A proposed £4m hotel at a top Poole attraction is being backed by a tourism chief as one of the greenest hotels in the country.

Plans to build a 36-bedroom Italianate hotel at Compton Acres come as the visitor economy is set to boom. The famous gardens saw a huge increase in numbers over Easter.

The building, featuring an 18-metre tower with trees on top, will use recycled rainwater and environmentally sustainable building materials, with plants inside to reduce carbon dioxide levels and low-energy appliances and lights.

“Compton Acres is one of Poole’s premier visitor attractions and the operators have re-established the gardens as one of the finest privately owned gardens in the UK,” said Bruce Grant-Braham, chairman of Poole Tourism.

“The proposed innovative ground source heating system will establish it as one of the most environmentally friendly of hotels in the country and exemplar for other such eco-development now and in the future,” he said.

Britain’s booming visitor economy is currently worth £86 billion and with twice as many residents expected to holiday in the UK this year, garden owner Bernard Merna says they are already seeing evidence of the trend.

“Last year we had 80,000 visitors and the outlook for this year is particularly positive with a huge 110 per cent increase in visitor numbers this Easter compared to last,” he said.

“The British seaside holiday is enjoying a tremendous renaissance and as a local business we’re committed to proactively investing in our product in order to meet visitors’ demands and continually exceed their expectations.

“The provision of a hotel not only satisfies an immediate demand for further accommodation but will be well placed to service a boom during the 2012 Olympics and beyond.”

It would be sited at the bottom of the car park, encircled by tall trees. The application is expected to go before the planning committee soon.