingley and Skipton, Polyhos admitted opening a fourth store posed a "management challenge". "We knew we needed to have a strong team in place at Ilkley from day one," she said.
The Ilkley branch opened its doors on Tuesday (1 September). And in a post to the shop's dedicated Facebook page, Olive Lounge is urging potential customers to pop in and "talk holidays".
The team in Ilkley will be led by Aimi Donohue, who has joined Olive Lounge from White's Travel as Retail Operations Manager. She will also assume operational responsibilities for the other shops alongside Polyphos and Director Elfie Higson, who manages Olive Lounge's Skipton branch.
The agency, which was named TTG Top 50 Travel Agencies Top Agency in Yorkshire in 2025, has always rotated its staff between its shops.
Polyphos said: "Aimi has tremendous management experience in a number of different areas and really shares the vision we have not only for Ilkley, but the rest of the business."
Donohue will work in the Ilkley shop alongside Darcey Milstead, who initially joined Olive Lounge as a trainee and has gone on to develop her skills working in both the agency's Bingley and Cross Hills branches.
"The move to Ilkley represents a fantastic opportunity for Darcey," said Polyhos. "Working alongside Aimi, there is real excitement between them to build something special."
Polyhos also explained why she was so keen to open up in Ilkley. "Our trade partners understand the marketplace and the unique demographics across the region – to have so many people recommending Ilkley as a location really did help in our decision-making process," she said.
Nearly a year ago, Olive Lounge Travel celebrated its 10th birthday in an unconventional way when staff loaded up an easyJet cabin trolley with fizz and snacks and took to the streets of Cross Hills in North Yorkshire.
'Dine and Learn' events
Polyphos hopes Olive Lounge Travel can cement itself within the local businesses community with a series of "Dine and Learn" events where customers are offered subsidised dining alongside informative presentations around a topic such as cruising or a specific destination, something the agency has pioneered at its other branches.
"These are proven to be a real success and our clients have always said how great they were," Polyhos added. "We’re looking to work alongside some of the hospitality venues in the coming months."
Polyhos founded Olive Lounge Travel in 2015 with then business partner Joanne Edwards, whom she bought out earlier this year to assume sole ownership of the business. Its second branch, Bingley, opened in 2024, and its third, Skipton, opened in 2025.
