CONFIRMATION that hotel group von Essen is among those interested in buying Herm is a vivid illustration of the difficulties the Heyworth family will face in selecting a purchaser and asking Treasury and Resources, on behalf of islanders, to endorse them.

Von Essen currently operates a private collection of individual luxury country, town and castle hotels in England, Scotland, Wales and France in four sets: classic, country, continental and luxury family.

Adding a sparkling island dimension to that collection would be particularly appealing, especially, as The Times suggested yesterday, with unrestricted helicopter access, which would put Herm less than an hour away from London.

While Bailiwick residents might have apprehensions about that, the investment implicit in the group’s interest is exactly what Herm needs.

One of the reasons the current owners wish to sell is that they recognise that a lot of money needs to be spent on the fabric of the island to maintain the appeal it has which, in turn, draws the people who effectively pay to maintain it as the amenity it undoubtedly is. Having run the island successfully over the years, they are reluctant to embark on what would effectively be phase two – with its associated bank borrowings – of the development programme started all those years ago by Major Peter Wood.

So if the time is right to hand over the baton, who is the right individual or corporation to receive it and what criteria will be used to judge them?

Most would want the new owner to keep Herm exactly as it is but, unless a wealthy benefactor figure emerges, that is unlikely to happen.

Instead, Herm faces at least some development, not least to bring the White House Hotel more into line with the standards and facilities demanded by those willing to pay more than the current £100 a night for the right sort of luxury.

Yet those willing to spend the £250-£350 a day von Essen charges for dinner, bed and breakfast at Moonfleet Manor, just outside Weymouth, are likely to want rather more seclusion than Herm provides on a sunny summer’s weekend.

Ultimately, the choice of new owner will hinge on investment versus access and as von Essen alone indicates, it will be a tough decision.