Sandbanks Hotel

The view of the sea

Nothing it was perfect

Location.

Tired and tatty. Badly in need of a refurb. We expected far better given the location on Sandbanks. Breakfast was terrible. Staff more on their phones than helping guests. Hot buffet was never complete.

Mattress was not comfortable. My partner end up with backache due to the old mattress

Location on the beach is amazing

Breakfast was excellent as were the choices available. Staff at breakfast were good and not overly fussy.

Bath time was a disappointment due to black stuff coming out of the taps and blocked plughole that regurgitated some hairy matter. Food in Italian restaurant was very very salty.

Cannot beat the view!!

Shower ok, but not great. Very low Hard to control temperature

We liked the location. Our room was nice, but only after we complained and was upgraded.

The rooms were shabby, with dated furniture and decor. The bath had rusty taps and rust marks around the plug. The carpet did not ‘fit’ the floor and was uneven causing tripping hazards. The windows were filthy, so much so you couldn’t see out of them. There was no aircon or ventilation in 35 degree heat. I paid an extra £150 for an upgrade with a balcony, but there wasn’t even a fridge or coffee machine, just a tiny cheap kettle. Even though the hotel claims to have disabled access, there are no stand alone showers, they’re all baths with showers inside. So any elderly person unable to get in a bath cannot shower during their stay. The entertainment was a children’s magician at 6pm twice a week and a quiz on a Friday. This is in peak holiday time, August. There were ants in my parents room. The breakfast was basic, but i understand they have a new chef who is trying to improve this. However i must say the Italian restaurant onsite was really good.

Location is superb. Could not get better by beach and facilities.

Tired and dated decor, furniture and general layout. Minute lift for 4 persons. No good for wheelchair. Only goes to second floor and take stairs to third floor.

Cleanliness of the hotel, staffs very polite.

However the trong smell from the sea across the road not allowing to open windows sometimes. The manager need to work with the local council to solve that issues.

Location

Tired looking

Room Breakfast Beach Pools

EV charger did not work

The location was amazing & the view from our room was stunning .

Dated , needs lots of work . We had ceiling tiles in our room which blew out when we opened the balcony doors ! The water pressure in the shower was terrible . Swimming pool was small & really not very nice .

Friendly staff. Comfortable room (we had a balcony with sea view); clean, with comfortable beds. Good breakfast; I am gluten intolerant and GF toast was offered. Good restaurant and easy to get a table in the evening. Friendly and helpful servers.

Shower above bath, which was a little more than a trickle. This must be a repeated moan from visitors. No gluten free cereal offered at breakfast and the sausages were not gluten free, although they are readily available commercially. Dirty spoons were amongst those supplied by the coffee area and fruit/yoghurt area at breakfast. The Amalfi restaurant menu had recently changed but, whilst a gluten free version of the old menu had been produced, it had not been produced for the new one. No gluten free beer on offer in the bar, although it as available down the road at The Haven, part of the same group. Bar area dark and depressing in the evening.

Location was great

The hotel was very tired throughout and needs lots of TLC . Has price positioned itself 4/5 star which is certainly is not .

Rooms are nice very bright and airy and clean. Staff are exceptionally friendly as well as being helpful.

The gym was very disappointing hardly any weights machine equipment very poor and dirty no ac either!

All very good

Price 340 per night!

Its location

Terribly tired and neglected and a blight on the area The council and community need to get a grip and let this be redeveloped as it is letting the area down

Location. Italian restaurant. Swimming pool. Sea front bar. The very friendly Portuguese receptionist.

No air-conditioning and bedroom so hot. Bath waste valve got stuck and nobody came to sort it even after requesting twice. Lift too small. I asked for late check-out and the receptionist said that has no late check-out. The bar inside and outside with a very short menu of drinks and those made by juicebox. No fresh juice in the breakfast or bar. Sea front hotel with no beach amenities (not even towels). Bedroom needs redecorating.

On arrival Steph on reception was very welcoming and went above and beyond in accommodating our friends who had slight mobility issues. The rest of the staff although very young were attentive, polite and always happy to help. The breakfast provided each morning was excellent.

