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Durley Dean Hotel, Bournemouth, Dorset
Lara from Contracting, October 2022
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What did you get up to?
We arrived just after 3pm so there was no need to pay for an early check in. We were greeted by the staff on reception who were very pleasant. We paid £15 for the car park at the front desk as there was no space on the road, we didn’t mind this extra expense as it was worth it for us to have the car nearby. She gave us our room key and booked us in for dinner in a time slot that suited us and informed us to return to the desk if we wanted to use the facilities.
We went up and relaxed for a little after the drive, made a cup of tea with the facilities provided for us in the room. We had hoped to go for a walk along the beach in the afternoon, but as it was raining, we went down to the bar to have a few drinks and played some cards.
We then went to the front desk to ask them if we could use the facilities. They gave us extra towels and a key to enter the leisure club. We went up to the room to gather our swimming costumes. The facilities were pleasant. Nice steam room, sauna, swimming pool and Gym. You can book spa treatments in advance of your arrival too, we opted just to use the facilities as they were included in the package.
We went up to our room to get ready for dinner. The restaurant was very quiet when we arrived as we wanted a late dinner. We were reminded on arrival at the restaurant we had a £25 allocation towards the menu each. The steak was just under £24, we each had the steak, sauce cost extra on top. And then we ordered drinks and deserts and ended up spending £30 on top of our allocation. Which we were happy to do. The food was very pleasant, steak cooked just how we asked.
We then returned to the bar for more drink. There were a few other couples playing cards and relaxing, so it was nice to join in and be a part of that. Then we retired to our room for the night. The bed was comfortable, we both slept well.
Check out was 10am and breakfast served until 10.30. We went down for breakfast around 8.30, It was self-service continental and cooked breakfast items. The hotel had said on an email when booking that breakfast wasn’t included in the package, but on arrival at the hotel they told us that it was. So, it was nice not to have to pay the extra £12 per person for breakfast. The food was good quality and very tasty. Afterwards, we went up to our room and got ready to check out.
We put our bags in the car then decided to go for a lovely walk along the seafront as we were so close to the beach. It was lovely to take a stroll by the sea and down the pier, we bought some fudge at the shop and played a game of air hockey at the arcade. We then took a Cliff Lift to get back up the hill from the beach which was only £1.85 each and well worth it for the view and to save walking back up the hill.
What did you enjoy the most?
Being far away from the seaside at home, I enjoyed how close we were to the Seafront. The location was spectacular.
Top Tip
1. Go to the beach. It’s a lovely short walk to the seafront and Pier.
2. Bring some games to play in the bar and your swimming gear if it’s a rainy day.
3. Highly recommend the Brownie dessert at the hotel
