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Bournemouth: so last season?

Friday, February 19, 2010

Source: Catherine Deshayes

A Bournemouth hotelier has caused a row after accusing the seaside town of being ‘too stuffy'...

Paul Spencer, 35, who has recently taken charge as general manager of the Royal Bath Hotel, has spoken out after seeing the town lose ground to rival Brighton as the South Coast's leading holiday hotspot.

Spencer told the regional newspaper the Bournemouth Daily Echo that "We need to start becoming a young town; we're still a bit stuffy in Bournemouth.

"I was in Richmond before and when I said I was coming here everyone was surprised because there is such a massive stigma attached to Bournemouth. It's still seen as a very old resort.

"We don't do enough to portray ourselves as a happening place to be. I'd like to see us becoming a modern version of Brighton with a café culture. The Grand Hotel in Brighton is open to everyone and I want the Royal Bath to be the same.

The hotel manager, who began his career as a chef and a waiter before moving into management, believes that the town needs to shed its ‘dated' image to encourage more young visitors as well as invest in the seafront.

"Money has been well spent at Boscombe seafront; we need the same sort of investment in Bournemouth.

"Paying guests are important to hotels but we also rely on year-round support from the local community."

Source: www.dailymail.co.uk