The Bournemouth of today with its cosmopolitan vibrant centre and hotels competing fiercely for visitors is in stark contrast to the Bournemouth of 200 years ago.

This book traces the development of Bournemouth’s hotels from the founding of the Royal Bath and the popularity of the resort with the affluent gentry and invalids seeking out its healthy pine scented air, to the surge of visitors arriving for their annual family holidays from the industrial towns, through to the current trend for short breaks in corporate budget accommodation.