Bournemouth Day 2 – Hostels, Hotels & B&Bs…
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.
A few more visits before coming back to London
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.
