The result of a £1.5 million refurbishment has been unveiled at YHA Swanage in the South West.

The extensive investment at the Swanage youth hostel has created 11 brand new en suite bedrooms and one fully accessible bedroom, which means wheelchair users will now be able to stay at the youth hostel. Importantly, the refurbishment has retained the building's stunning Victoria heritage and period features.

Large, open plan communal social spaces, where groups can play and eat together, have also been created and all 25 bedrooms at the popular youth hostel have also been completely redecorated and refurbished throughout. Additionally, the youth hostel's classrooms, which are regularly used by visiting schools studying the geology of the nearby Jurassic coast, have been upgraded.

The Victorian building has been a youth hostel for nearly 70 years after being gifted to the leading youth charity by the Ministry of Education in 1948. Since then, more than one million young people have visited YHA Swanage as part of a school group or with their family.

Today, YHA Swanage welcomes nearly 18,000 young people and their families every year. Following the refurbishment, visitor numbers are expected to increase by 2,000 more guests each year.

YHA Swanage is now all set for a busy summer with hundreds of families expected to stay at the popular youth hostel which is only a 5-minute walk from the town's beautiful Blue Flag beach.

A stay at YHA Swanage costs from just £15 a night and between October and February it is also available to book in its entirety as part of YHA's Exclusive Hire scheme. To learn more and to make a booking, please visit www.yha.org.uk.