Lee Kelly appointed as General Manager of Monkey Island Estate

Posted in News, People on 26 January, 2018

YTL Hotels is proud to announce the appointment of Lee Kelly as General Manager of its newest property, Monkey Island Estate. Set to open in Spring 2018 in the idyllic village of Bray-on-Thames, the 30-bedroom luxury hotel and private cottages, will be the fifth YTL Hotels property to open in the UK, including the award-winning Gainsborough Bath Spa. Kelly will oversee the hotel from pre-opening to launch and beyond, acting as the first General Manager of one of the most talked about openings of 2018.

Having recently completed two years as Food & Beverage Director of The Savoy in London, Kelly is no stranger to five-star hotels and luxury hospitality. He is passionate about delivering the absolute best guest experience on a daily basis, and ensuring positive and productive relationships with suppliers, partners, and employees are all maintained.

Kelly began his career working for Anton Mosimann’s Party Service before moving to Florida in 1998 where he joined the management team at the Boca Raton Resort & Club. Since then, Kelly has amassed an impressive 19 years working in the hotels and restaurant field. He has steadily worked his way through the ranks in a number of esteemed properties, including 12 years working for Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts. Additionally, Kelly has gained a view of different and varied markets, having worked and lived around the world, from Singapore to Costa Rica.

As a previous director of an extensive food and beverage operation at The Savoy, Kelly is looking forward to transferring his skills over to the full responsibility of every aspect of Monkey Island Estate, from accommodation, to guest services, and of course the grand event space, brasserie and bar. Of this new chapter, Kelly commented, “I am so delighted to be taking this step with YTL Hotels – a renowned and respected hotel group across not only Asia, but now the UK and Europe. Bray is such a beautiful part of the world, and famed for its culinary offerings – I can’t wait to explore what we can add to this as a five-star hotel and how we can make our own mark.”

Of the project, Kelly continued “I have been surprised to learn how so many people I have met know of Monkey Island, and people are so excited to hear that it is finally being brought back to its former glory. It feels incredible to be part of a project like this, and on opening I will be striving to maintain that sense of history while ensuring the guest experience of the hotel is absolutely second to none, delivering the service that YTL is famous for.”

Monkey Island enjoys a history dating back 800 years and has been welcoming guests to experience its unique hospitality for the last 180 years. Next year, following YTL’s superb renovation, the island will once again offer guests their very own private countryside escape. With the original exterior of striking white brickwork maintained, and interiors designed by award-winning Champalimaud Design, the hotel will be surrounded by picturesque views of the River Thames and beautifully manicured gardens.

Of Kelly’s appointment, Executive Director for YTL Corporation, Dato Mark Yeoh, said, “We felt Lee was perfect for the job right from the first – his extremely impressive CV and skill set lend themselves perfectly to our company and the Monkey Island opening in particular. He is an expert in the values of British hospitality and understands the importance of working as a tight knit team to deliver an absolutely faultless guest experience. We are thrilled to have him on board for our biggest 2018 opening.”

Evoking laid-back luxury and boasting a prime countryside location, Monkey Island Estate is set to be the perfect retreat for those wishing to experience the rejuvenation and rebirth of this historic landmark.