Hungry punters can now dine beneath an olive tree in a hotel's "elegant" restaurant which has been transformed as part of a half a million pound investment.

With its décor inspired by the Ivy, a brand new kitchen and "refreshed" bedrooms, the J D Young in Harleston's Market Place has been given a full facelift.

And communications manager Quinn Hair says they have "created something quite special".

"When we reached lockdown, Daniel, the owner, decided it would be nice to modernise the hotel and make it more of a destination venue," he said.

"We got in touch with a designer from the Ivy group who came to see us and now the venue looks incredible.

"We wanted to make it an experience from the moment somebody walks inside the door."

Like the Ivy's restaurants, there is plenty of foliage on show including a petrified olive tree that drapes over tables, with diners regularly requesting to sit beneath it.

As well as the interior changes, Mr Hair said a completely new kitchen has been fitted which will help their "talented" chefs "bring the food to that next level".

He said: "The food has always been great but there is always room to improve.

"This new infrastructure is really going to help.

"Our chefs are looking at doing more regular menu changes in the future and they will be able to be a lot more creative."

The hotel's 11 bedrooms have also been updated with new furniture and a similar "elegant" décor as its restaurant and bar.

The upgrades at the hotel, owned by Daniel Green, started during the pandemic and finished earlier this summer.

And despite the challenges facing the hospitality industry, he believes these changes have helped to ensure that their customers return.

He added: "Business has been going really well.

"We have all noticed the cost-of-living crisis, it’s definitely affecting all areas. But we are not empty or seeing customer numbers go down.

"People still want to go out and enjoy themselves but because they haven't got as much money to spend, they want everything in one place so they can have that whole experience - that's what we have created."