The hotel overall is certainly tired. The rooms were very hot and therefore uncomfortable as there was no AC. Also the AC was not working in the breakfast dining room. Apart from a complete refurbishment just a general tidy up and repaint around the seaview terrace and room windows cleaned wouldn't go amiss.

The location

The fact the hotel is incredibly run down

Location

This is a 3 star hotel at best, it is tired and run down.

The hotel is in a good location.

The hotel is looking quite tired I think it needs upgrading with carpets and general interior decoration to make it more appealing. Unlike many hotels this one didn’t have a live cooking area for breakfast might be worth considering as food is always better when cooked to order rather than sitting under heaters for a long time!!

Great breakfast selection For the price water should be provided in the rooms All the hotel needs a complete renovation. Lots of places looking very tired and in need of decorating. Bed was comfortable. Meal on the first night of our stay in the Italian was excellent. The second night not so good. Not sure if there was a different chef? Lovely lady receptionist when we checked in. A male receptionist was though complaining to us about another guest! The lift light wasn't working and we went up in darkness. I did let her know. The next afternoon all the 1st floor smelt of sewage. I let a different receptionist know and she was very abrupt. Telling me it wasn't sewage. It was the seaweed on the beach. She said she was fed up of being told of the sewage smell and the reviews. So I did Google it and she was correct...The Sandbank Stench. She could of however explained that to me instead of being offhand. This was our first stay here. We usually go to The Haven. There were only 6 loungers outside which had seen better days. Myself and another guest asked 2 lovely guys for parasols. Every single one was broken. During the Sunday afternoon around 10 boys came running up to the loungers and proceeded to climb the fence and go onto to the next property. Despite several of us telling them to get down we got abuse. One of them pretended to be deaf and doing sign language to me. When I then signed to get down he shouted "No" at me. Charming children! There could be a separate area for guests so they feel safe without being intimidated by people from the beach. There seemed to be a lot of crockery left outside people's rooms that was still there the next day. The rooms were very clean. Having a balcony though wasn't very private as you could see every person on theirs. Parking was good. Plenty of spaces.

Better outside space for residents to sunbathe. The seaweed smell! There was a quiz advertised but it was at 5.30pm. Later would have been a better time. Evening entertainment would be nice. I don't think it should be advertised as a 4 star but could be 5 star if upgraded.

Location.

Rooms were from 70s , no aircon, no fridges , no safes ..beds uncomfortable, hotel is full of bits of metal , bird poo most stuff bent or broken , breakfast is inedible or just not there, rooms are boiling hot , its expensive and apparently being knocked down. Acres or wasted space with chairs and tables from 70s, no entertainment and its the closest to faulty towers ive ever known. No enthusiasm and the heart of the hotel has gone.

The location of the hotel is good. We liked the beach view very much. The staff were accommodating and helpful when we asked to change room. The bed was comfortable and the room clean. The range of organic teas were welcome.

We were told by the hotel before we got there that we’d need to pay more than the confirmed price on booking.com as they didn’t think we’d booked thru booking.com. The first person we spoke to at reception said the same. It’s only when we spoke to a supervisor that they assured us this was not so and that their reservations dept had given them wrong info. Nobody seems to be joining the dots and not what you need on arrival! The ‘harbour view was somewhat obstructed by the car park and noisy ventilation shaft outside our first room so it was difficult to sleep. Shame no fridge in room. Breakfast ok to average.

Nothing other than location

Everything place is run down, needs fully re doing up not worth the money at all, feel like I have been ripped of! Looks nothing like it does in the photos! Not getting what you think you have booked and paid for!

The location- plus the character of the hotel.

The wear and tear.

Location

Not like the pictures of the room

Position is everything of course and this hotel is definitely in a prime position.

Very tired looking. No air con in the bedrooms or hallways. Needs a really good refurbishment but rumours were rife about it being pulled down at the end of the season (2026)

There’s no other hotel in southern England where you can get such a perfect beach experience. Get a sea view room with a balcony. Excellent beach for swimming

It’s really expensive and not at all stylish. But all is forgiven because of it’s unique positioning right on the perfect beach

The location

Quite shabby

location-a great for beach break

property could be modernised

Location

Needs refurbished over priced

We had a lovely, spacious and quite recently refurbished room at the very far end of the hotel on the first floor with a balcony overlooking the beautiful beach and sea and down on the hotel outside play area. All the staff were pleasant and very helpful.

