Heathlands Hotel

Room 3 was better, though you do need to watch the step into the bathroom. I probably wouldn’t stay again. This was my first visit, and room 1 had a double bed but a disgusting toilet. It was connected to the basin when flushed, and the smell was unbelievable. Room 2 also had a double bed, but the windows were wide open and the room was freezing. Once closed, they still had gaps big enough for fingers between the frames, and with the wind howling, staying there didn’t seem worth it.

The Heathlands Hotel in Bournemouth was a disappointment throughout. For what it costs, the room was in unacceptable condition, and the response when I raised it was just as troubling. There were cracks in the walls, what looked like water damage on the ceiling, and the room wasn’t clean. I found mold on the walls, yellow sheets and marks on the mattress that looked like blood. Insects were on the walls and ceiling. There was exposed wiring by the TV and broken furniture, both unsightly and potentially unsafe. I have photos and video documenting these problems. I showed the evidence to the front desk as soon as I found the issues. Rather than apologise or offer a fix, the staff seemed shockingly indifferent and told me, “Do whatever you want.” That showed a complete disregard for my experience as a guest. Guests at this price should be able to expect basic comfort, cleanliness and professional courtesy. The Heathlands Hotel failed on all of that. With the serious hygiene and safety problems, along with the dismissive, unprofessional response, I can’t recommend it. Given how severe the issues were, I’ll make a formal complaint to the city council and ask for a full inspection.

The food was okay, and the staff gave good service. Some parts of the hotel and rooms could use a bit of care, and I found the room heating hard to adjust. I’d stay again.

The room was crying out for renovation. The furniture looked like it came from The Range around the turn of the millennium. Caulking had been slapped along every bathroom edge, perhaps by someone on work experience. Red rawlplugs were left in holes all over the place, remnants of old furniture that nobody had finished off or removed. There were dents, scratches and random paint marks everywhere, and someone had made a hopeful repair to the table lamp with masking tape. Breakfast cost something like £12, but for that money I could get an incredible meal at a local organic cafe. Here it was a collection of barely edible stuff: ultra-processed cheap supermarket bread, coffee like instant granules, and scrambled egg sludge made from liquid egg. Even the ketchup was the acidic, bargain-basement kind sold by the vat. Terrible value, with the hotel cutting corners everywhere. Stay somewhere else. Plenty of better places cost less.