A passionate Italian entrepreneur who once gave massages to royalty has transformed her lifelong dream into one of the West Midlands’ most celebrated beauty and wellness destinations, and she shows no signs of slowing down.
Paola Spiga, founder of the award-winning Glam & Glow Beauty Lab in Hockley Heath, Solihull, has been named a finalist in the Small Business Awards UK’s Best Beauty Business category; her latest recognition in a remarkable run of 13 awards and accolades achieved in less than three years since opening.
The announcement adds to an already outstanding record. In June 2026, Paola was honoured with the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Solihull Customer Commitment Award, widely regarded as one of the region’s most prestigious business accolades.
That followed a Fresha Highly Recommended Winner title in March 2026, an E2 Media Award of Excellence in January 2026, and a coveted Top 3 Best Beauty Salons in Solihull listing by Three Best Rated in December 2025.
Earlier in 2025, Paola was also recognised as the Best Massage Therapist in Solihull for 2025, reached the Regional Finals of the Muddy Stilettos Awards in the Best Beauty Salon/Clinic category, was a finalist in the HBA UK Hair and Beauty Awards for Beauty Therapist of the Year, and was shortlisted for the UK Small Business Awards Best Business Start Up.
The accolades stretch back to the very beginning. In June 2024, Paola was named Start-Up of the Year at the Ladies First Awards just months after launching. She went on to become a finalist at the Solihull Chamber of Commerce Awards for Outstanding Start-Up, Enterprise and Entrepreneurship, and later received the Ladies First Excellence in Health & Wellbeing Finalist honour in February 2025, before earning the Ladies First Special Recognition Award in June 2025.
“Thirteen recognitions in under three years are something I could never have imagined when I first opened the doors,” says Paola. “But every single one of them belongs to my clients. They are the ones who trust me, who come back, and who push me to keep raising the bar. This is for them.”
Paola’s journey into beauty was a calling she discovered almost by accident. After stepping away from a different career including her Pharmacy university path, she enrolled in courses, eventually securing an apprenticeship at a salon in her native Sardinia, where she worked for seven months doing make-up and nails, initially unpaid, simply for the love of it.
“It was the first time I’d ever seen a beautician at work, and it was mind-blowing for me,” she recalls. “That was where my passion truly started.”
That passion would lead her to the St Regis Luxury five-star hotel in Florence, where she spent three transformative years working as a beauty therapist while continuing her studies. It was there she honed an uncompromising standard of excellence, treating guests from across the globe including royalty.
“Looking back, it was the most important time of my career. That incredibly high standard of service has stayed with me ever since. I always ask myself: if a prince walked through my door right now, would I be ready? Ultimately, I want every client who sits in my chair to feel like a prince or a princess like they’ve never felt before.”
In 2014, Paola relocated to the UK and spent years building her expertise across a range of prestigious salons and Spas. In October 2023, she took the leap and opened Glam and Glow Beauty Lab on Stratford Road in Hockley Heath.
“I always knew I wanted my own salon, but I wanted to do it right,” she says. “For me it was about finding the perfect location, the finest products, and creating a space where every single detail matters. I believed in my skills. I just needed the right moment.”
