Park Inn by Radisson Bournemouth

The mattress was extremely hard and the pillows were poor, and both my partner and I have had significant back pain since we got home. There was just one mug in a room booked for two. The shower was scalding hot with barely any water pressure, so it was genuinely uncomfortable to use. We stayed from 28 February to 1 March. On arrival I was directed to take my luggage in the lift, but it broke and the door wouldn’t open. When I asked what to do, a staff member just said “broken” and walked away to help other guests. I had to carry my suitcase and bag up three flights of stairs by myself. On Saturday morning, the fire alarm went off three times between about 5:55am and 6:10am, without any explanation or apology. The hotel felt run down and didn’t meet basic expectations for comfort or service. What should have been an exciting weekend away left us exhausted and disappointed. I’ve contacted management about the stay and am still waiting for a response. I’d appreciate a reply or an alternative email address.

Getting to the beach is just a short walk, and town is close too. There’s a nice bar with reasonable prices, and the hotel itself was very reasonably priced. My room was really clean, and whenever we had an issue it was sorted straight away. Staff were outstanding, especially the lovely man at reception. It was a little cold, but that was my fault for not figuring out the heating. Absolutely delighted with my stay, the best hotel I’ve stayed at. I’d recommend it without hesitation.

For a three-star hotel, this is a great standard. The location near Boscombe and Bournemouth is handy, and it was very clean with helpful staff. There’s a restaurant and a bar in the hotel. Parking on the main road is free on weekdays from 5pm to 9am, and I think it’s free at weekends too. Hotel parking costs £10 for 24 hours. The TV was about 42 inches and had Chromecast, which was great for watching a bit of Netflix while relaxing or getting ready to go out. My only real gripes were the tiny shower, where I had to set the temperature before getting in because there wasn’t much room to adjust it, and the lift, which is only big enough for one adult at a time. We enjoyed it so much that we extended our stay by two days.

The £98 we paid for one night did not prepare me for how disappointing the facilities were, or for having to clean our own room. The room clearly hadn’t been vacuumed properly, so we had to find a hoover and do it ourselves. The whole place looked shabby and grubby, and the lobby and stairs carpet needed hoovering. There was a strange, unpleasant smell in the downstairs lobby that carried into the upstairs hallway. The bathroom was tiny, damp and smelled of mould. The radiator made so much noise even when switched off that neither of us slept, and the bed was uncomfortable with very hard pillows. The bar shut at 10pm, and apart from breakfast there was no food available. It was an entirely unsatisfactory stay, and I wouldn’t want to repeat it. I’d look for somewhere else.