Bournemouth Queens Hotel & Spa

The spa was okay, though not brilliant, but the massage was very good. Amy was helpful again, and the hotel staff were generally helpful. The decor was tidy, and the room, bed and bathroom were all good. The double-glazed window had blown, though, which spoiled the view. Parking at the hotel was lacking, so we paid at a public car park a couple of minutes down the road. There was a private wedding party that evening, so perhaps parking is better on a normal day. The wedding group also took over the restaurant, meaning we didn’t have full access to the hotel, and their guests were noisy in the early hours. We might not have booked if we’d known the group would be there.

The Junior Suite was comfortable and very nice, with a small balcony for some fresh air. The bar and restaurant had tasteful decor and a good selection of food and drinks. It’s a colourful, interesting hotel in a convenient Bournemouth location, and I’d go back. We’d planned a midweek overnight break to relax and use the pool and jacuzzi, but nobody told us the jacuzzi was out of action, which was disappointing. When we arrived at 3pm the room wasn’t ready, so we were offered a free drink and told it would take 20 minutes. The drinks took ages to make, with so many people involved, and no one told us when the room was ready. We had to check for ourselves. There’s a decent amount of parking on site, though it costs extra. Booking.com reservations also seem to have some glitches: our room wasn’t on housekeeping’s arrivals list that morning, and we were told breakfast wasn’t included even though it was. That was sorted quickly, but it caused some frustration.

The spa was lovely, with a good jacuzzi and a decent pool and sauna. The staff there were friendly, and Florina gave me an excellent deep tissue massage. The gym, though, is run down and has very little equipment. I enjoyed the stay, but reception service was a bit slipshod. I asked for extra pillows, which never arrived; the next day I found out housekeeping had set them aside but left them in the office behind reception. The bedroom mirror light was broken, and although they said someone would fix it, nobody came. Parking is hard to get, with limited spaces and a £15 per evening fee. Street parking is paid through Ringo from 9am to 5pm.

My daughter took me for a birthday spa day, and it was lovely from the moment we arrived, with the staff greeting us warmly. I had a really good foot massage and enjoyed it. My daughter had a massage too and said hers was really good. We also had a very tasty coronation sandwich. The bar staff were welcoming. Thank you all for making it a special day.