Torquay hotels once belonging to star of Channel 4's The Hotel are sold

Two hotels in Torquay, Devon, which belonged to the eccentric boss who gained notoriety through a reality television progamme have been sold prior to going to auction.

Savills estate agent confirmed that the sale of the 64-bedrom Kistor and 54-bedroom Inglewood hotels had been agreed, prior to this week's auction, where the guide prices had been £600,000 and £450,000 respectively.

However, the spokesman declined to say how much they had been sold for and who had bought them.

The hotels had once belonged to Mark Jenkins who appeared on two series of the Channel 4 documentary, The Hotel. He was portrayed by the programme - filmed at a third property, the 46-bedroom Grosvenor, which was sold in October 2012 to Richardson Hotels for between £750,000 and £1m - as a hapless hotelier.

The Kistor and Inglewood came under the umbrella of Riviera Hotels, which collapsed into administration last year.

Jenkins incurred the wrath of fellow hoteliers in Torquay and English Riviera Tourism for inferring on the Channel 4 programme that the town was to blame for the collapse of his businesses, while they insisted it was due to "poor management and a lack of investment".

Star of Channel 4's The Hotel is up for sale, while sister hotels go into administration >>

Controversial Torquay hotelier in Channel 4 show to be retained by new owner >>

Channel 4's the Grosvenor hotel in Torquay revamps its restaurant >>