The Royal Bath Hotel is a building in Bournemouth, Dorset.[1][2] It is owned by Britannia Hotels and is regarded to be the town's most famous hotel.[3] Since 1974, the hotel has been a Grade II listed building.[4] The hotel was formerly owned by the Mayor of Bournemouth, Merton Russell-Cotes.[5]

The hotel at night.
The frontage of the building.

History

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George Tapps-Gervis built the hotel in 1838.[6] The hotel opened on Queen Victoria's coronation day in June 1838, becoming the first hotel in Bournemouth.[7]

The 1878 extension was designed by Christopher Crabb Creeke. In January 1979 the east wing of the hotel was destroyed by fire.[8]

In 2011 an elderly grandmother was accidentally scalded to death in a bathtub.[9] In 2014 there was a robbery at the hotel.[10] In 2019, armed police were called after a man was stabbed in one of the hotel rooms.[11] The hotel hosted a Coastal Comic Con in 2019.[12]

In March 2024, it was announced that the hotel would undertake a £1 million renovation.[13] The large-scale refurbishment project which involves renovating all 208 bedrooms and bathrooms, addressing structural issues, and upgrading the dining and bar areas is expected to be completed by 2026.[14]

References

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  1. ^ "The Royal Bath Hotel Bournemouth | Britannia Hotels". www.britanniahotels.com. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  2. ^ "ROYAL BATH HOTEL & SPA BOURNEMOUTH $38 ($̶6̶4̶) – Updated 2020 Prices & Reviews – England". Tripadvisor. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  3. ^ "What happened when a YouTube reviewer visited popular Bournemouth hotel". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  4. ^ "ROYAL BATH HOTEL, Bournemouth Christchurch and Poole – 1108883 | Historic England". Historic England. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  5. ^ "Merton Russell-Cotes", Wikipedia, 26 September 2019, retrieved 18 November 2020
  6. ^ "A History of Bournemouth". Local Histories. 14 March 2021. Retrieved 17 October 2021.
  7. ^ "PICTURES: Inside Bournemouth's most expensive hotel rooms". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  8. ^ "Picture of the Day: Royal Bath Hotel in 1979 after fire". Bournemouth Echo. 8 April 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  9. ^ "Grandmother scalded to death after hotel turned up water temperature to beat Legionnaires". The Telegraph. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  10. ^ "Couple's fury as £6,000 of possessions stolen from Royal Bath hotel room". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  11. ^ "VIDEO: Armed police called to Bournemouth's Royal Bath Hotel after man is slashed with knife in his room". Bournemouth Echo. 16 June 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  12. ^ "Cosplay, meet-and-greets and vintage arcade games at Bournemouth's newest comic con". Bournemouth Echo. Retrieved 18 November 2020.
  13. ^ "Iconic Bournemouth hotel to be given new lease of life with major £1m+ refurb". Bournemouth Echo. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.
  14. ^ "Bournemouth 'first hotel' The Royal Bath to undergo £1m refurb". Boutique Hotelier. 27 March 2024. Retrieved 28 March 2024.

50°43′03″N 1°52′21″W / 50.7176°N 1.8725°W / 50.7176; -1.8725