There are many, and varied, definitions of what makes an establishment "Boutique" but I believe that the place has to have a certain feel and achieve a certain standard to call itself "Boutique" and I am afraid The Cottonwood did not achieve this standard or have this feel. The staff were not over-friendly or much in evidence, however, I have no specific complaints about them. The room was tired and lacking in comfort or style. The first thing I noticed was a box set into the floor that obviously housed some crucial workings of the building but also served as an excellent trip-hazard - see picture. My eyes next alighted on the sadly inadequate tea-tray - basic it was, "Boutique" it certainly was not. In addition to my above observations, the towels were only good for exfoliating my body, the mattress was hard and the pillows reminded me of resting my head on a 1970s Austin Allegro headrest - not the Vanden Plas model. Breakfast was similarly poor, mine was all cold as it was self-service and the lids to all the serving trays were left off; maybe having more than one member of staff in the breakfast room would mean the lids could be re-placed when left off. As I departed the breakfast room - spying the empty juice cartons piled up on a table by the door - I felt pretty depressed by the whole experience.…
Nice hotel, well decorated inside, in bold and bright colours. Room of nice size and clean and tidy. Elevator did not work, so it could be a trek up to upper floors. Outside could do with painting, looks like it has started, but with the sea weather, must be an on going task. Front (rear) entrance canopy could do with a good clean / replacing as green with algae, to set a better first impression. Breakfast was suitable and staff friendly. Location overlooking beach and switchback down to beach near by and 20 min walk into town. Would stay again.
We stayed here for 2 nights , the staff were pleasant and the room was clean with a lovely view. The hotel is well placed within an easy walking distance into town. However the website need some updating or at the very least it would have been nice to have had an email saying the restaurant was no longer open. As it was very stormy we weren’t prepared to go out to eat so we’re left hungry! I would certainly recommend it as a well located B&B but not as a boutique hotel.
Good location and staff are friendly and helpful. Breakfast was good but not a buffet on the days i was there, decent continental breakfast selection. Parking available on site, lots of good walks as it’s right at the beach. However, this isn’t what I would class as a boutique hotel, rooms and facilities are really basic and it’s extremely tired as a hotel and the room I had (1) was not very nice. Great views but it was grubby and very much needed a full refurb. Carpet wrinkled and didn’t fit room, dirty and marked, the spiked gripper was exposed at the balcony door, so fairly dangerous. Ceiling flaking (paper or plaster) and walls marked. Bathroom clean but again just tired, hand wash and separate hair and body wash supplied. The bath mat was marked with what looked like blood, was changed quickly. No ironing facilities in rooms but have ironing room on third floor instead, that’s all fine but the ironing board up there is cheap and nasty, the foam and cover wasn’t (and couldn’t be) fitted so I spent most of the time fighting with it and trying to flatten that so not to iron creases and marks into the clothes. The lift wasn’t working, which is crazy as it appears to have been broken for months, why wouldn’t that be a priority to ensure customers of all abilities and ages can stay with you?! All good that there are rooms on the ground floor, what happens when the guest needs to iron and they need to climb three floors laden with clothes? Sadly, I wouldn’t return given the shabbiness and tiredness of the place. Shame as great location and lots of potential.…
4th visit to the Cottonwood in the last couple of years and overall its very good but could be improved. the public areas are ok, staff friendly and good breakfast. This time I was in one of the sea view downstairs rooms. The room was nicely situated with a small terrace with table and chairs. However the terrace was a bit grubby with a couple of cigarette ends and a used elastoplast on the floor. The room was quite clean and ok except for the carpet which was frankly worn out, stained and dirty. I would stay again as I like the hotel and feel it offers good value but some improvements would be very welcome and the bedroom carpet should be renewed immediately.
