Bournemouth Carlton Hotel

There was plenty of blue badge parking, but my car was hit during the stay. The maintenance guy deserves credit for getting it drivable again. As a full time wheelchair user, I wouldn't recommend booking here. The downstairs lift to both pools and the gym was out of order, and nobody warned us before we arrived, even though they knew about my needs. I was taken through back rooms but still had to arse shuffle outside because the route wasn't accessible. My room had no shower chair, which staff said would be a hazard, just one broken grab rail by the toilet, and no pull cords. Even reaching reception was a problem: there's a staff operated stair lift, but staff can't come while people are checking in, and you can't get there to ask. They never answer the phone. The room was passably okay, though a bit worn. My 90 year old great uncle had booked it as a wheelchair accessible room.

The pool situation was frustrating. We were first told it was full, and only got access after complaining and asking repeatedly for around two hours. Once in, it was very dirty and didn't feel suitable for children. The family room was also uncomfortable for us: it was extremely hot, had just one ineffective fan, tiny windows, some broken windows that wouldn't open, no fridge, and a room phone that didn't work. The room and bathroom felt old and not clean enough. With a baby stroller, having to carry it on the stairs was difficult and unsuitable for a family with young children. We also couldn't buy still water at the hotel. Reception told me to go to a supermarket or that I should have taken precautions when travelling with children, which felt dismissive and unhelpful. When we asked staff for help, nothing was resolved during the stay. Booking.com couldn't provide a suitable solution before checkout either. We had booked for two adults and three children, including a baby, and the experience ruined our family trip. I wouldn't recommend this hotel to families with young children.

We had a really wonderful stay in the Family Suite on the 3rd floor, with breathtaking views. We chose it because my father uses a mobility scooter and needs plenty of space. The two-room suite had a king size bed in the main bedroom and two single sofa beds in the living area, enough room for up to four people. Breakfast was excellent and dinner was good. The indoor pool was nice, though the outdoor one wasn't ready to use. The concierge manager said sorting that out wasn't up to him. We arrived by taxi at 3pm and couldn't check in until 4, so we relaxed in the lovely bar overlooking the gardens and coastline. The serving staff were lovely and helpful while we waited. I'd highly recommend the East Cliff Zig Zag path down to the beach near the hotel, and the Russel Coates museum, about a five minute walk away. I'd book this room again.

The room is clean, in good condition and well prepared, but the music is horrendously loud and makes the walls shake. Getting through to reception has been nearly impossible. I called twice to ask for an email address because contacting the hotel is difficult unless you're standing right at the desk. On the first call I was left waiting for five minutes while a conversation carried on in the background. On the second, someone tried to describe the email address, but when I pointed out there was no ‘@’ in the sequence, they hung up.