A luxury Kent hotel popular with celebrities has come under fire from villagers who claim thumping music keeps them awake at night.

The Cave Hotel and Golf Resort, off the A2 near Faversham, has come in for heavy criticism as more than 50 objections were made against its application for a new premises licence.

The four-star venue has steadily grown in popularity since its launch in 2019, attracting the likes of former Little Mix star Jesy Nelson and ex-glamour model Katie Price.

But while visitors flock from far and wide to enjoy the hotel - which has an outside bar and a wedding marquee - villagers in nearby Boughton appear less than impressed.

Many claim the "loud and throbbing" music from the venue keeps them up at night - even half-a-mile away - with one saying their house "seems to shake".

Of the 52 responses to The Cave’s licensing bid - some signed by multiple people - just one was in support of the application, which was considered by councillors yesterday.

The venue had previously operated exclusively as a golf club, and since the hotel’s launch continued to run under the same licensing conditions.

Its bid for a new licence sparked fears of an increase in late-night noise, as the conditions would have allowed music to be played until 1am.

But many of those objecting appeared unaware the previous licence permitted the exact same activities, and at the same times.

The new application, which was granted, primarily sought to remove a capacity limit of 160, and to allow alcohol to be served to hotel guests - through room service and mini bars - 24 hours a day.

But the responses laid bare the views of many local residents about the impact of the 41-room hotel, which enjoys mainly five-star reviews on TripAdvisor.

One resident wrote: “How they got a music licence in the first place is absolutely beyond me and it should absolutely be revoked.

“It’s a wretched place absolutely without any class.

“It’s really irritating at 11pm but push it any later and you’ll have a riot on your hands.

"The wildlife is damaged by the hideous and perpetual evening thud of soulless 'music'. [My] children simply don't sleep as the whole house seems to shake. I think the amount of bass being pumped out needs investigating."

Another resident wrote: “We live quite close to the A2 and as a result have very good sound insulation in order to block the noise from this. It is effective against the traffic noise, however, we can still hear the music from The Cave late into the night from within our house, even with all our doors and windows shut."

At the meeting of Swale Borough Council’s licensing sub-committee meeting, Luke Elford, a solicitor with John Gaunt & Partners, argued the case for The Cave’s application.

He said: “I think there has been a bit of misunderstanding about what this application is and what it entails.”

He emphasised that the new licensing hours allow The Cave to operate 24 hours a day in its capacity as a hotel.

“We are applying for a licence that befits the kind of operation we are, which is a hotel and golf resort,” he explained.

“It’s not for members of the public to come to Cave Hotel and drink 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“In summary what we’re applying for is not a great deal different to what we have now.”

Johnathan Callister, the CEO and co-owner of The Cave, was at the meeting and said he sympathised with residents’ complaints, emphasising that under the new licence the hotel would limit the noise it puts out.

“One of our key components to the hotel is that we give people a good night’s sleep,” he said.

“If you are providing music until one in the morning you will not do that.”

Mr Callister added that an emergency number had been set up to raise concerns over noise, and residents had been invited to email his directly with complaints.

The Cave’s fireworks displays were also a source of objection, with many villagers complaining of a recent display which reportedly took place at 10pm on a Sunday night, despite being advertised for 9pm.

At the meeting, Dr Lucy Barnes argued “fireworks are so disruptive to the health and wellbeing of people”, and criticised their effect on animals.

The licensing sub-committee decided to grant the licence, including limiting fireworks to New Year’s Eve, Guy Fawkes Night, and 10 other occasions throughout the year - which the business can choose.

It was stated during the meeting that The Cave - which employs 250 people - would not play live music after 10pm, so the condition allowing it until 1am was deemed unnecessary and rejected.

The hotel will still be allowed to play recorded music, but will have to do so with a volume limiter in place.

Mr Elford offered on behalf of The Cave to hold quarterly meetings with residents to discuss any persistent issues - and the new licence mandates that they offer these.