Bournemouth West Cliff Hotel & Spa - Bournemouth

victor guerrero

We recently stayed at this hotel for a weekend, and while there were many positive aspects, there were also a few drawbacks that prevent us from giving a full 5-star rating in the room section

Pros:
- Location: The hotel's location is fantastic. It's conveniently situated near a variety of restaurants and just a short walk from the beach, making it an ideal spot for dining and leisure activities.
- Room Amenities: Our room was well-equipped with a kettle, iron, and hairdryer, which added to our comfort and convenience during the stay.
- Staff: The staff were very gentle and did their best to accommodate our needs, which we greatly appreciated.

Cons:
- Lack of Air-Conditioning: One of the major downsides was the lack of air-conditioning, particularly on the 3rd floor. The room got quite hot, and although there was a fan provided, it was insufficient to cool the space adequately.
- Ventilation Issues: The window in our room didn't open much, making it difficult to get any cool air in, which compounded the heat issue.
- Room Maintenance: The mirror light in our room didn't work, which was a minor inconvenience but notable nonetheless.

Overall, we had a pleasant stay, primarily due to the hotel's prime location and friendly staff. However, addressing the issues with air-conditioning and room maintenance would significantly enhance the guest experience. With a few improvements, this hotel could easily achieve a higher rating.

Andy White

Stayed one night on a voucher deal with evening meal and breakfast. Arrived a little early, but room was ready. Initially the key card didn't work, but after returning to reception, this was quickly rectified. The room was on the ground floor and was a good size, well equipped and clean, although there was a very strong smell of antiseptic in the area just outside. This didn't transfer to the room itself. We booked our evening meal for 19.30. We were not quite sure what the entitlement would be, as we were on a voucher deal. The restaurant manager was very helpful and explained that it covered 3 courses, which was very generous. We were offered a choice of 3 tables. The food and service were excellent. The hotel has a pool which is free to use for all guests, but we didn't take advantage of this. There is also a spa which offers a variety of treatments, again we didn't use this. The location was perfect as both the town centre and the beaches were a 10 minute walk. The parking was £10 for 24 hours, which was reasonable for the area. There is free parking in the surrounding streets if you can find a space. We also found a small cafe just around the corner and an off licence, which were very useful. The hotel has a pleasant atmosphere in the general areas and in the bar lounge area. A very pleasant stay. Would recommend.

emmamaitland

Had a spa day here with lunch with my mum starting at 10am. Didn’t park in the hotel car park as looked full and need to pay however, did find lots of free parking on side roads within a 5-10 minute walk. ||||Very friendly service at the spa reception. I did read that you have to pay £5 to hire a gown so we took our own. We were given a towel each. As we had never been before we were briefly shown around. The ladies changing rooms were tiny! One toilet, one shower, two changing cubicles. Long and narrow and you have to squeeze past people to use the lockers. ||||There was a steam room, sauna, aromatherapy cave, jacuzzi, relaxation room and swimming pool so quite a bit to do. We didn’t have treatments. ||||Went for lunch at 1pm which was really nice, great service from Priti. Sat outside with a cup of tea and then back to the spa where they offered to give us fresh towels. ||||Overall we enjoyed our day and I would definitely come here again. Only gave 4 stars instead of 5 due to parking, small changing rooms and having to pay for robes but this would certainly not put me off returning.

