The Suffolk Hotel Golf & Leisure Club in Bury St. Edmunds has welcomed Nicolas Craninx, formerly of Africa’s largest hotel group Protea Hotels, as general manager to lead the 50 strong team at the distinctive countryside resort.

With fifteen years combined experience in the hospitality industry in South Africa and the Holiday Inn group in the UK, Nicolas brings with him a wealth of international experience following a number of management and operational roles. Nicolas, who started his career as a trainee in 1993 at Protea and worked his way up to general manager, has relocated with his family to the area to head up the Suffolk Hotel Golf & Leisure Club which is part of the national group, Oxford Hotels & Inns.

Nicolas said: “I’m delighted to be joining the Suffolk Hotel Golf & Leisure Club at such as exciting time. The bar, restaurant and bedrooms have all recently received investment and have been upgraded. With its great location, coupled with the first-rate facilities including a spa and leisure club with swimming pool and an 18-hole championship golf course, I look forward to working with the dedicated team and putting the resort firmly on the map.”

Mark Edwards, managing director of Oxford Hotels & Inns, which operates over 60 hotels across the UK, said: “We are very pleased to welcome Nicolas to the Oxford Hotels & Inns team. He has a number of years experience in the hospitality industry worldwide and therefore brings a great deal of knowledge to our business. We wish Nicolas and his family all the best in their new life in the region and I look forward to working with him and developing the Suffolk Hotel Golf & Leisure Club.”