/ Jan 29, 2026
Trending
Gilpin Hotel and Lake House has appointed Chris Cooper as its new general manager following the departure of Thomas Ferrante.
Cooper joins the family-owned Windermere estate from The Grand, York, where he served as hotel manager.
His 15-year career in the luxury hospitality sector includes senior roles at Lucknam Park, Rockliffe Hall, and Whatley Manor. During his tenure in York, Cooper was named ‘Leader of the Year 2025’ and oversaw the property as it received the VisitEngland ‘Large Hotel of the Year 2024’ award.
In his new role, Cooper will oversee operations across Gilpin’s two separate estates, which include the Michelin-starred restaurant Source and the pan-Asian outlet Gilpin Spice. The property features a woodland spa trail and accommodation with private wellness facilities.
The appointment follows Ferrante’s decision to return to Malta after leading the hotel through its post-pandemic recovery and the rebranding of its flagship restaurant.
Chris Cooper, general manager of Gilpin Hotel and Lake House, said: “I’m incredibly excited to be joining the team here. For me, the most important thing within a property such as this is genuine hospitality delivered by genuine people and an exceptional guest experience.
“Gilpin delivers five-star hospitality and meticulous attention to detail, without ever feeling stuffy or overly formal. I’m looking forward to working with the team to build on what has already been achieved.”
Barney and Zoë Cunliffe, owners of Gilpin Hotel and Lake House, added: “Chris’s experience, values and leadership style make him a wonderful fit for Gilpin and our family-run ethos. He has some incredible experience in our industry and we’re looking forward to his input. We would also like to sincerely thank Thomas for his nurturing of Gilpin during his time here. His care, leadership and dedication have been instrumental to our continued success.”
Gilpin Hotel and Lake House has appointed Chris Cooper as its new general manager following the departure of Thomas Ferrante.
Cooper joins the family-owned Windermere estate from The Grand, York, where he served as hotel manager.
His 15-year career in the luxury hospitality sector includes senior roles at Lucknam Park, Rockliffe Hall, and Whatley Manor. During his tenure in York, Cooper was named ‘Leader of the Year 2025’ and oversaw the property as it received the VisitEngland ‘Large Hotel of the Year 2024’ award.
In his new role, Cooper will oversee operations across Gilpin’s two separate estates, which include the Michelin-starred restaurant Source and the pan-Asian outlet Gilpin Spice. The property features a woodland spa trail and accommodation with private wellness facilities.
The appointment follows Ferrante’s decision to return to Malta after leading the hotel through its post-pandemic recovery and the rebranding of its flagship restaurant.
Chris Cooper, general manager of Gilpin Hotel and Lake House, said: “I’m incredibly excited to be joining the team here. For me, the most important thing within a property such as this is genuine hospitality delivered by genuine people and an exceptional guest experience.
“Gilpin delivers five-star hospitality and meticulous attention to detail, without ever feeling stuffy or overly formal. I’m looking forward to working with the team to build on what has already been achieved.”
Barney and Zoë Cunliffe, owners of Gilpin Hotel and Lake House, added: “Chris’s experience, values and leadership style make him a wonderful fit for Gilpin and our family-run ethos. He has some incredible experience in our industry and we’re looking forward to his input. We would also like to sincerely thank Thomas for his nurturing of Gilpin during his time here. His care, leadership and dedication have been instrumental to our continued success.”
It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making

The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.

It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution
Copyright BlazeThemes. 2023