Unfortunately the food was not hot. We ate out after once in the evening (my lasagna was tepid though had clearly been hot when taken out of the oven). The sole was hot. The freshly brought out eggs on our first morning were stone cold. The area below our balcony was unkempt. The carpark area and our room and hallway smelt quite badly at times of what seemed like drains but was apparently putrid seaweed in the bay not cleared by the Council?

Near to the beach

All good

The location is very good, and the staff are very helpful and friendly

The room was tired with dark dated furniture?

This in a fabulous location. Our room had a sea view which was wonderful, it was clean, light and airy. Breakfast was very good, a great selection.

The spa area could do with some modernisation.

Breakfast was excellent Location was great

Hotel looked a little tired Areas around the Hotel were scruffy and unkempt.

Location is superb, right on the beach

Very dated, overpriced for the quality of the rooms but I guess you're paying for its location

Staff went out of their way to recover my earrings, which I managed to drop down the sink waste! Nothing was too much trouble, handled quickly and kindly. Thankyou.

Location and easy access to the beach especially for kids

Some areas wasn’t clean in front of balcony , ground and tables

The location was brilliant - setting on the beach with bar is also a bonus

A little outdated. Needs some modernising. We had probably the furthest room with a pram was difficult as still steps on the second floor.

Good location on the beach,, restaurant food was good. Rooms and bar area were clean. Greeting and helpfulness of the reception staff was very good.

Breakfast choice was very sparce if later down. The outside area near to pizza pod ànd bar needed a spruce up very shabby, paint chipping off woodwork, weeds everywhere spoils the hotel. The young bartenders, waitresses and waiters were all very miserable, hardly spoke, no manners between them.

The location and view from our room. Superb!

The decor is a little bit tired but that wouldn’t put me off going back again! No fridge in the room.

Location

Breakfast and the property needs some TLC in areas- paint etc

Parking was straightforward, the beach was in front the hotel terrace, there was a good choice at breakfast. The room was clean and quiet. There was a good range of TV available.

The balcony was car park side not beach side. There was a sulphur smell if window door was open. The terrace was not open in the evenings and was busy in the daytime.

Location

Dripping water sound from somewhere?

Location.

Rooms were from 70s , no aircon, no fridges , no safes ..beds uncomfortable, hotel is full of bits of metal , bird poo most stuff bent or broken , breakfast is inedible or just not there, rooms are boiling hot , its expensive and apparently being knocked down. Acres or wasted space with chairs and tables from 70s, no entertainment and its the closest to faulty towers ive ever known. No enthusiasm and the heart of the hotel has gone.

Excellent sea views

Nothing

Locația

Vechi

Loved it, just how i remembered it when we used to stay as a teenager with my family but updated! So many happy memories.

Shower was awful room 307

Fantastic view, location and breakfast.

Firmer pillows would be nice but in fairness we didn't ask for them so may have been available.

Stunning location on the beach. Close to bus routes and a Tesco express just around the corner. The view from the balcony made for great morning coffee and evening sunset drinks. Fabulous all round with great day trips available to Swanage and Poole

Room was very warm. With no real means of cooling it down. Opening the door on balcony did help in evening. But not much one can do during a month long heatwave😜

The expectation of a glorious views and sounds of waves braking gently on sandbanks beach... but staying at the bomb site 3rd rate hotel dashed that. There was more artwork on the carpet than the walls. Then there was the room design had been done on a kids Etch-a-Sketch by a blind person with broken hands - it in the room name 'beach veiw', but clearly missed that brief. But hay at least you had a balcony with a beach view, once you’ve moved the plastic seats,, well yes over a dishevelled old broken kids play that a war zone would be proud of. But then there was the view, finally satisfaction. Oh, apart from the stained carpets, tired decoration and furniture, cluttered dirty hallways with empty bottles, plates from the night before. The bedding didn't fit the bed, and out to garot you if you dared to turn over in your sleep... Sadly this poor disgusting hotel doesn't deserve the staffs loyalty as the owner just doesn't care. What did I like... leaving and walk along the beach...

