A NEW kind of hotel which includes dormitories and “pod” accommodation has been launched in Bournemouth.

Klikaway Hotel – in the former Piccadilly Hotel building in Bath Road – is a new business offering family rooms as well as hostel-style shared rooms.

In some rooms, the accommodation consists six self-contained pods of the kind seen in Japanese commuter hotels.

The concept was launched by the Anjuna Hotel Group, whose managing director Yousif Al-wagga said the company spotted a need for flexible accommodation.

The new venture required an extensive refurbishment of the building.

Mr Al-wagga said: “The Piccadilly became unsustainable. It was a very traditional coaching hotel focused very much on the ballroom downstairs.”

He the new owners “felt there’s a gap in the market for good, value for money accommodation which focuses on family rooms and groups”.

“It’s a full service hotel in terms of bedrooms but we also have some shared accommodation,” he said.

The second floor is given over to full service rooms, while the first floor consists of dormitory accommodation which can be booked by individuals of groups.

“It’s a really good innovation for Bournemouth,” said Mr Al-wagga.

Room prices start at around £60-£80 in low season and rise to £140-£180 for a larger family room, while hostel rooms prices depend on the number of people booked in.

Mr Al-waga, 47, is a Bournemouth University graduate in hospitality management, who has worked for the Queens Moat House hotels, Thistle, IHG and Forte Hotel Group.

The Anjuna Group, under chief executive Gerry Wilton, manages six Bournemouth hotels including the Cottonwood Boutique Hotel, the Chocolate Box Hotel and the Chocolate Boutique Hotel.

It specialises in buying independently owned hotels and making them more profitable by centralising facilities.

“With the digitalisation of the industry, it’s very difficult to keep up. A lot of these small hotels have got limited resources, limited staff,” said Mr Al-wagga.

He said the impact of online travel agents had also provide difficult for smaller hotels.

“While Booking.com and Expedia are a great experience for the customer, they do charge 20-odd per cent commission. They’ve become very demanding. That’s costing us a lot of money,” he said.

“There’s a lot of accommodation in Bournemouth that could do with investment. It needs to offer good quality without sacrificing quality for price,” Mr Al-wagga added.

“A lot of smaller accommodation, it doesn’t attract the investment money that goes after large hotels with 100 bedrooms.”