Kentish Express Ashford & District
Welcoming creepy crawly guests
A hotel was filled with all things creepy crawly as a major exotic pet exhibition came to Ashford.
The Ashford International Hotel in Simone Weil Avenue played host to the South East Arachnid Show, billed as “the only arachnid trade show in the south east”.
About 35,000 spiders, scorpions, snails and millipedes were on offer to visitors at the 10th annual show, not only to meet but to buy.
The furthest travelled guest journeyed from Tel Aviv, Israel, just to take part in the show, which was held on Sunday, January 26.
One of the organisers, Chris Carter, said: “We get bigger every year - when we started we had 700 people come, this year we had 1,300.
“It was very successful, we’ve had rave reviews and everyone was happy.
“All the traders made money and every guest had a great time.
“I’d like to thank the team that helps me organise this each year and the hotel - they are superb and bend over backwards for us.”
Last month, plans to rebrand the Ashford International Hotel as part of a multi-million pound revamp were approved.
The four-star site, which currently operates under the QHotels name, is to be rebranded as
Delta Hotel by Marriott.
It will become the fourth Delta Hotel by Marriott venue in the country following the refurbishment.
Bosses say the refurb will see “significant improvements” made to the hotel to “bring it in line with the upscale
Marriott four-star brand standards”.
They are set to upgrade all of the 179 bedrooms, 18 meeting rooms and main areas, as well as opening a new leisure and spa cafe, which will be exclusively for leisure members and spa guests.
Hotel chiefs say work is expected to be completed in the autumn.