Popular Ludlow hotel and restaurant up for sale for £1.65m

Originally constructed in the mid-19th Century as a gentlemen’s residence for a local solicitor, The Cliffe at Dinham has passed through various private ownership over the years before it was converted to a hotel in 1949.

The current owners, Paul and Barbara Brooks have dedicated their lives to working in hospitality, having spent the last 21 years operating restaurants in Ludlow. Prior to acquiring The Cliffe in 2014, they successfully established The Clive at Bromfield as one of the first 'restaurant with rooms', achieving AA recognition for the new concept at the time.

Since acquiring The Cliffe, the husband-and-wife team have invested significantly into the property to completely transform it into a profitable business which has become a centre for many functions and celebrations within the community. This has included a full refurbishment of the restaurant and 13 letting bedrooms, whilst making further improvements to the attractive three-storey building as a whole. A single storey orangery has also been built to provide a spacious restaurant area.

Paul and Barbara have made the decision to sell as they feel the time has come to retire from working life. The sale will allow them to enjoy other interests, travel and more time with family.

They said: “Ludlow is great for visitors; the town boasts a wealth of architectural delights, lovely independently-owned shops, regular outdoor markets and festivals, as well as being home to the Slow Food movement. It is not surprising that tourists and day trippers flock here in large numbers and The Cliffe attracts a varied mix of residents and outside visitors for many of these reasons.

"We are 'foodies' supported by superb butchers, bakers, delis and even a great fishmonger and we’ve loved living in this environment. We will miss this lifestyle so much, working with a great team of staff in a “place like home” but the time has come to catch up on a busy retirement of personal interests, travel and family life.”

Joshua Sullivan, senior business agent in Christie & Co’s hospitality team, who is handling the sale, added: “The Cliffe at Dinham is a hugely successful operation that would suit investors and owner-operators alike.

"Encouragingly, the pandemic has had a very positive impact on trade, as the business has experienced record growth in turnover and average occupancy for the bedrooms, following the easing of Covid restrictions. This demonstrates the demand within the local community and further afield for an offering of this type. However, there is also plenty of scope for a purchaser to add value and continue to grow the business.”