UK: Chris Cooper, former hotel manager of The Grand, York, will serve as general manager of Gilpin Hotel & Lake House, located in the Lake District.
Cooper brings more than 15 years of experience across hotels and restaurants to his role at Gilpin.
While at York’s five-star hotel The Grand, Cooper was named Leader of the Year 2025 by Splendid Hospitality Group – the hotel’s owner-operator.
Prior to his time at The Grand, Cooper served as director of operations at Rockliff Hall Hotel and hotel manager at Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa.
“I’m incredibly excited to be joining the ambitious and passionate team here,” Cooper said. “For me, the most important thing within a property such as this is genuine hospitality delivered by genuine people, a strong culture, an exceptional guest experience and the highest level of quality – Gilpin has such a strong foundation across all of these areas.”
Barney and Zoë Cunliff, owners of Gilpin Hotel, said: “We are so delighted to welcome Chris to Gilpin. His experience, values and leadership style make him a wonderful fit for Gilpin and our family run ethos, where the team and the guest experiences are at the heart of everything we do. He has some incredible experience in our industry and we’re looking forward to his input into the next phase of the Gilpin story.”
Highlights:
- Chris Cooper has been named general manager of Gilpin Hotel & Lake House, bringing 15 years of experience across hotels and restaurants to the role
- At his previous role with The Grand, York, Cooper was awarded Leader of the Year 2025 by Splendid Hospitality Group
- Additional hotels Cooper has worked for include Rockliff Hall Hotel and Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa
