A historic town centre boutique hotel has been used as a backdrop for a popular men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine.

The September edition of Playboy Czech Republic was shot entirely at Stone Court House in Maidstone.

The historic building in Lower Stone Street dates back 700 years and has had quite the chequered past.

In 2012, police executed a search warrant on the premises as part of a bid to bust a drugs and prostitution racket.

The hotel eventually closed during 2015 and the building started to fall into a state of disrepair.

Owners Saban and Belinda Demirbasa have since transformed the Georgian Grade II-listed townhouse with a multi-million pound restoration.

They now offer guests a unique and luxurious experience in one of their seven rooms.

However, their most recent announcement was that the hotel was chosen to be used as the setting for the raunchy magazine.

It features Sabina Kelley, an American pin-up model, fashion icon and actress.

She was born in California, but currently lives in Las Vegas – where she became the first tattooed showgirl to perform in casinos on the strip.

The images were shot by Veronika Marx, a burlesque and boudoir photographer based in Greenhithe.

She has previously worked with celebrities such as model Dita Von Teese, Kimberley Wyatt from The Pussycat Dolls, Mis-Teeq singer Sabrina Washington and former Chelsea footballer Ramires.

As an in-house photographer for Playboy CZ, the 41-year-old has completed four covers for the brand.

“I was searching for places nearby, saw it and contacted Saban straight away,” Veronika explained.

“It is a hidden gem. You would not expect it when you are standing outside.”

The shoot took a day to complete, with the team starting at 8am and finishing around 7pm.

She said: “I loved it – we kept having ideas for photos. It was brilliant.

“Walking around and trying to find where to start was quite difficult because every single corner had something.

“It was good because we were actually able to tell a story.”

“Saban and Belinda are the loveliest people I have ever met,” she added.

“They are so welcoming.”

Playboy was originally was founded by Hugh Hefner in Chicago in 1953 as a men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine.

Known for its centrefolds of nude and semi-nude models, it has since ceased production in 2020 and now creates content online.

Despite this, there are still monthly editions produced internationally – including versions in France, Germany, Mexico and the Netherlands.