The Croham Hotel

The room was pretty clean, so I’ve given it two stars instead of one. Still, there were too many little problems, and I’d avoid this hotel. The lift sign says it goes to all floors, but the lift wasn’t working during high season. Our room was beside an emergency exit, the only way in or out of our floor because there were no lifts. The door slammed shut every time, hard enough to feel in the room. Other doors like it had stoppers, so I wedged ours with a small towel. We booked a small room, so having a lamp besides the overhead light mattered. Ours wouldn’t turn on. Reception said they had no spare because the hotel was full. The shower nozzle came down to my head, and I’m barely 5'6, with no way to extend it. There was no free breakfast because of corona measures, even though we’re out of lockdown. The room price hadn’t come down, so it felt like customers were the ones losing out.

The breakfast was tasty and set us up well for the day, and the staff went out of their way to help, even with a few things they didn’t need to take on. We had a warm welcome and found everything clean and secure. Our family room worked well for four friends spending a couple of days away. We’ll definitely stay again when we’re in Bournemouth.

We’ve stayed here four times. It’s good value, well located, and the staff are friendly. The rooms are basic but perfectly adequate, and the kettle is nice and big. The bathroom’s good too, with a strong shower. My only gripe is that the TV aerials need repairing and the remote controls need batteries.

The room rate looked cheap, but the extras pushed up the cost: parking was £5.50 per day and WiFi £3.20 per day, both charged separately instead of being included. The beds were old and the mattresses very uncomfortable. The bathroom was dirty when I arrived, with scum marks in the uncleaned bath. They’d left plastic Jagerbom glasses to rinse my mouth with after brushing. The hotel and its facilities badly need updating. The receptionist was very rude when I arrived and made me feel like he was doing me a favour by letting me stay. It wasn’t welcoming at all. Three stars is laughable, it barely deserved one. I won’t be back, and I suggest you don’t stay either. I’ll tell my hotel management company never to use this hotel again.