Almost three years after it opened, The Coniston Hotel is set to be taken over by new owners.

The 80-bedroom hotel and restaurant has been a Best Western Plus with Chardon Management Ltd running it in on behalf of West Register, which owns the building, since October 2012.

But last week it was revealed that West Register, the property arm of the Royal Bank Scotland which acquires property from financially distressed situations and creates value with a view to exiting when market conditions determine, had sold the business.

Ownership will transfer to Nine Hotels Investments Limited, which operates six hotels within the UK, on September 7.

The guide price is believed to have been £3.5 million but it is not known how much it eventually sold for.

When it changes hands it will no longer be operated by Interstate Hotels and Resorts, formerly Chardon Management Ltd. Instead it will by run by the purchasers own in-house team.

It is understood there will be no job losses as the staff will transfer to the new company under the employment regulations known as TUPE.

There is speculation new jobs may even be created as plans have been approved by Swale council to create a coffee shop in the secondary entrance lobby fronting its premises.

To make way for it, the ramp and steps providing access from the car park will be removed and a new decked terrace and entrance steps created.

The London Road business was set to reopen in June 2010, after a £12m refit. But the bank withdrew funding weeks before it was due to welcome guestss.

About 60 people lost their jobs.

The matter was then the subject of a High Court battle between former owners, Ernie Berntsen and Chris Richardson, and NatWest and the former administrators BDO.