A Powys border hotel has changed hands after the previous owner, who ran the hotel for 38 years, retired.

Owner and operator John Richardson decided to call it a day after almost four decades of managing the Burton Hotel in Kington, near Presteigne.

He passes the baton to Jana Hyde, who will run the hotel, which includes a bed and breakfast service, a restaurant and a spa.

Mr Richardson said: "I've been in hospitality for over 50 years and have run the Burton for 38 years. I have now retired but I intend to write a book about my career in hospitality.

"I think most people would think it was a fiction novel because of some of the experiences I've had."

He recalled his determination to make the hotel a success, and said he remembered telling his wife: "I'm going to make the Burton work or die trying". 

County Times: John Richardson, who owned the hotel for 38 yearsJohn Richardson, who owned the hotel for 38 years (Image: Rob Davies)

He made significant additions to the hotel over the years, including a two-storey extension built in 2006 to house a spa and gym. These facilities feature a swimming pool, sauna, steam room, treatment rooms and state-of-the-art equipment.

The new owner, Mrs Hyde, was a previous member of staff trained by Mr Richardson 10 years ago.

In the time since she last worked at the hotel, she got married and started a family before being asked to return to take it over in Mr Richardson's retirement.

County Times: Jana Hyde, new owner of the BurtonJana Hyde, new owner of the Burton (Image: Rob Davies)

Mr Richardson said that he was excited to see what Mrs Hyde will do with the hotel, and had arranged for a finance deal where she will pay him for the property over the years.

The 19th century Burton Hotel in Kington is a two-storey former coaching inn.

In 2018, the hotel made the headlines when a lorry crashed into its porch, destroying this part of the building's façade and leaving fallen debris in the road.

Speaking after the incident, Mr Richardson said: "It takes more than a 50ft lorry to try and rip the heart out of the Burton hotel."

The hotel's front door was cloaked in scaffolding through the summer and autumn of 2018. Eight months on, work to replace the prominent town feature was finally completed, just in time for Christmas that year.