REVIEW: Hilton Bournemouth – best bournemouth hotels with pool and spa

It’s so great when you find a seaside spot in the UK that you love. All the holiday fun, without the hassle of airports, luggage restrictions and jet lag! We’re guilty of not exploring as much of the UK as we could, so we’re trying to tick off some more of our homegrown destinations this year. Bournemouth has always been on my radar and with a baby-free weekend to kill, Simon and I decided to check out this classic coastal town. Searching for Bournemouth hotels with pool and spa, we came across the Hilton – which ticked all the boxes – and it didn’t disappoint.

Bournemouth hotels Seafront

Hilton Bournemouth – our pick of Bournemouth hotels with pool and spa

The Hilton Bournemouth is just a short walk from the seafront and some of the upper rooms even have a sea view. After a recent refurbishment, the Hilton looks brand new, modern and more typical of a cool, boutique hotel than a property that is part of a large chain. This extended to the staff, who were warm, friendly and cheerful from the moment we checked in.

Bright and spacious bedrooms

I was really surprised by the décor in the bedrooms! Even though the lobby of the hotel has a fresh, modern design, I was still expecting the rooms to have more of that general, standard look, common in larger hotel groups. But, this was nothing like that at all! Modern colours, patterns and designs have been mixed to pleasing effect. I loved the large, vintage ‘Bournemouth’ print on the wall – a cute touch and nod to the destination. The teal theme was vibrant, yet relaxing and gold finishing touches completed the look. Modern conveniences like USB plugs by the bed and an iPod dock were great additions and a huge flat screen TV faced the bed. I did have a little chuckle at the towel elephants – they reminded me of my childhood holidays to Greece!

A huge bathroom to relax in

The room we had been given was a King Junior Suite and the bathroom was absolutely huge! It certainly had the ‘wow’ factor with a huge shower and stand-alone bath. I loved the grey and white theme (might steal the idea for my own home renovation!), it felt so design-led and modern and by this point I had completely forgotten I was in a Hilton at all. The bathroom also had great lighting and a huge sink and vanity – quite uncommon in most hotels! The toiletries provided were from luxury soap brand Crabtree and Evelyn. Part of the reason we had planned a weekend away was to celebrate my birthday and this room really did feel like a genuine treat.

Space to stretch out

The King Junior Suite suite offers extra room in the form of a spacious lounge area, complete with sofa, armchair, coffee table and flat screen TV. This made relaxing in the room feel extra luxurious and we probably ended up spending more time at the hotel than we planned – which was exactly the kind of relaxed weekend we were hoping for. A fridge, Krups coffee machine and kettle are also provided. The whole suite had beautiful natural light from large windows but sufficiently dark curtains for that all-important weekend lay in!

Bright seaside-themed lobby

The hotel has a bright and breezy lobby with a large check-in desk and lounge area that leads on to the open-plan bar and restaurant. When we arrived, there were lots of people milling around in the lobby and it had a nice atmosphere. Check-in was friendly and speedy. They gave us some brief information about the hotel and we were off to explore our room.

The Hilton bournemouth spa

One of the criteria for our weekend was that we wanted to find a Bournemouth hotel with a pool and spa and the Hilton Bournemouth was the perfect find. The Bournemouth Hilton Spa is called the Eforea Spa and is small but cosy, with a candle-lit relaxing room and decent sized treatment rooms. There is also a cool pool with a small area with loungers to chill out on. It isn’t huge, so at busy times it would probably be hard to bag yourself a space. The pool is really nice, perfectly sized to swim a few lengths or just relax in the water. There is an area that looks like a hot tub but we were sad to find it wasn’t in any way hot! It’s really just a seated area that is part of the pool, so don’t get too excited! There is also a decent-sized steam room and sauna. The changing area is large and has some nice amenities, like Elemis soap, shampoo and handwash, towels and hairdryers to use.

Our pick of Bournemouth hotels with pool and spa

Simon and I both had delicious spa treatments that were absolutely brilliant. I enjoyed a Visible Brilliance Facial (£70 for 75 minutes). Sometimes I find Elemis treatments quite formulaic but my therapist was excellent, focused on target areas and was really lovely. I was pregnant at the time of my visit and she was very experienced on what oils and treatments I couldn’t have. Simon described his Freestyle Custom Massage (£62 for 60 minutes) as ‘hypnotic’ – so, a success all round! For those who want to work out there is also a decent-sized gym that is open 24-hours.

LEVEL8IGHT The Sky Bar

The hotel has such a chilled vibe; you wouldn’t even know there was a cool rooftop bar on the top floor. Level8ight The Sky Bar is an atmospheric lounge with a cracking cocktail menu and views across the Bournemouth skyline. There is also an outside terrace, if the weather allows.

The design and layout of the hotel was already a big hit with me and I loved the use of quirky artwork throughout. The bar area had fun neon signs which gave it a young, fresh appeal. It’s a fantastic hotel for couples as it manages to be romantic with a luxurious feel, without feeling stuffy or pretentious. We had a great time hanging out at the hotel and we didn’t have far to go for bed (that wasn’t meant to sound saucy!)

Breakfast of champions

Breakfast was included in our room rate and there was SO much choice! The usual continental offering was available as well as hot choices, such as bacon, eggs, sausages, pancakes and an omelet bar. I loved the open-plan restaurant layout. It’s table service for hot drinks and serve yourself for food and everything was tasty.

A very British seafront

I had never been to Bournemouth before and was so pleasantly surprised. There is a lovely, golden sand beach and the seafront is a quintessential British promenade with ice cream shops, fish and chip restaurants and colourful beach huts. Admittedly we didn’t do much over the weekend other than eat, drink and soak up the atmosphere but this was exactly what we wanted to do and the Hilton Bournemouth was the perfect place to base ourselves. Just a five minute walk to the seafront, close to the main part of town and next to the station – it’s ideally located for an easy break by the coast.

We had a great stay at the Hilton Bournemouth and it’s definitely one of the best Bournemouth hotels with pool and spa for a couples weekend away by the beach. From the friendly staff, refreshing design and location near the sea, we couldn’t ask for more. If you plan on relaxing at the hotel during your stay, upgrading to a King Junior Suite is definitely worth the extra spend and we loved our room – especially the big bathroom! A highly recommended hotel that we can’t wait to go back to.

passportstamps.uk stayed at the Hilton Bournemouth as a guest of the hotel. This is not a sponsored post and, like all our posts, everything included in the review is honest and reflective of our experience.

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