Sky News has learnt that Henderson Park, a real estate investor, is close to hiring advisers for the sale of the Hilton London Metropole hotel near Paddington.

Its sister hotel in Birmingham is also expected to be included in the sale process, industry sources said on Thursday.

The auction will provide a key test of investors' appetite for large hotel assets during a period of uncertainty for the UK economy.

Henderson Park acquired the two Metropole venues in 2017, and then swooped four years later to buy a portfolio of 12 other Hilton hotels in the British Isles.

The latter transaction included sites in Bristol, Dublin, Edinburgh and London.

The Hilton Metropole in London has more than 1,000 rooms and event space for 3,000 guests, making it one of the largest such venues in Europe.

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Henderson Park has invested $13bn in deals since being set up in 2016 by Nick Weber, a former Goldman Sachs executive.

It also invests in office blocks and industrial real estate.

A Henderson Park spokesman declined to comment.