Owner, Annemarie van der Meer hopes to sell the property to a buyer looking for a spacious family home

Ham & High: Annemarie working at the guesthouseAnnemarie working at the guesthouse (Image: Hampstead Village Guesthouse)

After running the Hampstead Village Guesthouse for 40 years, Ms van der Meer and her husband have decided to put the property on the market.

Having hosting musicians, refugees and authors, the hotel on Kemplay Road has been well received over the years, with over half of the guesthouse’s reviews on TripAdvisor rated as “excellent.”

Ham & High: A guest bedroom at Hampstead Village guesthouseA guest bedroom at Hampstead Village guesthouse (Image: Hampstead Village Guesthouse)

Camden Council have agreed to a change of use for the building, back into a residential property, which Annemarie hopes will provide a spacious new home for a family.

“It’s a beautiful building and we have lived there for a long time, but now it is time for somebody else, hopefully a family, to use it as their home,” said Ms van der Meer.

Ham & High: The guesthouse is in walking distance to Hampstead HeathThe guesthouse is in walking distance to Hampstead Heath (Image: Hampstead Village Guesthouse)

“It has a marvellous top floor penthouse for parents, and the first floor and ground floor are very spacious. The basement is full of possibilities for a study, a gym or even a games room.”

It was never Ms van der Meer’s intention for the house, built in 1872, to become what is now known as Hampstead Village Guesthouse, as she said the house “organically grew into a guesthouse.”

“It started off as a place where my friends and family from Holland and America would stay on their visits to London. Then children of neighbours and friends would come to stay, sometimes for six weeks at a time on short courses or language courses. This is when I began to charge.”

But after 40 years, running the guesthouse has become too much for Annemarie, although she has found it very difficult to give up.

“It has been a great outlet for my creativity, I’m not an artist but I’m a problem solving person, and I like making things nice for people,” Ms van der Meer said.

Ms van der Meer will miss interacting with her guests the most, as she said: “I’ve met such a nice variety of people and I’ve learnt over the years that if you just sit down and have a few words together, you can click with them.”

The 7 bedroom property, on the market with north London estate agents Goldschmidt & Howland is described as “a handsome and imposing detached and double-fronted property at the heart of Hampstead Village,” with an “abundance of period character and charm just two minutes walk from Hampstead Heath.”

Ms van der Meer believes one of the best assets of the property is its location, describing Hampstead as “a delight.”

“I often swim in the outdoor pools at the Heath, and the fact that you are so close to all that London has to offer is fantastic.”

For this reason, and to stay close to her daughter and her family, Annemarie and her husband have decided to stay within the area, and have already bought a new apartment in Hampstead, although it is a little different from what they have grown accustomed to…

“We have bought a flat in Hampstead already and it’s modern - both my husband and I love modern architecture. It is very different to the guesthouse in terms of style, but we have decided to start the next phase of our lives in a totally different setting.”

Although Ms van der Meer has suggested that future residents may wish to knock through a wall here and there, she insists that she “never made it too hotel-ish.”

“Returning guests came to consider it their home in London and chose to stay because it felt like a family home. When I have made improvements it was always with respect for the good bones of the house, to enhance what was already there.”

On the market for £5,950,000 the 7 bedroom property on Kemplay Road is on sale with Goldschmidt & Howland.

For more information call the Hampstead sales office on 020 7435 4404, or visit g-h.co.uk