The Bournemouth Highcliff Marriott Hotel is a family friendly beach hotel in an excellent location. We were recently invited to visit the hotel and although only on a 2 night break, we felt like we had experienced a much longer get away! It was a little like a trip abroad, without the hassle of an airport!
The hotel is located right on the seafront high up on the cliff with excellent views right across Bournemouth beach. The hotel has it’s own carpark, which is handy as parking is at a premium in Bournemouth so check in was quick and easy (and super friendly) and we could leave the beach toys in the car!
AD | We have been or could be if you click on a link in this post compensated via a cash payment, gift or something else of value for writing this post. As an Amazon Associate and Stay 22 we earn from qualifying purchases. See our full disclosure policy and privacy policy for more details.
It was just the three of us on this trip (with the teenager off on Scout Camp) so an opportunity to spend quality time with the little one. We had a large room with two king size beds between the three of us so had ample space and a good size bathroom too.
The room was clean, inviting and really well equipped for a family stay. We had the usual tea and coffee facilities as well as a mini fridge with cans of cold water (these were also replenished daily). The room also had an abundance of USB/USBC charging points along with the plugs, something that I always feel are lacking in a hotel room so this was great. There were also several lighting options, including small bedside lights, again a great option in a family room where you don’t want to have a pitch-black room! The room was also equipped with air-conditioning, this unfortunately didn’t work during our stay but the staff were quick to provide us with a fan, which helped cool the room down…
For our first night, we ate in the hotel. The weather was amazing and we managed to sit outside on the terrace. With the warm evening sun and a beer in hand, it really did feel like we were on holiday! The food options were plentiful and more varied and interesting than your average hotel food. We had Beetroot Terrain and Crab Bon Bons to start followed by steak and chips with some great dessert choices too. The Children’s Menu was also more varied than we have experienced before and my little one had a burger (which had options of some more ‘grown up’ toppings) as well as a local ice cream for dessert. However, he could have opted for Chalkstream Trout, Cumberland Sausage and Mash, Macaroni Cheese or Chicken Goujons so the options were great!
Breakfast in the hotel is buffet style with the option to order from the menu or have an omelette personally made by the chef too! Breakfast was super busy with lots of families appearing at the same time so it might be worth asking about timings if you stay to try and avoid the busiest times!
The hotel is right on the beach, but up a cliff! Just outside the hotel you have the option to use the Cliff Railway for a quick and easy route up and down to the beach. If you are staying for a few days, a pass might be an option here as it was quite pricey – we treated ourselves on the last trip back up to the hotel! If you have a push chair, you need to head to the right to walk down the zig, zag path. Going to the left ends in a walk down some steep steps!
Bournemouth offers seven miles of beaches so it is worth having a good look from the top of the cliff before heading down to avoid the most crowded areas. We generally headed off to the right where we easily found a space and happily spent several hours each day in and out of the sea!
The seafront is long and straight with lots of options for snacks and ice creams! We love the café at Alum Chine which does great food and has a park at the back too! It is great for a run (although too hot when we were there!) or scoot – taking the scooter is an excellent option although keep an eye out for electric scooters in the evenings! There are also a number of Beach Toy Libraries along the seafront to look out for if you forget your bucket and spade!
If you don’t fancy walking, there is a Beach Train that runs up and down the promenade from Branksome Chine to Boscombe Pier, this is well signposted along the promenade or ask in the hotel for more details.
The hotel has a beautiful outdoor pool overlooking the beach. We were so lucky with the weather the pool was very much needed during our visit! You can buy drinks in plastic cups from the bar and there were plenty of towels on offer too. The pool was small but we didn’t find it too busy at any point, it was also relatively shallow through-out which meant our son wasn’t out of his depth.
Apart from the beach, there are loads of activities all within walking distance of the hotel. The Pier has high ropes, climbing and drop slides as well as a zip line for those seeking more adventure. There is an aquarium and small fair as well as a Big Wheel. There are also several parks and walks up through the Chines as well as mini golf. A short walk into town also takes you to a few usual eateries and there are the obvious Fish and Chips options, this was our treat for dinner on our second night!
We loved our visit to the Bournemouth Highcliff Marriott Hotel family friendly beach hotel in an excellent location and would certainly consider going again! Very much recommended for families and a great option for a ‘staycation’, especially if the weather is good!
