Three British tourists have died after catching Legionnaires' Disease in a Spanish seafront hotel, regional authorities said, as they shut the hotel down to prevent further spread of the deadly bug.

"Analyses on the three deceased, of British nationality, aged between 73 and 78 years, found pneumonia caused by Legionnaires'," said the regional government of Valencia in a statement published late Thursday.

Fourteen cases of infection -- including 10 British tourists and four Spaniards -- were detected in the hotel at the resort of Calpe, on Spain's east coast.

"We will close the tourist establishment as a preventive measure," the statement said, adding that the authorities were certain there would be no new cases.

The disease, caused by the bacteria Legionella, leads to a severe form of pneunomia which could be fatal.

It is contracted through inhalation of contaminated water droplets and is not known to be transmitted from person to person.