Elstead Hotel

Quiet location, relaxed atmosphere, friendly staff, good leisure facilities (pool, gym, jacuzzi, sauna)

A little too far from seafront and town centre for walking in November.

The leisure facilities and the cleanliness

The bed was comfortable and the bathroom decoration and facilities (other than the shower) excellent. Towels and hanging space met expectation.

The room was too small as a double and the temperature stiflingly hot. No air conditioning of any sort. The shower only dribbled water, no possibility of filling a bath. Breakfast staff very helpful and kind but the female member of Reception was unhelpful and not up to the job.

Comfortable hotel. Excellent buffet breakfast.

Yes - threat in 'welcome' notes in room, that if you enjoyed a bottle of wine brought in, you would be charged £8 corkage! I spent the whole time looking for the hidden cameras and sound equipment!! This is the first time I have ever seen this in a hotel bedroom.

we have stayed before and like the location and staff

The food and service from staff was as good as ever and the leisure amenities are excellent

The bedroom allcated to us was very small and dark. An alternative was offered but this was really no better. Although clean enough the carpets were badly stained and the bedrooms need redecorating. In fact I would say that this hotel is now looking very tired and needs a complete facelift.

We liked the quality of the service, the food and the room. The prices and quality of the bar meals and snacks were certainly on a par with reasonable quality pubs & clubs and probably better than most. We ate in most evenings rather than eat out which proves the point. The staff were mostly friendly and efficient. Our room was kept clean and tidy to a high standard.

Hot meals in the bar and for room service ended at an early 8:30pm. We were caught out once by this (our own fault for not checking) but the sandwiches that were available were well filled and presented. We were not overly impressed by the cafe/restaurant facilities in Bournemouth itself and found later that many near-by hotels had restaurants open to non-residents. It is best to look around for specific cuisine types. Parking is limited; particularly when non-residents are using the sports facilities. Road side parking is limited to two hours befor 6:00 pm.

Freedom to come and go even though we were only B/B guests

The staff were really nice, helpful and friendly. We loved the quiet peacefulness of the hotel. The decor was warm and inviting though some of those paintings were a little suspect! Despite not really using them we liked visiting the gym and indoor pool but hey we were on holiday and working out was just too much like hard work! Also loved the location of the hotel being close to the station, beach, shops and restaurants. The hotel felt like home away from home and we didn't want to leave. We'll definitely be going back there again as well as recommending it to friends and family.

Room 101! - (Aka - Broom cupboard)!! For a double room it was tiny, clostrophobic with a terrible view and hidden away in a corner. Thankfully once we decided we could not stay a week in that room the staff were very good about allowing us to upgrade to another equivalent room which was absolutely brilliant!

This hotel was very clean and in an ideal spot. The service was excellent.

The food was ok but not great.

It is close to the station, town centre and not too far from the beech

Being asked to pay the bill on arrival. The whole breakfast could be improved in relaton to the price you are paying for a overnight stay.

Swimming pool. Polite and efficient room maid. Good breakfast in a spacious restaurant with pleasant staff. (We sayed B/B)

The room was stiflingly hot and claustrophobic with a view of the fire escapes, plus intermittent sound of generators all night. We booked a family room (2 adults and an older child). The third (v small) bed was placed in the area of the room where we presume a small table and 2 chairs had been. The table and 1 chair were moved to outside the bathroom. Consequently we felt the room was overcrowded with furniture. The TV was old, small and with poor picture quality. Throughout the stay despite there being 3 of us in the room, we only had 2 saucers (3 cups). In hindsight we should have said something from outset but we only stayed 3 nights. Apart from the cramped room, generally the hotel was quite acceptable.