Sandbanks Hotel Reviews

Had a fabulous time at the sandbanks hotel, really friendly staff, great food, amazing location and view from our room was breath taking. Great place for all ages.

The hotel is very dated and not in a good way. The location is beautiful however there are no restaraunts or other services within easy walking distance.

Easy parking, lovely room with a nice balcony, good breakfast.

My wife and I stayed at the Sandbanks Hotel for a long weekend in Feb 2015, while visiting different parts of Dorset. The room was spacious, comfortable and clean, with a balcony overlooking Poole Harbour. For much of the time we were out all day exploring other areas of Dorset, so didn't use many of the other facilities at the hotel such as the indoor pool, the restaurant or the bar. All looked fine from what we saw. Sandbanks itself is a very affluent area and made for a very peaceful location, although I expect that in summer months the area would be extremely busy with day trippers. Nice to be able to step out of the hotel straight onto the long, sandy beach on one side or to Poole Harbour the other. Bournemouth is about a 10 mins drive from the hotel as is Poole Quay and Poole Potteries, which are worth a visit. Would also recommend Mudeford Quay, which is slightly further away. The only negative was the room service which we used on one occasion after returning late from a very long day out. We ordered the battered cod and were so disappointed when what arrived was clearly some sort of processed offering from a supermarket packet. Shame on the hotel, which is located on the coast and has its own restaurant/chef. Overall I enjoyed the stay and would happily stay here again (but would avoid the room service!)

This is not a 4 star hotel. The best thing about it is the location, close to the water with very nice views across Poole harbour and over to Brownsea island. The staff were also all very friendly and pleasant, although the restaurant waiting staff seemed poorly trained. But the overall impression is that the place is very tired and in sore need of refurbishment. The carpets are worn and dirty, which is just about acceptable in the corridors but a pretty nasty experience in your room. The room furnishings and the bathroom fittings are all very basic and with a cheap feel. The bed was comfortable though! One drawback with the location is that there are no other restaurants or bars in walking distance. You won't want to eat in the restaurant more than you need to. Breakfast is perfectly fine. Dinner is not so great. There is a very limited choice and does not appear to be freshly cooked. Our food arrived so soon after ordering, less than 5 minutes, that it beat the wine and water to the table. Very simple fare, like a well cooked school meal. The restaurant manager is all charm and smiles as long as you say that everything is fine but if you question whether the food can really be freshly cooked and yet arrive in less than 5 minutes, you get told that he has 40 years experience in catering and that you don't know what you're talking about. Arrogance and complacency, I'm afraid. A single exception to otherwise very pleasant staff.

I have been down to Sanbanks several times in the last year and promised myself a stay at the Sandbanks Hotel. I booked a room through Expedia which was discounted but did expect to get a decent room. How wrong was I? My room 327 had a fantastic view but that was the only plus point. The room looked like it had been last decorated in 1983 and was really cold. I did put the radiator to max but the window was draughty and I had little sleep. The bathroom looked like it had been designed by the NHS very clinical with too much turquoise lino! I travelled as a single traveller but surely that does not mean we get a sub-standard room. The photographs on the Sandbanks Hotel website have no resemblence whatsoever to the room I slept (or didn't) in. The public areas are fine but the rest of the hotel needs updating. I did not use the spa area so cannot give an opinion. Breakfast was good and restaurant has an amazing outlook it was buffet service and there was no choice of eggs other than fried so I skipped those. The sausages were very good but would have liked scrambled eggs.

We just had one night there as we new it was a good hotel convenient to our visiting our relative in Poole.

had a lovely week end break. Rooms OK but a bit jaded and bed not exactly large. Staff were very friendly, helpful and well trained, so overall very happy with our 2 days.

Good value 4 day break however air conditioning / kitchen ventilation extractors ran 24/7 and were just below bedroom windows. They were noisy and would have made sleeping in the summer, with windows wide open, quite impossible. Bar, restaurant and reception staff excellent however middle management need to pay attention to detail: broken patio door in bar and broken curtain runner made for a chilly seating area, curtain rails in bedroom similarly in need of TLC as were curtains. New mattress needed. Pool disappointingly tiny.

Enjoyed our stay for two nights while shopping and visiting family in Poole. A comfortable hotel with great views and serving an excellent breakfast. The staff were helpful and friendly.