For more than 120 years, Shanklin’s Bedford Lodge has been welcoming visitor but it is now set to undergo some changes after the bed and breakfast was placed on the market 10 years after Karena Barton acquired it. Since 2007, the boutique hotel which has 13 bedrooms has been operated by the owner Karena Barton and has been open for 6 or 7 months every year. However, the birth of a new family member has now resulted in the property’s freehold going to the market. Fleurets, the leisure property specialist is handling the deal for the property that is being marketed at a guide price of £640,000.
It was at the turn of the 20th century when the Bedford Lodge was converted into a boarding house and it has remained so for around 120 years. The lodge was a private villa before the 1900s and was also a successful hotel and restaurant before it finally became a bed and breakfast 20 years ago. The building is quite old and dates back to the 1840s. It still has many of the qualities and features that were associated with Victorian property such as the fireplaces and high ceiling all over the house. There is also a guest lounge with a sunroom in the house along with a dining room and mature gardens.
The property is being marketed by Fleurets’ Nick Earee and stated that the owner has been doing continuous refurbishment throughout the period of her ownership and this has raised the property from a 3 star to a 4-star silver rating. He pointed out that Visit England currently rates the property at 4 stars and it also won a Visit England Award in 2014. The IOW Chamber of Commerce presented the lodge with a hospitality award and in the Tourism South East Awards, the Bedford Lodge was highly commended.