Malmaison Hotel and flats plan for Bath Road abandoned

Malmaison Hotels will not proceed with its plans to build a 131-bedroom four-star hotel with a sky bar at the former Belvedere Hotel site in Bath Road.

Permission for the hotel scheme, which would also have welcomed 66 residential flats, was granted by the former Bournemouth Borough Council in January 2017 but has endured years of delays and false starts.

The old Belvedere Hotel, gutted by fire in 2016, was demolished the following year to make way for the new development which was originally to be completed in 2018, until it was pushed back to 2020 and again to 2022.

CGI of the proposed Malmaison Hotel and flats in Bath Road, Bournemouth

However, speaking on behalf of Malmaison, a development spokesperson told the Echo the project “regretfully did not materialise”. They elected not to comment on why the decision had been made.

Surrounded by construction hoardings, the abandoned site has not seen any building take place since the early ground and foundation work which started in 2019 after the land was cleared. Iced-over flooding is also visible at the site.

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Surveyors were seen on the grounds earlier this month by a resident, leading them to believe work was to continue. The resident added: “It’s such an eye-sore at present.”

The development, set to be named Infinity Square, was expected to create around 85 new jobs and would have contained a Chez Mal Bar and Brasserie, a rooftop bar and terrace overlooking the seafront. There was also to be a gym, swimming pool and beauty rooms.

Abandoned work site at former Belvedere Hotel in Bath Road, Bournemouth (Image: Newsquest)

The Belvedere was almost 160 years old at the time of its demolition but had been derelict and frequented by rough sleepers in the two years prior.

Malmaison partnered with Fresh Lime Developments for the project, who were to build the block of flats.

Michael Bibring, Fresh Lime’s founding director, previously said the company had always wanted to bring an iconic hotel to Bath Road and praised Malmaison's “style panache and unique creativity”.

The Daily Echo approached Fresh Lime Developments to comment on the site’s future but received no response.