A prominent four-star hotel has gone on the market for £6 million.

Hempstead House off the A2 London Road in Bapchild, near Sittingbourne, is up for sale.

Owner Mandy Holdstock says she has decided to offload the successful business, which also includes AquaManda spa, as she wants to retire.

The 70-year-old took on what was then a private country house more than 35 years ago and transformed it into an AA 4-star rated hotel.

But Mrs Holdstock says now is the right time to sell up. She said: “The sale is purely because I am getting old and I need to retire.

“There was a lot of thought, and it is not a light decision, but it is time to move on in my life.

“I have been here for 35 years, and some of my amazing staff have been with me for 25 years.

“Hopefully, the business will go from strength to strength under new owners who will take it to new heights.

“I have lots of plans for retirement but the sale is in its early stages and can take a long time.”

All staff will keep their jobs.

Ed Bellfield, Regional Hotel Director at Christie & Co, who is handling the sale, said: “The sale represents an exceptional opportunity to acquire a highly successful hotel business with significant repeat patronage, largely due to its continued ownership and continuity within the same family since 1990.

“The reputation and success of the business is a testament to the continued reinvestment and family stewardship over recent decades, combined with its renowned regional reputation.

“We wish the Holdstocks well on their retirement and the closing of a long-established chapter.”

The hotel has 34 bedrooms plus a suite, as well as a bar and two restaurants with a combined capacity of 100 people seated.

Meanwhile, the on-site AquaManda Spa has five treatment rooms, a 15-metre indoor pool, a hydrotherapy pool, a sauna, and a jacuzzi.

It also has extensive conference and function facilities, accommodating up to 200 people.