Royal Bath Hotel & Spa Bournemouth

Antique hotel in a very good location close to the beach however no nothing is guaranteed by the hotel. There is no option to book parking (first come first serve basis), they can’t guarantee a good view to the sea even through you book a sea view room (you can end up to the side of the hotel which allows you a glimpse to the sea and that’s not what you really want and pay for). When trying to call the hotel goes to a customer service desk then they transfer you to the main reception which ends up with a dropped call several times considering the call is being charged per minute (we’re not in the 80’s, take some ownership for this please), if you finally get through they won’t be able to reserve a parking space at the hotel and guide you to park elsewhere (this you can literally do yourself without the hassle and waste of time). None of these (parking and room selection) are communicated precisely until you check in which in essence makes no sense when you want to plan your stay ahead. Overall the staff is kind and friendly so no improvement needed here, the opportunity stands for the hotel management who implement procedures and policies. The rooms have a heavy smell due to the age of the building, there is a brochure that explains refurbishment undergoing in that sense. Wifi - you can have daily access if you pay for wifi (I believe it was £7/24 hours) , this is also a thumbs down nowadays (tips: if you want to charge for wifi include this in the overall price fees so people don’t obviously pick on this or just offer it with the stay like a respectable business - a coffee shop where you spend £3 for a coffee offers it for free on a daily basis, think about it). Looking at breakfast - there is full English or cereal, oats and fruit. The terrace looks pretty nice, well looked after, a nice oasis to relax your senses listening to the sea waves. There is a chess board on a bigger scale just on the terrace, this if a nice setup and addition to the hotel vibe. Thank you for the welcoming, until next time look forward to your improvements updates.

Loved this hotel, full of character, better than the modern box hotels. Paid extra for sea view, amazing room and great view. Definitely would book again. The whole hotel had the warm cosy feeling with a lot of history. Great stay.

A little bit faulty towers but overall was great ‘budget luxury’ for me in a really convenient location. Lovely old hotel beautiful bar area overlooking outdoor gardens. Comfortable chesterfield lounges and sometimes live music and dancing. Rambling hall ways and stair cases. So your room could be a bit of a walk away through funny little hallways around corners and up stairs so check this before leaving the check in desk! Heaps of people had trouble finding their rooms. Then key cards aren’t programmed properly on several occasions I had to walk back to desk and back to room. But apart from having to wipe some mould off a wall …. overall I was happy with stay and location as I got a good deal on Trip.com £35 nite. And they upgraded my room from no window (is this even legal? To sell a room with no window) to a small double with opening window and bath. So I was happy. There is no servicing of rooms so if staying a few days you need to ask housekeeping or front desk for more supplies. Finishing off my coast path walk this hotel is located a 25min bus ride or 15min train ride from Poole. Located right next to Bournemath Beach, promenade and pier in Bournemouth on bus routes 5, M1 and M2. Catch the number 5 bus from the train station to drop you a few meters from the door on Bath Rd. For walking coast path bus 50 leaves from top of Bath rd to Swanage for £2 including the ferry crossing at Sandbanks then you can catch another bus to Durdle door should you wish. Check bus times. Walk on ferry crossing from Shell bay to Sandbanks is free or £1 in other direct (Sandbanks to Shell Bay). I walked to Sandbanks from the Bath Spa Hotel along the beach promenade. Really nice long walk. The hotel features a good buffet breakfast for £12 and average quality buffet dinner (on the night I went) for £15. There was enough tasty items to make it worth while for me. Get in early as they stop replenishing the food if not busy and things run out. It’s a lovely dining ambient overlooking beautiful lawns and outside lounging area. Staff in the dining area were really lovely and helpful and happy. I didn’t use the pool and hot tub but it looked great in a separate conservatory outside area. Some staff were 5 star in their service one bar girl was almost rude and very unhelpful when I asked about wine she just said ‘I don’t know’ and didn’t refer me to the drinks list until I asked a few more questions and she finally said ‘yes there on the bar’ as if I should have known that detail. The rest of staff most helpful and friendly after I stayed a few days. The hotel is vast and a bit like a rabbit warren. One room they gave me was up 21 stairs and I said no way am I lugging my big suit case up there so she changed it to a lift floor no problem. So check these details and don’t accept what you’re unhappy with otherwise they try get away with things if they can. Stand your ground.