Afrer the room, hallways, outside was broken walkways, fencing, walls,... a dirty& tired 70s hotel... The breakfast was no better than a poor B roadside cafe. Food look like it hadn't been cooked, the sausages were near raw and as for the food quality Turkeytwizziers would be high class cuisine. The owner clearly doesn't care about

Location was nice overlooking the beach

Very dated and at over £400 per night I would expect something more than a shower curtain that was broken and hanging off the rail over the bath needs a decent upgrade

La région

L'hôtel est trop vieux pour le prix

The location, the staff, the food

Tired, needs a refurb inside

Close the beach bar Nice view room amazing view

Room realy hot need fan our AC

The location is just stunning. Breakfast was absolutely fantastic. Staff were all welcoming and helpful.

No air con and room was very hot. Hotel definitely needs some renovation as looking a little tired and old.

Super beach side location, plentiful breakfast, comfortable bed. Gorgeous view from our spacious upgraded room, and separate sitting area. The onsite parking is a real bonus.

After the lovely surprise of being upgraded, the ancient bed-settee in the sitting area was a real disappointment - it looked very inviting, but was low and incredibly uncomfortable to sit on, to the point we could not use it.

Location that was it.!

Very out dated poor room furniture and the bathroom was awful broken sink and the water was brown and the view was through a dirty window.! Food at dinner I had money taken off because the chicken wast fit to eat.! Overall for the price it was disgraceful-10

Breakfast was ok needed more fruit and perhaps fresh yoghat.

Room too high up we were put on floor 4 . Right at the bottom of corridor. Too much when you’re 82! We were moved to floor 2 end of corridor still too much lift too small if you have cases!

The hotel local was a little remote and you needed a car to get around but straight onto a lovely beach and plenty of water sports. Room and breakfast was lovely. Very friendly helpful staff.

Nothing really. The hotel decor was a little tired in places but all very clean and tidy.

Great location with beach view

The location was perfect we loved that it had direct access to the beach and our sea view room was really breathtaking Breakfast was good lots to choice from

The room was very tired and basic It did not feel it was 4 stars unfortunately the bed was uncomfortable and lumpy it was two mattress pushed together The shower was more of a trickle and the bathroom was basic The hotel in general was looking old and very dated The outside beach area looked again very tired I felt the price was too much for what you actually got

Location with parking

Outside areas and gardens very unkempt

Location

Staff was rude and unhelpful. Massively over priced. Bedding was filthy. Rooms were outdated and run down

Right on seafront.

Owners clearly willing to take the money and not invest in the hotel. No fans, very basic rooms. If the price was different I’d be fine. But overpriced for this standard hotel.

The room was clean

No aircon at all in the rooms, the portable fan provided didnt work well at all, room was stiflingly hot couldn't sleep.

Location

The location of the hotel and how close it was to the beach was great

The hotel itself is desperately in need of a good makeover and thorough clean. There was a distinct lack of staff albeit those who were there and were multitasking did the best they could and a good job, The room certainly didn't match the the photos as posted on the site. The internals and furniture were very dark and dated and we had constant issues with fly's or mosquitos in our room, the breakfast was just about edible but wasn't great and it tasted like it had been cooked hours before, especially the sausages and then was not very well reheated. Certainly not good value for the money.

position

everything

It was situated in the most amazing place. The staff were accommodating. Room was dated but had the most amazing view

The one thing which was frustrating is the Bar not being open. If you wanted a drink you had to go the the beach bar. When dressed to go out at 6oclock and want to sit and have a few drinks, to be told you have to have them from the beach bar in a plastic cup and that there are no staff available to work the bar. The staff were working the beach bar which was full of people who were not staying at the hotel. I don't like drinking wine out of a plastic cup. They were however serving drinks to the restaurant. We did speak to someone who said they didn't have the staff. Just disappointing when you pay a lot of money and just want to sit in the lounge with a glass not a plastic cup. The only other thing was only a few sunbeams which got taken up before we could even get to them. Though there would be sunbeds to take on the beach at least.

