Because we were staying at The Portman Hotel, we didn’t schedule a time to meet with Zena. Realising that our first scheduled appointment wasn’t til 11am, we decided to sit out in their lovely beer garden out the back, and soak up the sun and have a chat. Zena also made us some beautiful cappucinos. Zena is a fantastic host and she makes you feel welcome from the moment you step in the door. The Portman is also a pub and there are a lot of regulars who have made it their local, which gives this place a real authentic feel. There’s also the Greenroom bar which is part of the complex but owned by different people. This means that there is always live music every night of the week. Although none of the rooms are ensuite, it didn’t matter as the rooms are really spacious with a little sink in them, and the bathroom wasn’t too far away.
There are 2 friendly hotel dogs and a resident cat as well. Although they will do a complimentary breakfast for you, they generally prefer that you have a dinner instead, as there are a lot of workmen who are hungry when they return. No matter what though, you will feel at home here.
The first scheduled appointment on our second day in Bournemouth was at Amitie Guesthouse. The place is actually a house converted into B&B with 16 beds in total, the rooms were all neat and the simple dining room had a few tables in it. A good choice for someone who is looking for a place to spend a night just to sleep.
After yesterday’s rushed lunch, we decided to have a lovely English continental breakfast/brunch today to make up for it. We then jumped on a bus and made it really easily to The Yenton Hotel. We were definitely getting the hang of Bournemouth buses!
The Yenton Hotel looked quite nice from the outside, with 2 buildings, but I definitely was not prepared for the stunning garden and pavillion area that was out the back. This area is just gorgeous and really relaxing. Although it is really near the beach as they all are, you have a real secluded garden feeling to the place. This place is perfect for weddings and the like, as they have the reception area and can house the guests as well. There is also a lovely restaurant and bar area which was where we met Sue for the meeting. A lot of the rooms had garden views, and they seemed of a pretty high standard as well.
On to The Abbey Court Hotel - a lovely little Bed and Breakfast style small style hotel. Anne and Paul are extremely friendly and welcoming and make you instantly feel at home with little touches like sweets and fruit and home made biscuits in your room. We sat in the lovely living room area and talked about the place, then were shown around by both of them. They should be proud as this is a lovely little place, really homey and with lots of character, but at the same time, very clean and tidy. They don’t hire any staff, it is just the two of them and they pride themselves on making sure that the standards of cleanliness and feeling of being at home is high. There are also lovely framed photographs of the local area which is also a nice touch, as it makes you want to explore all around. They are very knowledgeable and keen to answer any questions you have. They also have a couple of dogs so are obviously dog friendly if you have some friends of the canine variety you wish to bring along. All in all, a great little place, and you would have a really lovely stay here.
The last property on our Bournemouth trip - The Hostel Inn - was one of the best locations; only a few minutes walk away from the beach and ideal for groups of familes and young people who want to have a good time during the summer season. When we arrived there we were warmly welcome by the couple Mike & Pauline, they were really very friendly and showed us the property. We were amazed of the architecture - a combination of modern and vintage style with a funky dining bar, huge hallway and modern, ensuite rooms. There’s a self catering kitchen (the only one we saw in all the Bournemouth properties we visited), they also have free wi-fi access and a very relaxing lounge with large windows. I should say that the place has a character, very good to be recommended especially for young guests, they will for sure enjoy their stay there.
Theresa and I started our day at Bournemouth with a very good weather - perfect for our long day of walking. We arrived at Woodcroft Tower Hotel at 9am sharp and picked up keys to some of the rooms to check. The rooms were standard with large windows, and the beds we’re orderly done – things were obviously kept very neat because they have many chambermaids. The dining room is quite spacious and they serve different types of breakfast and dinner. The atmosphere of the place was a bit old school and conservative their location is close to the beach, pier etc & Bournemouth’s huge selection of restaurants. A great place to stay if you’re looking for basic luxury accommodation, though not really enjoyable for young groups but families & elderly will certainly enjoy their stay here.
After Woodcroft, we went to the Golden Sovereign Hotel and were met by Hugh who was just finishing with the guests’ breakfasts. We even got offered some fruit which I gladly accepted as I hadn’t had breakfast yet. It was a great atmosphere in the place. Hugh was very relaxed and talked to us with his seemingly trademark pipe. Golden Sovereign has a lot of character. There are a lot of Tiggers from Winnie the Pooh around which is pretty cool. Apparently, Steve got one from guest once to say thanks and now the place is overrun with little toy striped tigers. They’ve got a great location, right near the beach (although most places in Bournemouth are) and there is a real personal touch here. There are bowls of fruit on the living room table, videos for the kids to watch and even a huge fish pond and a beautiful outdoor area out the back. They get a lot of return custom, and the huge amount of thank you notes hung up on the wall prove that they are definitely doing their job right.
After finishing with Golden Sovereign, we went straight to Studland Hotel (which was quite a walk!). Sashi and Linda gave us a tour of the property and we we’e impressed by the awesome sea view that you get from some of their rooms. Most of the rooms are ensuites, and all very tidy. This Hotel is good for young groups, businessmen and family and maybe not for very old people. The hotel has lots to offer when it comes to fun and dining, very close to the beach and they’ve got a Thai restaurant, bar and an area for catering (perfect for the seaside wedding 
Heading on to Woodcroft Hotel we met Cherie and had a bit of a roam around the property. Most of the rooms are ensuites, tidy and bright because of the big windows. they’ve got a spacious dining room; it was very quiet during the time when we roamed around because almost all the guests were out. Cherie also mentioned that children below 12 only have to pay half price.
After a rushed lunch on the go, we wandered down to the Glendevon Hotel, where we were met by the manager Richard. We sat down to drink our lemonades in the front room, which was a really nice space to chill out in. Richard also owns the Babbacombe Hotel across the road, and so is really flexible with group numbers. The rooms were of a pretty good standard, all of them being ensuite. There is also a fantastic function room and bar downstairs for residents and groups to use. In a good location, this is in one of the main Bournemouth town hotel areas, so you are surrounded by a lot of other hotels and of course near the beach.
We arrived at The Manchester Hotel at 2pm sharp to meet Lucinda, who was very accommodating and gave us a tour of the property. The place has a nostalgic 70’s atmosphere as most of the furniture were from that period, with tidy rooms. What fascinated me was their bar & dance hall because it was very spacious and of course still very 70’s, the dining rooms were enormous, Lucinda said that those rooms were used for wedding receptions. They actually got pool tables which guests can use it for free. They’re location is easy to find. Groups can actually organize a party inside the property if they like to, this place is highly recommended for party groups.
After the Manchester, we wander straight across to The Fairmount Hotel where we meet the very charismatic Maryann. She is the owner and is an absolute character which adds a lot to this place. But it stands apart as a great little place anyway. Perfect for groups (especially stags) as there is a bar downstairs and Maryann keeps groups in line without the need for deposits and bonds. The rooms are of a very high standard, with very clean bathrooms, and lots of space. Like a lot of the others, the location is also excellent near the beach and town. I would definitely recommend this place. The vibe is relaxed and you would have a really comfortable stay here.
The last appointment of our first day was at the Russell Court Hotel - right on one of the main roads, Bath Road, so there is brilliant transportation links to a lot of places. Not that you need it though, as it is very near town and the beach. It’s a big place and definitely has all the facilities that you would need in a hotel. It has a restaurant and bar which was where we had our meeting. It’s a lovely, big space. The staff seemed friendly enough, and happy to help out. There’s also a lift which makes a good change from climbing lots of stairs!
