THE owner of a top-rated hotel and restaurant has put her business up for sale after 17 years.

During Lynn Cunnah-Watson's time running the Kinmel Arms at St George, near Abergele, it has appeared in Lonely Planet’s top 50 secret escapes in Europe, won the AA pub of the year award and in 2016 featured in Waitrose’s Good Food Guide.

Ms Cunnah-Watson said she had loved every minute of her time at the Kinmel Arms and the decision to put it on the market had been one of the hardest she had ever had to make.

“It’s still exciting. I’m still loving it and everything is still enjoyable," she said

"But at 56, I thought maybe I need to give myself another opportunity, start a new chapter.

“It is sad and to make that decision was awful. It was quite an emotional meeting when I told my accountant and bank manager.”

Ms Cunnah-Watson informed her staff and sent messages to a number of loyal customers from the area informing them of her decision.

Most of the staff in the meeting were upset, she said, and had even offered to buy the Kinmel Arms themselves!

Ms Cunnah-Watson said she was grateful and thankful to have had the opportunity to run the business and was going to miss everything about it.

She said the people and being a part of the community had been a significant enjoyment.

Ms Cunnah-Watson said: “I’m lucky to experience all that I have here. It’s been a real buzz. On a busy day you go in and see all those familiar faces.”

She added that most customers who had come into the Kinmel Arms over the past week had been shocked by the decision and had passed on their well wishes and expressed their sadness she was leaving.

The business is remaining open as normal and Ms Cunnah-Watson says she will be in charge until someone else buys the business and she identifies her next opportunity.