With 12 unique bed and breakfast suites in St. John’s, N.L., historic Leaside Manor estate dates back over a century. Originally a home for a well-known local entrepreneur, Leaside was later converted into a hospitality business. Still operating as a bed and breakfast that embraces its history, Leaside Manor is the heart of a multi-investment business enterprise.

From homestead to hospitality hub

Leaside Manor was constructed in the Waterford Valley district of St. John’s, Newfoundland in 1921. It was built as a home for John Parker and his wife Flora, heir to Parker and Monroe, the popular local shoe factory and retail chain that was founded by his father. The property remained in the Parker family for decades. After his parents passed, Jay Parker inherited the home and lived there with his wife and seven children for 30 years.

In 1995, Elaine Hann purchased Leaside Manor and transformed it from a home into a bed and breakfast. Major changes were made to add suites, install safety systems and get the place ready for guests, all while maintaining the historic nature of the building. Hann operated the bed and breakfast for over 15 years, before selling it to husband and wife Dion and Dora Finlay.

Growing an enterprise

Dion and Dora Finlay began investing in real estate in 2000.  After about a decade of owning different properties, they felt it was time to take their business to the next level and saw a major opportunity when Leaside Manor was listed for sale. Dion says Leaside was a well-oiled machine with established marketing, experienced employees, booking systems and other processes in place that they needed to grow. They acquired Leaside Manor in 2011 and brought their other related investments under the Leaside Group brand.

Since then, they have consistently added to their portfolio of businesses, purchasing the Compton House Heritage Inn in St. John’s as well as a 26-room inn, bar, restaurant, and 60-room work camp in Arnold’s Cove. In 2014, the Finlays acquired the Monastery Spa Hotel in St. John’s, which led to a larger focus on health and wellness services. This involved converting Compton House into Riverside Therapeutics, a physio and massage therapy clinic, and acquiring Villanova Physiotherapy in Conception Bay South. They also introduced a Monastery Health brand at the hotel and spa, expanding to include massage, physio, naturopath and other related services. The most recent addition to the Finlays’ portfolio was the Guv’nor Inn & Pub in St. John’s, which dates back to 1957.

Having started as a team of two, Dion and Dora now have over 140 employees across all their businesses. While Leaside Manor is one small part of their growing enterprise, Dion says it played a pivotal role in their growth. He commented, “Leaside was the first big brand we acquired, and it taught us how to do things right by maintaining quality service in all we do.”

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