THE question of whether Bournemouth’s most famous hotel will be restored to its five-star glory was debated at the town’s chamber of trade.

The Royal Bath was one of two hotels bought by the Britannia group, in a deal that was worth a total of £20million.

It is now rated 4-stars and the meeting heard it would need major reinvestment to regain the top rating.

Andrew Woodland, chair of the Bournemouth Accommodation and Hotels Association, said he saw signs Britannia was buying hotels to give itself a group of 4-star hotels.

He said: “I have spoken to the people looking after the Royal Bath for Britannia and they are expecting money to be spent.”

But he said a full refurbishment would probably cost double the buying price. The meeting heard another estimate of £16m.