A FIRE that forced the evacuation of a hotel in Bournemouth is believed to have been started deliberately, police say. 

A man in his 40s remains in hospital in a serious condition after the fire broke out at The Grove Hotel.

A spokesperson for Dorset Police said: "The man involved remains in a serious condition in hospital, and as previously stated, the cause of the fire is not thought to be accidental.

"No arrests have been made.

"Our investigation remains ongoing, and we are unable to go into any further detail at this time."

Police have confirmed that one further person was treated by the ambulance service and taken to hospital as a precaution.

Emergency services received a report of a fire at around 6.15am on Sunday, February 4.

The police remained at the scene until midday while investigating what the hotel manager called a 'crime scene.'

Ken Robins owns the neighbouring Hotel Celebrity and manages The Grove Hotel.

He said: "Luckily, the fire was contained to one room, which was absolutely destroyed.

"It is amazing that the man lived."