THE new owners of the Dunster Castle Hotel have transformed the historic hotel in the medieval village's High Street.

Husband and wife John and Lisa Richardson recently purchased the Grade II listed building for an undisclosed six-figure sum thought to be around £850,000 and have refurbished the hotel with the aim of making it into a premier mid-market offering.

Owner-manager, John Richardson, said: “We were looking for a hotel and restaurant that could build upon our success in our previous venture in West Wales that allowed us to expand our ideas and develop a superior experience for guests.

"It’s simple, we know what we like, and our aim is to provide food and drink with provenance and quality that reflects the area, consistency of experience delivered by talented staff and a great environment that reflects style and cleanliness.”

First improvements will see the transformation aimed to ‘delight the senses’ across the hotel, restaurant, and bar, with further plans to develop the hotel into a wedding and function venue, as well as improving the garden into an area which is comfortable to relax in on sunny days and balmy evenings.

The first wedding is set to take place in September and the phased bedroom refurbishment will be completed by the end of October.

The experienced hoteliers bought the property from a private client. The four-star hotel is now averaging 70 covers per day a significant increase driven predominantly by tourists visiting the area over the last four weeks.

In 2001 John and Lisa bought Ty Mawr Country Hotel transforming the business into an award winning establishment with a reputation for good food and quality service.

Bruce Howard, Barclays Business Manager, Somerset, who assisted the Richardson’s with the purchase, said: “Our customer’s commitment in investing in The Dunster Castle Hotel is testimony to the confidence they have in both the industry and Somerset’s ability to continue to attract visitors.

"John and Lisa are proven hoteliers with an excellent track record and we are proud to support them in their latest venture.

"This support also demonstrates our ongoing appetite to be involved in the hospitality and leisure industry.”