AFTER 30 years under the ownership of well-known hotelier Chris Carss, the 30-bedroom Rothay Garden Hotel at Grasmere has been bought by a South African investment company on behalf of a private investor.

Mr Carss plans to retire from hotel-keeping after 45 years in the industry. He said "a bright new chapter" was beginning for the Rothay Garden, which was awarded Cumbria Tourism's best small hotel award in 2018.

The hotel on the edge of the village has been bought by Cape Town-based Fairtree International on behalf of a private investor in partnership with the hotel management group Providence Hospitality.

Fairtree International and Providence Hospitality are both part of the Fairtree group of companies. They specialise in owning and operating boutique and niche hotels and resorts in the UK and South Africa.

Providence manages 17 properties, nine of them in the UK. The group already owns the Borrowdale Gates Hotel near Keswick and The Grange at Grange-over-Sands, backed by its bankers NatWest.

Providence’s co-founder, Joe Bester, believes the climate is ripe for further expansion in the UK, saying: "We aim to be well-represented countrywide and establish a reputation as one of the top hotel operators in the UK and South Africa. We are planning to continue growing our quality portfolio in the UK and the addition of Rothay Garden is a great step toward that."

Former owner Mr Carss, speaking at the 2018 Cumbria Tourism Awards ceremony, paid tribute to the team at Rothay Garden and the "family of guests, past and present, who have made the hotel what it is, and contributed greatly to the relaxed and happy atmosphere here”.

Speaking about the hotel's sale, he said: "I have really enjoyed getting to know the teams at Fairtree International and Providence Hospitality and am delighted Rothay Garden will remain in safe and capable hands. A bright new chapter is beginning for the hotel, its staff and its guests.”