A grade-II listed hotel which recently underwent a £50,000 revamp is on the market for more than £3 million.

The Pantiles-based Tunbridge Wells Hotel and Restaurant has been owned by Julian Leefe-Griffiths since he bought the derelict venue in 2012.

From there onwards, the 63-year-old says he has done what he set-out to do by creating a “real nice boutique hotel” which has made a “good contribution to the resurgence” of the area.

Now, he feels it is time to do something else and hopes to live a bit of the “Italian good life” up a mountain in Sicily with his wife.

The hotel first went on the market in February 2023, and almost sold, however, the deal fell through and it returned to the market in early May following a £50,000 ground floor refurbishment.

It is listed with Christie & Co as a “trophy site in a historic town centre”, asking for offers in the region of £3.4 million.

The Georgian building includes 20 ensuite bedrooms, an outdoor seating area, and a bar and restaurant on the ground floor.

The father-of-two says he plans to sell-up in order to retire but will miss the team he works with.

He said: “It’s a great business - I’ve got great managers, fantastic chefs, brilliant housekeepers, and I’ve had this crew for a really long time.

“But, I’ve been going to work every day since I was 17 and surely, I deserve a bit of time off at some point.

“It would be very nice to go and live in Sicily, so I’m trying to do a bit of living the Italian good life, half-way up a mountain - I’ve got a lot of orange trees and some olive trees to tend to.”

Although Julian initially refurbished the hotel 12 years ago when he bought it, the ground floor recently underwent a refurbishment in March which saw the addition of a downstairs fireplace to make the hotel “more welcoming and lovely” in the winter.

Now, he hopes the right buyer will come along, adding: “You never know who wants to buy a hotel but I thought this would go like a hot cake.”

In the winter the business has around 20 staff members but in the summer Julian employs as many as 40, with a basic crew of 23/24 on a Thursday evening for Jazz at the Pantiles.

The ground floor has seating for 16 in its lounge area, 64 in its dining area, as well as two additional restaurant areas with space for up to 42, or 85 if standing.

Meanwhile, its outside seating area has space for around 90 which can be increased to around 220 during the local jazz festival.

Looking ahead, Julian, who lives in East Sussex, said: “I look forward to the hotel being bigger and better and smarter than when I’ve run it.

“I’d just like someone with a little enthusiasm to come along and do a good job.”

According to the online listing: “The business has been under the current stewardship for 11 years and during this time there has been an extensive programme of refurbishment to create one of the finest hotels within the town.

“The owners have decided to sell as they wish to retire.”

While Julian says “no one has made the right offer yet”, he already has his sights set on some post-retirement goals.

He hopes to take part in an International Tennis Federation (ITF) competition which has over-50s, over 60s and over 70s groups, with a view to winning in his group.

He said: “I’m going to try and play international tennis for old duffers but it might take me a while to get there.”

The Tunbridge Wells Hotel includes The Eating House restaurant which serves informal dining room food, seven days a week.

Its hotel rooms range from a honeymoon suite, family suite, a superior double and twin rooms.