Dynamical symmetries of Hamiltonians quantized models of discrete nonlinear Schrödinger chain (DNLS) and of Ablowitz–Ladik chain (AL) are studied. It is shown that for n-sites the dynamical algebra of DNLS Hamilton operator is given by the su(n) algebra, while the respective symmetry for the AL case is the quantum algebra suq(n). The q-deformation of the dynamical symmetry in the AL model is due to the non-canonical oscillator-like structure of the raising and lowering operators at each site. Invariants of motions are found in terms of Casimir central elements of su(n) and suq(n) algebra generators, for the DNLS and QAL cases respectively. Utilizing the representation theory of the symmetry algebras we specialize to the n=2 quantum dimer case and formulate the eigenvalue problem of each dimer as a nonlinear (q)-spin model. Analytic investigations of the ensuing three-term nonlinear recurrence relations are carried out and the respective orthonormal and complete eigenvector bases are determined. The quantum manifestation of the classical self-trapping in the QDNLS-dimer and its absence in the QAL-dimer, is analysed by studying the asymptotic attraction and repulsion respectively, of the energy levels versus the strength of nonlinearity. Our treatment predicts for the QDNLS-dimer, a phase-transition like behaviour in the rate of change of the logarithm of eigenenergy differences, for values of the nonlinearity parameter near the classical bifurcation point.