London's the Hempel for sale with £12.5m price tag

The Hempel hotel was put on the market this week with a price tag of £12.5m.

The surprise sale of the west London property includes its 40 guest rooms and suites, the I-Thai restaurant plus other facilities housed within five buildings and the Hempel Garden Square. Six associated apartments near by are also up for grabs for a further £4m.

The Hempel was opened in 1997 by acclaimed designer Anouska Hempel but was sold to property company O&H Properties in 2003.

Property agent Knight Frank is handling the sale, which is expected to attract significant attention. Dominic Mayes, head of Knight Frank Hotels, said interest was likely to be high from international hotel groups which did not have a base in London.

O&H director Eli Shahmoon said: "O&H is predominantly a property investor and developer. We have a number of new initiatives under way and feel now is an appropriate time to disinvest from the Hempel in order to concentrate on our core activity."