Bournemouth Highcliff Marriott

Dining was one of the highlights: the meals were full of flavour, nicely prepared, and had plenty of options. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were consistently excellent, with welcoming, knowledgeable service. The rooms were spacious and stylish, with comfortable beds and crisp linens, and the whole place was immaculately kept. Every staff member we met was attentive, friendly and professional, and made us feel valued. Add the fantastic location and it all made for a memorable stay. We’re eager to return.

We had lovely views and a clean, comfortable room, and the food was lovely too. The location worked perfectly for our visit to the international centre. What really stood out was the service: reception, bar and restaurant staff were so friendly and welcoming, and couldn’t do enough for us. It was the best service we’ve ever had at a hotel. We’ll definitely return.

The room was lovely, the bed was great, and there were some nice touches around the lounge and bar at Christmas. My in-laws, who are 77 and 92, apparently loved the free hot chocolate. But the room’s step-free access meant my mother-in-law had to cross the car park to reach a lift. With her severely limited walking, that was miserable in the cold. Their cooked breakfast arrived lukewarm, probably because it had to be carried outside. Food we ordered on two occasions took a long time to arrive. I understand it was Christmas and there may have been fewer staff. We also received a £100 fine for staying ten minutes too long outside the main entrance, because my mother has to walk extremely slowly. The location was good, but be aware parking is at least £32 for two hours. I hadn’t planned to review, since I prefer to leave positive ones, but people should know both the advantages and drawbacks.

We were really disappointed. This used to be a special-occasion hotel for us: I got engaged here, and we had our wedding party here years ago. We were excited to bring our children, but the service was poor and the place felt rundown. The rooms have been modernized, which was fine, but the beds felt like bricks and we had the worst night’s sleep. The shower was hot but had very little power. In the bar, food and rubbish were on the floor and tables hadn’t been wiped, which I wouldn’t expect from Marriott. At breakfast, people were queued waiting to be seated, with no apology and no urgency to get them in. The food selection was dire: one fruit option, sad-looking cooked food and stale-looking pastries. Tables seemed to have been waiting a long time to be cleared, and service was poor overall. In future we’ll choose our usual cheaper hotel, where we know what to expect and have a much more satisfying stay.