A £40 million Malmaison hotel and apartment scheme in Bournemouth is two years behind schedule.

A completion date for the luxury complex, on the site of the former Belvedere Hotel in Bath Road, was originally set for early next year.

But the company has now revealed it expects it to be up and running in 2022.

The site has been cleared and a Malmaison Hotel du Vin spokeswoman said "a start has been made."

But there is little activity at the huge site, which will be named Infinity Square.

The hotel group has joined forces with property developers Fresh Lime Developments to build a 131-bedroom, four-star hotel with a sky bar and 66 residential flats.

It will be a welcome addition to the area, which was blighted by the former derelict Belvedere, which was used by rough sleepers and caught fire in 2016.

The development, which is expected to create about 85 new jobs, will contain the Chez Mal Bar and Brasserie, which will feature a rooftop bar and terrace overlooking the seafront. There will be a state-of-the-art gym as well as a swimming pool and beauty rooms.

The hotel will also include the brand’s meeting and events concept, ‘Work + Play’, which features private meeting pods with high-tech systems.

Fresh Lime founding director Michael Bibring said is company has always wanted to bring an iconic hotel to the site and praised Malmaison's "style panache and unique creativity."

"The rooms and suites will be simply stunning and the renowned Chez Mal Bar and Brasserie will both be extremely welcome additions to the eclectic food and drink scene in Bournemouth" he said.

Malmaison is a luxury boutique hotel chain that has sixteen hotels throughout the UK.

Guus Bakker, CEO of Malmaison Hotel du Vin, said: "Bournemouth is a fantastic destination. The vibrancy of the town means that it is also a perfect location for the Malmaison brand."