Suncliff Hotel - Bournemouth, United Kingdom     

Dreadful. That is a good word to use when summing up our experience with the Suncliff hotel. We made the mistake of booking the Suncliff for the August Bank Holiday of 2007. We paid ?185 per night for two nights - we could have paid slightly less, but we decided to pay extra for the 'Sea view room'. First of all, parking is a nightmare, because the spaces struggle to fit anything other than a Smart-Car. Within 5 minutes of our arrival, we watched some poor lady reverse her Rover into the wall. Reception staff were polite, and were happy to accommodate my pregnant wife with a fan because our (tiny) room had no air conditioning. The room didn't have a nice bed either - it should have been replaced many years ago. The nasty felted headboard had a long strip of dirt running across it where hundreds of previous customers must have rested against it. We were also disappointed with our "sea view" - as the broken window showed us only condensation, we couldn't see the sea unless we stuck our heads out of the extremely dirty window. To top it off, the decor *must* have been there since the early 1980's, and the general cleanliness was very poor. Breakfast the following morning was another disappointment. Cooked breakfast was ok, but the dining area was ugly and dingy, and we had to practically beg for a cup of coffee as the staff were run off their feet. On departure, we did fill out a complaint form. This was ignored. The hotel next door to the Suncliff has a nicer pool, and better lunch options. If you insist on paying such ridiculous sums of money to stay in Bournemouth, at least consider staying next door instead. The only way I would return here is if I were paying a maximum of ?25 per night like some of the other reviewers on this site.

I was in bournemouth for a few days to visit some friends and was in the area of the popular Eastcliff so wanted to book a stay in the nearby area. I orginally walked into the 4star on the corner, but was greated with such stuffy behaviour and they were way over my budget. Further along the Eastcliff I came across the Suncliff and decided to give a try. On first impressions the staff were all down ot earth and I was greeted with great smiles, even though I could see that the hotel was busy. I enquired about a walk in rate and they quoted me ?42.50 BB with and upgrade amount of ?15 per night for a sea view, they said it was a special rate. I took it. My experiance at this hotel was an enjoyable one. The bar staff were great. My 3 days flew by and can honestly say that i have stayed in many hotels, some 5star, but this one certainly has that x factor you look for. I will for certain book this hotel again, not only does it have fantastic location, there is a uber soave lounge bar next door which I believe the Suncliff also own. this was a great choice. I take my hat to the creators and the managment for giving 1st class service a price everyone can afford. By reading some of the other comments on this site and am not sure if they stayed in the same hotel!?