Buying a hotel just before the busy summer season might seem a little daunting for the first time buyer.

But Chris Lockhart of specialist agents Chris Hart & Co points out that though new owners will be thrown in at the deep and busy end of the season, they will pick up valuable experience - and a key business advantage.

''A busy summer allows new owners to generate the cash reserves required to get through the winter months,'' he says. Hart & Co's portfolio ranges from small businesses priced at around #20,000 to substantial hotels at #1m.

''But the supply of properties is definitely lower than is usual at this time of year,'' Chris says.