Durley Grange is set in the prestigious West Cliff area of Bournemouth within easy walking distance of both the town centre and the beaches.
It offers 51 en-suite bedrooms, a lounge and bar, a restaurant that can seat around 100 customers and a Mediterranean-style sun patio.
Leisure facilities include an indoor heated swimming pool, Jacuzzi, sauna and solarium.
The buyer, Seyed Hassam Bani-Hashemian, also owns Nicks restaurant in Southampton
The Winchester office of Christie + Co sold the freehold on behalf of Paul Hedges, who has also put his nearby New Westcliff hotel up for sale.
By Angela Frewin