East Close and Vincent hotels appoint general managers

Stuart Van Dam and Damon Yoxal join the Vincent and East Close hotels respectively as general managers

East Close hotel in Christchurch, Dorset, has recruited former Chewton Glen senior assistant manager Stuart Van Dam as general manager following its opening last summer.

In his new role, Van Dam will be responsible for overseeing and pushing forward business at the 11-bedroom hotel and its gastropub The Conqueror Inn.

East Close director Andy Price said: "We are very pleased to have been able to attract Stuart to The East Close and look forward to developing the hotel and The Conqueror Inn with him over the coming months. We have great plans and vision for the hotel and this is an exciting time for all of us."

The Vincent Hotel in Southport has also taken on a new general manager. Damon Yoxall, whose parents owned and ran the Royal Clifton hotel, returns to the town to take on the role.

Yoxall, who started out at the age of 14 helping his parents at their Southport hotel by washing pots, has worked his way up through the industry to manage a number of hotels, including The Moat House in Edinburgh and The Old England in Windermere.

He said: "Southport has gone through many positive changes in recent years and The Vincent has been a major player in placing the town back on the map."