HAMPTON -- This community will be the nerve center for a multi-million dollar hotel system.

John P. Dunfey, president of the Dunfey Family Hotel Corp., announced today a decision has been made to locate the national offices for the corporation in Hampton.

The conversion and renovation of the exterior and interior of the First National Store; which will be vacated by Saturday, will take from three to five months, according to Dunfey. Upon its completion, it will serve as the home office and place of employment for 130 people. The national sales office for the Dunfey Hotel System, located at the Parker House in Boston, will be relocated to Hampton and the operations offices, located at the Carpenter Hotel in Manchester, are also moving to Hampton.

Robert J. Dunfey and Adele M. Thompson, vice president, met with Hampton selectmen a week ago to advise them of this new development. Previously, the Dunfey organization had considered locations in Northeastern Massachusetts and Southeastern New Hampshire, but these were set aside once the First National property became available.

At the present time, the Dunfey Family Corporation operates 21 hotels in ten states from Maine to California and from Georgia to Texas with the most recent opening of a new 375-room Sheraton Hotel at the International Airport in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Headquarters Office in Hampton will be the service center for over 4,000 people now employed in the company and the IBM Computer will be moved into the new office.

John P. Dunfey further state: "We are very pleased about this development as we made our start in the hotel industry here in Hampton with the purchase of Lamie's Tavern 20 years ago and it is apparent that all of the people working here in our Home Office prefer to continue their careers in the Seacoast area. We will be welcoming approximately 25 people from Boston and Manchester moving into our offices and anticipate a gradual build-up of staff and office personnel to over 250 people by the year 1976.