Annum K

My husband and I spent a night here and separately booked a massage.||Positives||- Staff were nice|-Bed was comfortable |-About a 10/15 min walk to Bournemouth seafront |-Both of us enjoyed our massages|-They did the swan towel origami thingy for us as it was our wedding anniversary. My husband asked them to and it was sweet|-The bedroom shower was super powerful||Negatives|-The spa is the worst I've been to. I have better facilities at my local gym |-It's underground and is dark, dingy and really echoey. You can hear the water jets from the jacuzzi really loud |-We gave the pool a miss, the water looked horrible and murky|-They don't provide slippers so people were just wearing sandals and outdoor shoes so the floors were muddy and dirty |-The aromatherapy cave didn't smell of anything. It was just a small room |-The Sauna was tiny. Once 2 more people joined us it felt a bit cramped so we got out |-The ladies changing rooms are shoddy. There's one shower. The lady in it was complaining to her friend that the shower head is split and it wasn't good. We went to our room to shower|-There's just no ambiance. There was no music playing when we were waiting for our massage in the waiting area and it felt like I was at a doctors surgery |-They give water in these tiny little paper shot glasses so if you want a good drink you have to keep filling it|-The relaxation room was so poor. I've never been to one that didn't have refreshments. It didn't even have nice comfy beds. They were just a bunch of rickety sun loungers|-Our massages were good but I think the masseuses were agency. We both got a full body and my husband got a head massage with his and I didn't. My bed was also rocking to one side which was a bit annoying |-The upstairs pool is a bit better, nothing wow but after sitting in both the aromatherapy cave and sauna for 10 minutes we just left to spend time in there instead. It was nice and quiet|-You have to pay to use the spa facilities even if you've booked the hotel. It was £15 each but luckily we didn't have to pay (I think there was some misunderstanding). I wouldn't have used it even if it was free so I'm glad we didn't pay for it |-You have to pay for robes|-You have to pay for hotel parking which is £15. We found plenty of parking outside. Don't bother paying for it|-The bedroom en suite is outdated|-The whole place needs a good revamp |-Absolutely nowhere near a 4*. If I'd known the spa was so awful I'd have stayed in a Premier inn ||That's all! I'm not one of those people who moan about everything but as someone who likes a good spa, it was truly poor!

Julie Woods

Hotel was very pleasant and the staff were lovely. There was a bit of a odour of dirty mops in the reception area tho.
I was rather disappointed in the spa.
It was dark and dingy and to be honest the water didn't not look appealing.
You had to hire the dressing gown and there were no slippers provided.
The beauty therapists were excellent at their jobs and I can not fault them, but they were agency workers and things were a bit disorganised, as they did not know where things was kept.
The evening meal was excellent, but the breakfast was not so good. we had a enjoyable break, I would stay here again, but I would not use the spa,
Also they should think about getting a lift to the spa, as it was down steep stairs.
And having sauce for ice cream dessert would be good ?

Vince Aragones

My wife and I went for a spa day for her birthday. We had absolutely amazing customer service and a special mention to James who was exceptional, he went out of his way to make us feel welcomed and special. This is what great customer service is. Restaurant for lunch was fantastic, spa was lovely clean and more than expected. All the staff were absolutely lovely. We will return.

kelly40667

Had my wedding reception in merlot room. Lorraine and her team were great and the food was lovely (cream tea evening and buffet). Very flexible with our decorations and food choices as I didn't want a set sit down meal. Allowed me the full day before to decorate and staff tidied everything up for us to clear out the next day. Gave us a really nice large room, although think the shower may have been leaking through ceiling to below as staff came to ask us if we were using the bath/shower. But otherwise, amazing experience!

Aimee D

If I could have given it 0 I would have!||||I had the misfortune of staying at this hotel, and I cannot stress enough how awful the experience was. The spa, which cost £15, was absolutely disgusting—run-down, dirty, and clearly neglected. The towel I dropped on the floor came back up black, which says everything about the cleanliness of the place.||||As if that wasn’t bad enough, the room next door was hosting an adults’ party. There were people coming in and out of the room all night, loud music, shouting, and banging on the walls. It was obvious that sexual activity was going on throughout the night, and this continued until 5 AM! There was absolutely no chance of getting any rest.||||I’ve never experienced such a terrible hotel in my life. If you’re looking for a relaxing weekend away, DO NOT COME HERE. It’s a complete waste of money. When I complained to the manager about the situation, instead of addressing my concerns, he became confrontational and tried to justify everything that happened.||||Save yourself the trouble, avoid this place at all costs!