Village fury as hotel popular with celebrities given alcohol licence

Villagers’ fury as four-star Cave Hotel and Golf Resort that is popular with celebrities is awarded new 24-hour alcohol licence as they brand venue ‘wretched place with no class’ that keeps them awake at night with ‘throbbing’ music

• Residents up in arms over the Cave Hotel and Golf Resort, near Faversham, Kent
• Hotel has applied to provide alcohol through room service 24 hours a day
• Application granted by council also includes removing 160 people capacity limit
• But residents in Boughton have voiced fury over ‘loud and throbbing’ music

A luxury hotel popular with celebrities has been slammed as a ‘wretched place without class’ by 50 locals objecting to an application for a new 24-hour alcohol licence – as they say its late night ‘throbbing’ keeps them awake at night.

The Cave Hotel and Golf Resort, near Faversham, Kent, applied for permission to provide alcohol through room service and mini bars 24 hours a day.

The four-star hotel, opened in 2019, is popular among the likes of Little Mix star Jesy Nelson and ex-model Katie Price. Love Island star Jack Fincham was also pictured relaxing there earlier this year, while The Only Way is Essex celebrity Saffron Lempriere visited the site last year. 

It also features an outside bar and wedding marquee, with visitors travelling from across the UK to stay.

The application, which included removing a capacity limit of 160 people, was granted by Swale Borough Council yesterday.

But residents in local village Boughton have voiced their fury over the ‘loud and throbbing’ music that comes from the site, with one claiming their house ‘seems to shake’.

Of the 52 responses to The Cave’s licensing bid, some of which were signed by multiple people, just one voiced support for the application.

Speaking of their opposition to the application, one resident wrote: ‘How they got a music licence in the first place is absolutely beyond me and it should absolutely be revoked.

The Cave Hotel and Golf Resort, near Faversham, Kent, applied for permission to provide alcohol through room service and mini bars 24 hours a day

The application, which included removing a capacity limit of 160 people, was granted by Swale Borough Council yesterday

The four-star hotel, which was opened in 2019, has become popular among a number of celebrities

‘It’s a wretched place absolutely without any class. It’s delightful that the oligarchs, footballers and local professional ladies have somewhere to call home, however, I have no wish to hear their goings on.

‘It’s really irritating at 11pm but push it any later and you’ll have a riot on your hands.

‘The wildlife is damaged by the hideous and perpetual evening thud of soulless ‘music’. [My] children simply don’t sleep as the whole house seems to shake. I think the amount of bass being pumped out needs investigating.”

They added: ‘I was walking my dogs last year with my two children only to be greeted with the snippets of a drunken wedding speech alluding to lashings of oral sex in the back of a car. Try explaining that to your children on a dog walk.’

The objector also said they believe the club is ‘attracting a really unpleasant crowd who simply want to drink, show off, and get into fights – let them go and do this in town not in what was once a peaceful charming corner of Kent’.

Another resident wrote: ‘We live quite close to the A2 and as a result have very good sound insulation in order to block the noise from this.

‘It is effective against the traffic noise, however, we can still hear the music from The Cave late into the night from within our house, even with all our doors and windows shut.’

Many of those objecting appeared unaware the previous licence permitted more or less the exact same activities, and at the same times. 

At a meeting of the local council’s licensing sub-committee meeting, Luke Elford, a solicitor representing the hotel, argued that there had been ‘a bit of misunderstanding about what this application is and what it entails’.

He emphasised that the new licensing hours allow The Cave to operate 24 hours a day in its capacity as a hotel.

The Only Way is Essex celebrity Saffron Lempriere is pictured during her visit to the hotel last year

Former Love Island star Jack Fincham was also pictured relaxing at the Kent hotel earlier this year

Mr Elford added: ‘We are applying for a licence that befits the kind of operation we are, which is a hotel and golf resort.

‘It’s not for members of the public to come to Cave Hotel and drink 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

‘In summary what we’re applying for is not a great deal different to what we have now.’

Johnathan Callister, chief executive and co-owner of the hotel, was present at the meeting and said he sympathised with residents’ complaints, adding that the new licence would limit the noise it puts out.

Mr Callister said: “One of our key components to the hotel is that we give people a good night’s sleep.

‘If you are providing music until one in the morning you will not do that.’

But councillor Tim Valentine, a Green Party member who represents the hotel’s Boughton and Courtenay ward, was unimpressed with Mr Callister’s response to the complaints. 

He said: ‘I’m very surprised that you’ve come here and said that it’s news to you that you’ve been causing a noise nuisance.’

The Cave’s fireworks displays have also been a source of frustration, with many villagers complaining of a recent display which reportedly took place at 10pm on a Sunday night, despite being advertised for 9pm. 

At the meeting, Dr Lucy Barnes criticised their effect on animals, adding: ‘Fireworks are so disruptive to the health and wellbeing of people.’

The licensing sub-committee decided to grant the licence, but limited fireworks to New Year’s Eve, Guy Fawkes Night, and 10 other occasions throughout the year – which the business can choose.

It was stated during that The Cave would not play live music after 10pm, so the condition allowing it until 1am was deemed unnecessary and rejected.

The hotel will still be allowed to play recorded music, but will have to do so with a volume limiter in place.

Mr Elford offered on behalf of The Cave to hold quarterly meetings with residents to discuss any persistent issues – and the new licence mandates that they offer these.

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