The building, formerly the Beacon Hotel, has a C1 Hotel use class, but will be able to let rooms to self-catering guests for as long as 90 days. Hotel staff will clean and provide laundry services, as well as a communal lounge area.

In the application, Edward Taylor, managing director of the building's owner Eurostudies, said the hotel's performance has suffered with the opening of newer, larger properties in the vicinity.

"Since purchasing the property in 2014 the present owners have extensively upgraded the rooms and bathrooms as well as the public areas in an effort to make the business sustainable," he said. "Despite these attempts occupancy rates have declined year-on-year and room rates have subsequently been reduced to assist booking numbers.

"It is evident that recent hotel chain openings in the surrounding area to the hotel's location are benefitting from increased market share of holiday and short-term visitors to Bournemouth, while independent and smaller bed and breakfast hotels are finding it increasingly difficult to compete as a sustainable business due to increased marketing costs and expensive fees to hotel booking sites. Nevertheless, there is significant demand and a shortage of luxury family holiday accommodation in self-contained serviced apartments in central Bournemouth."

Granting the certificate for Eurostay, a report by planning officer Steve Davies said: "The key here is the retention of reception and communal facilities and a restriction on lengthy occupation indicating that there is a strong on site management. I consider that the use could quite easily revert to a holiday apartment use if there is a downgrading of the servicing and I will ensure that the recommendation to support the application is accompanied by a condition/note that makes it clear that the consent is dependent on the level of servicing proposed."