David Graham appointed general manager of Dunston Hall hotel in Norwich

David Graham, the newly appointed general manger of the four-AA-star Dunston Hall in Norwich, is to oversee a £4m refurbishment of the 166-bedroom hotel later this year.

Graham (pictured below) was previously group general manager at Old Thorns hotel in Liphook, Hamshire, where he supported three other properties in the four-strong group.

His appointment at the 166-bedroom hotel, located within a 150-acre estate, marks a return to the property for Graham, who worked there until his departure seven years ago.

Dunston Hotels is part of the 20-strong QHotels group, which was bought for £525m by real estate investment company Aprirose in one of the biggest hotel deals of 2017. It is operated by Almarose Hotels & Resorts, the hotel management arm of Aprirose, having previously been managed by RBH.

Graham said: “Since Almarose took over, it has become a much more attractive place to want to work and, with investment now being put into the the property, it is an exciting time.

“I am so happy to be back in a place I call home. We will be putting Dunston Hall back on the map. We're making it the premier hotel in Norfolk and we'll make local people love it again.”

The refurbishment plans for the property, which features an 18-hotel golf course, include creating “a resort feel, adding and maximising on facilities to attract a full mix of visitors, from couples and families to large corporate groups".

Graham has replaced Andrew Blyth, who is now general manager at the Five Lakes Resort in Maldon, Essex.