Haven Hotel

Great spot and the staff were lovely, with a nice wine selection. But SIX POUNDS for an ordinary coffee? Total rip-off.

The harbour-facing bar was a lovely place to sit for a meal or a drink, and our room had a huge balcony with a nice view of the ferry going back and forth. Breakfast was lovely too. The hotel felt geared mostly towards older guests, and although it’s a lovely building, there are clearly some issues that need attention. We were welcomed warmly, and our room initially looked clean and nice. For our anniversary there was a card, chocolates and rose petals on the bed, which was a lovely surprise. But once we looked around, we noticed the bathroom was small and the floor in room 124 seemed badly uneven. My husband works in the building trade and thought something wasn’t right. The bathroom sloped to the left, with cracked flooring and a large gap beside one side of the door, so it looked like there might be a structural problem. The pool area also needed work, with missing tiles and rusty patches. When we went to use the pool and spa, nobody was around, including at poolside. I called Lewis from the bar, and he got someone from the pool area to come and help. We stayed there about 45 minutes, and nobody was there to keep an eye on swimmers during that time. I thought that was very unusual, since someone having a health problem might not be noticed or helped. The bar looked picturesque, but wasn’t very clean behind the counter. The mirrors were filthy and smeared, and the coffee machine was so dirty that I decided not to drink the coffee I’d ordered. Nobody came on Sunday to top up the milk or coffee or check the room, but I ran into Victoria, who works there, and she sorted us out straight away. Thanks to her for getting us more milk and water, to Amy at reception for such a welcoming greeting, and to Lewis for helping with the pool. We stayed Saturday to Monday. The hotel was just okay overall, and quite a way from amenities.

The building feels dated and a few areas could use repairs and decorating, but the people working here really make it. Everyone was incredibly friendly and helpful. Neil especially made our stay so much better. What a guy, please never get rid of him!

The food was good, though dinner options were limited. Sunday lunch was even more restricted: despite the menu saying the listed dishes were available “every day,” we were told none of them could be ordered on Sunday. Odd. We ended up with a bowl of chips. The hotel’s in a great spot on the Sandbanks peninsula.