Luxury rural estate, The Lakes by YOO, has expanded its leadership team with the appointment of a new General Manager, Andrew Cook. Cook steps into the newly created role ahead of the launch of a new collection of waterside cabins and apartments.

The Lakes by YOO welcomes Cook from his most recent position as General Manager at Chewton Glen in Hampshire, where he had been the hotel’s General Manager for the last four years. Cook’s extensive hospitality experience has included over 15 years in managerial roles at Belmond, formerly Orient-Express, at The Westcliff Hotel and The Mount Nelson Hotel in South Africa alongside British Pullman - Venice Simplon Orient-Express. This wealth of international experience is in addition to positions with Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain Resort, Manama; Turnberry Hotel and Golf Resort in Scotland as well as the then Royal Abjar Hotel, in Dubai. Cook brings a strong commercial mindset and thrives on taking properties to new levels of excellence and success.

Commenting on his appointment, Cook said “I am delighted to join The Lakes by YOO at an exciting time as we further develop the estate and launch a new collection of cabins and apartments, offering a new level of sustainable luxury. We have a pipeline of exciting projects planned over the coming years and I look forward to welcoming guests and working with the incredible team that we have on-site”.

Cook’s appointment comes at the pivotal point following the debut of a collection of new waterside cabins and apartments surrounding Marley Lake amongst lakes, meadows and woodlands. The first of their kind on the 850-acre estate, the new luxury cabins and apartments have been thoughtfully designed by YOO Studio, founded by international property entrepreneur John Hitchcox and the world’s most celebrated designer Philippe Starck. Available for shorter bookings, guests can opt for three-night stays, making it an ideal luxury weekend break from London. With sustainable touches throughout, including the use of natural and local materials, such as Cotswold stone and locally woven willow, the aesthetic of these new spaces blends seamlessly with their rural surroundings.

Since 1999, YOO has worked with the world’s most visionary developers to create and design residential, hotel, commercial and mixed-use projects in over 36 countries throughout the UK, Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa, North and South America and the Middle East. Co-founded by John Hitchcox and celebrated designer Philippe Starck, YOO is about creating a lifestyle through amazing spaces, where people come together and create communities; spaces developed to inspire the feeling that anything is possible.