The location and the view.

When you pay £300 per night, you have certain expectations. The room had NO SAFE and NO FRIDGE.

Die Lage, der Pool.

Es ist alles schon sehr in die Jahre gekommen, das Bett war nicht gut, das Zustellbett eine Zumutung.

Breakfast was good, large selection

Some parts were a little tired looking - balcony had cracked glass, shower had a shower curtain rather than a screen so was cold and stuck to me.

Gorgeous location. I have stayed here many times and the location is what makes me come back.

This gorgeous hotel that used to be well staffed, serving excellent food both on the beautiful sun terrace and in the main restaurant is now looking very tired and understaffed. The main restaurant is no longer open (except for a buffet breakfast)and the sun terrace only serves pizzas/burgers. Such a disappointment. I booked into their Italian restaurant, but whilst friendly, the service was slow and the food was not good! Overall, for £185 per night, I had expected a choice for lunch and quiet plumbing - the pipes were very loud and noisy!

The location was excellent as was breakfast

It would have been nice to have a separate shower as husband has bad knees stepping over bath

Rooms were fine. Restaurant very good.

The hotel is a bit dated. It needs up-dating.

Location, clean, helpful staff

Room was very hot, no fans or air con

Breakfast was adequate, we’ve had better

Thought the evening meals were quite expensive

Location

I have lived many hotels,and at this price the hotel room should have all the facilities. Fridge nice big tv iron box many things were missing

No aircon in rooms. No black pudding at breakfast (although shown on website) No cheese as a pudding.

Location and ease of getting to the beach or walking around the harbour. Good parking. Good leisure and spa facilities

Room furniture a little dated however more than acceptable

The staff were very helpful and attentive. The location was perfect for access to beach and ferries. There was a good selection at breakfast. The Amalfi restaurant was very good.

The rooms had sea views but other than that the hotel and rooms were very dated. The rooms had no air conditioning, ripped main curtains that had to be closed during the day as no net curtain to block people on the beach seeing in. The inside and outside bar areas were pleasant. Although breakfast had a good selection the actual restaurant needs updating.

The view n the qwirckiness lovely 😍

Hmm nought

Location was amazing

No Air con no fridge, rooms really dated

Balcony and sea view

Room was below standard for the amount of money I paid for a special occasion so very disappointed

Fabulous location and brilliant staff.

The shower over the bath with a shower curtain, very outdated.

The closeness to the function I was attending

Rooms need updating

Close to beach, friendly staff

Nothing

Hotel in Prime Sea location. Our Room had a nice view. Good Car parking. Good areas to sit outside. Lovely beach directly outside hotel. Easy access to nice holiday locations.

Dining Menu Limited for this quality of Hotel, and some items on menu not to standard. One day Pizza,s not available (these were main part of Menu.)

Location

Quite old and tired

Good location. Friendly staff, on the whole.

Limited food choice, and the kitchen team needs a bit more oomph. Sausages at breakfast - pink fingers unbrowned and unloved - were a disgrace. Poor bathroom layout, with the usual English shower; the dribbling of a geriatric poodle would get you wetter quicker, and the bath drainage was unable even to cope with that, leaving you up to your ankles in dirty water before you’ve finished the shower. Front of house staff saved this from being the worst review I have ever written.

The location of the hotel is fantastic, directly on Sandbanks beach. My room was spacious

Room was very overlooked by other rooms and the car park and uncomfortably hot, due to heating being left on full blast in summer. Very dated room in need of a makeover, with polystyrene ceiling tiles and tired, unattractive furnishings and fittings. No hotel or local info in room. At breakfast, food was lukewarm to cold and some items not topped up. Difficult to find staff when needed and no-one on the bar. Just one person on check in desk even at busy periods with people queuing out of the door waiting to check-in. No room service, no bar food other than pizza. Impersonal, unwelcoming hotel which fails to justify the premium rate it charges.

Everything, superb location, lovely breakfast and brilliant room

Nothing

Location was incredible.

Breakfast good but a bit slow to top up things when they ran out.Excellent location right on the beach and the room was nice and quiet.

The hot water took ages to warm up.