ONE of the leading figures in Bournemouth’s hospitality industry has been named general manager of the town’s Hallmark Hotel.

The news follows Paul Clarke’s recent election as chair of the Bournemouth Coastal Business Improvement District (BID).

For the past two years, he has been one of the youngest elected chairs of Bournemouth Accommodation and Hotel Association (BAHA).

Mr Clarke brings more than 25 years of experience in the industry to his new role with the 83-bedroom Hallmark, owned by Topland Hotels.

He began as a chef at the New Forest Hotel in Ashurst, aged 16, and worked for two years at Ferndown’s Dormy Hotel, working his way up from pot-washer to duty manager, before becoming a key member of the opening team at the five-star Grand Harbour Hotel in Southampton.

He went on to work at the Royal Bath before becoming deputy manager of Handpicked Hotels, MacDonald Hotels and De Vere Hotels before his most recent role as general manager of the Bournemouth East Cliff Hotel.

He said: “The main experience that stood me in good stead, was working at the Dormy Hotel as a trainee manager for two very hard years, starting on pot-wash and working in all departments until I became a duty manager. I have worked my way up and I think it’s important to understand how every part of a hotel works, whether that’s the basics of a kitchen or the more complex work of running an entire hotel with a dedicated team, as a general manager.’

He said he wanted “to re-establish the Hallmark Bournemouth as a quality four star hotel at the heart of the business community".