MARGARET Thatcher’s favourite Worcestershire hotel has been put up for sale by its owners.

The Cottage in the Wood, in Holywell Road, in the Malvern Hills, has been put on the market by John and Sue Pattin as they plan for retirement after running the hillside hotel for 26 years.

The hotel’s popularity with the former prime minister, as well as a reputation for having some of the best views in Britain, mean they are not expected to be short of offers, despite an asking price of close to £2 million.

As we revealed earlier this year, Baroness Thatcher fell in love with The Cottage in The Wood, in Holywell Road, following the death of her husband Dennis in 2003.

Her assistant, Cynthia Crawford, from Worcester, brought her to Malvern to relax and the baroness instantly fell in love with the hillside retreat – regularly spending five days at a time there over the ensuing years, until ill health made it impossible.

Mr and Mrs Pattin would always book her into the same room – and reserve the one next door for her to entertain guests during the day – and can still remember vividly their shock the first time they learnt she was coming to stay.

“I thought it was an April Fool’s joke that had come early,” said Mr Pattin. The ‘Iron Lady’, as she was commonly known, would arrive in a chauffeur-driven, bullet-proof car, followed by three Special Branch security staff, while the hotel and grounds would be kitted out with special listening devices able to track conversations to ensure her safety.

Mr and Mrs Pattin say their decision to move on is a “genuine retirement sale” after being at the forefront of the hotel’s busy day-to-day operations for more than two decades.

The search for their successor is being handled by specialist property adviser Christie and Co, whose director Gavin Wright is expecting to be inundated with demand.

“Hotels with great features, stunning scenery and the highest possible endorsement do not come on the market too often,” he said.

“We are expecting high levels of interest in this landmark hotel.”

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