The hotel is located on top of a cliff with beautiful views across the sea. Very quiet and peaceful location also. The English guy (can't remember his name) very friendly and helpful, clearly knows Bournemouth well so can give very helpful tips on places to visit. The hotel is very tired with furniture and furnishings dusty and dirty in most areas. The carpet in the room was extremely stained, windows dirty and didn't shut easily. The bed was very uncomfortable with springs digging in, definitely needs replacing. The breakfast was so bad that we left before eating on the day of check out. The cooked items were served buffet style and kept in hot plates which did not serve there purpose as every item was freezing ! Restaraunt is also very run down with dirty carpets and chairs which made the whole breakfast experience more than disappointing. The terrace was lovely to sit out on in the sun but again very run down with no parasols and tables not cleaned. Finally, the night porter was not professional at all. He appeared from no where looking half asleep and dressed in an orange coat and looking very disheveled on both mornings when we were up early. Did not offer to help with luggage or even hold doors open for us when checking out which would be an issue for people with mobility issues. Overall, lovely location but would have to have a real overhaul if we were to return for the money we paid. …
What a pleasure to receive excellent care, not only during our visit, but before we arrived. As I had health issues, and there was a prospect of the lift being out of order, I spoke to Maria, who went out of her way to assist us. She personally checked the most suitable room for us, to reduce the amount of steps I might have to climb, and arranged to have a fan, as well as a mini-fridge for my emergency drugs, in our room. We chose a family suite, which was very spacious and clean, as was the bathroom, which had the luxury of a heated towel rail, as well as real big, fluffy towels. The hotel appears to have been thoroughly refurbished, and the common area was very attractive. All the staff were most friendly and helpful. We had dinner, in the bar area, which was very tasty and at a reasonable price. One criticism--when we downloaded the breakfast menu online a few days before our visit, it was lavish and impressive. When, however, we went down for breakfast on our first day, we found that the menu had been severely pruned and bore no relation to the original. If you wanted- which we did not- the full English breakfast of bacon etc you were ok but otherwise it was very restricted; no yoghurts and no kippers or haddock, even for an extra payment. It was not as if the hotel was empty and this was a disappointment. One other suggestion--there is a nice terrace area facing the sea and it would have been helpful to have parasols to protect from the hot sun. All in all, a lovely stay and heartily recommended.…
I could wake up to this view every day ☺️. We stayed here 2 nights for our honeymoon,we both love Bournemouth so much and visit regularly, this is the best place we have stayed. Room 18, has a 4 poster bed placed in the best place to Maximize those views, bed comfortable, fridge, a/c kettle, t.v with an onsuite bathroom. The hotel is very grand and smart, very friendly and helpful staff. The breakfast was fantastic, parking £10 per night extra but at least you can just leave your car and walk to the beach and town, without paying more parking costs. We definitely would stay here again.
A lovely hotel overlooking the sea. A welcoming sight to open the curtains to in the morning. We had a ground floor room with a small terrace overlooking the gardens and coastline beyond. The room was plenty big enough for two people with a comfy bed. Kettle was provided in the room and small hanging space for clothes. Located almost halfway between Bournemouth and Boscombe pier, a pleasant walk in both directions. Breakfast was served downstairs with a hot buffet of traditional English breakfast, then fruit, cereals and croissants. A great stay, would recommend. Staff were friendly and helpful.
I must admit I was a bit dubious about what this hotel would be like after some of the reviews. But whatever you do don't listen to them. We had a lovely 7 night stay in room 31. The Hotel is decorated lovely, the staff were really helpful and polite. The food was amazing. And I can honestly say I would stay there again. Our room had a sea view and it was a lot cooler than most hotel rooms I have stayed in before. The bed was huge and so comfy. The only minor issues we had was the bathroom door hitting the sink, our door kept blowing with the breeze. And we only had 4 coathangers in the room. But they were not massive issues. The lift was out of order which wasn't ideal with the suitcases but we survived and the exercise up the stairs did us good! We spent a lot of time on the veranda enjoying a drink with the nice sea view. The rooms are lovely and clean. Our room wasn't huge but it was just perfect for the two of us.…
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