Booked this venue last minute due to the poor customer service of another Bournemouth hotel. It was heavily booked, however, the service on arrival from both the concierge and the reception staff couldn't have been better. Loved the location, a short walk from town/restaurants and easy access to the beachfront. The breakfasts, both the buffet on the first day and the freshly-prepared on the second day, were delicious and the breakfast staff were very hospitable. If I had to make a criticism, it would be with regard to the mattress and pillows. Not sure if we were just unlucky, but the pillows in particular were very poor, either in quality or perhaps just past their use-by date. I would also warn potential visitors that the pool area is very child/family orientated (certainly the weekend we visited), so not somewhere I would recommend for a relaxing swim!

OK, so it's a Marriott: the same wallpaper, the same carpet, same bedding and the same menu pretty, much the world over. A bit dated, well a lot dated, in comparison with the likes of Mal Maison, but dependable none the less.

Having said that, this hotel is looking a bit shabby around the edges, but not in a shabby-chic kind of way. Much of the furniture is worn, the bathrooms are in need of a refurb, and the gym equipment (particularly the exercise bikes) were past it probably 5 years ago.

On the plus side, a great location and pleasant, helpful staff, especially when trying to park the car in the rather cramped, £10 per day, car park.

We stayed at this hotel for one night as we were seeing a concert at the Bournemouth International Centre. I picked the hotel as it is right next to the BIC and seemed to offer great value for money. I chose to stay in one of the guest 'cottages' which previous reviewers had said offered good sea views and were slightly better than the hotel rooms themselves. I asked to stay in a room that was high up in the cottages so that we could take advantage of the views. When we arrived at the hotel, we were told that the car park was full, but the very helpful concierge offered to park the car for us in a nearby chained off area which was just off the street. We were checked in with no problems by the very helpful receptionist. When we got to the room, we found that it was located on the ground floor, which, whilst it had sea views, were very limited. You do need to be higher up to get the full benefit. The major disadvantage of being on the ground floor is that you are constantly being woken up in the night by people returning to their rooms above you, and who have to enter through a communal front door. Our room was right by this door, so the slamming of the door and the constant tread of footsteps up and down the stairs was really disturbing. The room, whilst perfectly adequate, was definitely not worth the £200 I paid for it - I could have got better rooms in London for that price! The bathroom was very basic, and the furniture was a little tired.

We also had a bad experience in the bar during the evening when we ordered 2 Mojitos, waited 25 minutes for them to be prepared, and then they were given to another couple by mistake! We were given our drinks (when they finally turned up!) free of charge.

On the plus side, the breakfast buffet is very good and the staff are exceptionally helpful.

I imagine that the rates increase when there is a popular show on at the BIC but I do feel ripped off by this experience and certainly would not pay that amount of money to stay at this hotel again.

I can thoroughly recommend the Thai restaurant next door to the hotel - Tiien - fantastic food and great service.

stayed 3 nights on a conferance
firstly i must commend the brilliant staff from all corners of the globe very helpful and attentive
specifically the general manager from berlin who sets a example that everyone follows
the room was fine no view as it was in the rear of the building but perfectly adequate for a single conferance delegate
breakfast was very good varied and open early 6 30 am ideal for early check outs
the postion of the hotel is superb with lovely sea views from the out door garden and decl]ked terrace outside the main lounge
5 minute downhill walk to the town (bit steep coming back)
only problem is limited car parking which would be at a premium in high season (i bellieve ther is a booking system for car parking but not sure)
nice indoor pool with jaccuzi gym /outdoor pool nicely situated next to the lesuire center
overall good choice for a bournmouth stay
once again i must commend the brilliant staff
straw bear