Review of the Hampton by Hilton hotel in Bournemouth

This is our review of the Hampton by Hilton hotel in Bournemouth.

Last weekend Rob reviewed the relatively new Hilton hotel in Bournemouth – click here.  Some of his friends were in the adjacent Hampton by Hilton Bournemouth, including Jamie who some of you may have met at the HfP Christmas Party last year where he took the photos.  He was roped in to write this review.

The Hampton Bournemouth website is here if you want to find out more.

“Rob and I have just attended our annual friends get together where we attempt to play a weekend of golf and stay up later than midnight (tricky for Rob).  I was staying at the Hampton by Hilton hotel courtesy of Rob’s points on the proviso that one of our group wrote a review. I ended up with that task!

I was aware that Hampton by Hilton properties are positioned as the ‘midscale’ brand with the mainstream Hilton hotels considered ‘upscale’ and with this in mind was unsure what to expect. Having stayed in many British seaside town hotels over the years (some awful and some truly awful), I was anxious to see whether Hampton Bournemouth was another similar property.  I am happy to say I was pleasantly surprised by what I found.

The hotel is conveniently located just a five minute walk from the sea front or ‘Bournemouth’s world famous seven-mile promenade’ as it states on the Hilton website.  We were able to quickly pop down and enjoy a rather spectacular view of the sunset from the beach once we had checked in. There are plenty of restaurants and bars within short walking distance.

The Bournemouth International Centre is also just a few minutes walk away if you are heading to Bournemouth for an event.

We drove, but Bournemouth train station is a short taxi ride or one mile walk away.  The Hampton has an underground public car park which is shared with the Hilton hotel next door. You cannot book this but we found a space quickly on a Saturday afternoon. Parking costs £13 for 24 hours.

Whilst the outside architecture is fairly bland and generic, walking into the foyer I could see that the hotel was either fairly new.  It was bright, spacious and clean.

Check in was quick and easy and staff were friendly and welcoming. The rooms were booked in Rob’s name and because of his Hilton Diamond status we were all offered complimentary drinks and snacks.  Given that there were five of us spread over three rooms, none of which contained Rob who had headed to the Hilton next door, this was a generous gesture.

On exiting the lift and heading to our third floor twin room, the corridor also felt bright and spacious. You could tell that some effort had been made to avoid the sterile feel you often get when first discovering your room.

We also had a marginal sea view which was a bonus.  It was better than the one Rob had from his 2nd floor suite at the Hilton.

The Hampton by Hilton Bournemouth has 120 rooms. Queen rooms have a 150cm x 200cm bed. Queen family rooms have an additional fully sized sofa bed. Twin rooms have two 120cm x 200cm beds. Queen accessible rooms are also available.

Remember that the adjacent Hilton does not allow more than two people per room, so if you want to share a room with your children then you need to go for the Hampton.

Our twin room had a modern crisp feel.  The colour scheme was agreeable throughout and the large floor to ceiling window allowed in plenty of sunlight to make the room feel welcoming.

In the corner at the foot of one bed there was a small desk with a smart looking turquoise chair which I was quite fond of. The room was not especially wide and when sat at the desk, it meant there was no room for someone to get by to enjoy the view out of the window.

We were travelling light but two people with suitcases may have struggled for space, especially if staying for more than a couple of nights.

The twin beds were equipped with soft crisp white bedding and were separated by a small set of drawers. Each bed had a power socket and reading light within reach.

I found the bed extremely comfy and slept well. This was helped by the fact I never heard another guest during the night or early morning. The room doors did not slam and I assume the corridors are well insulated. Either that or there was no-one staying on our floor as I am a light sleeper and normally hear even the slightest noise.  This was impressive as I have a feeling that the Hampton attracts a lot of adult groups in town to have fun.

The room had a 32-inch LED TV, tea/coffee making facilities (no biscuits!) and an alarm clock radio.

Free wifi is available throughout the hotel and was perfectly adequate for streaming purposes.

Inside the wardrobe were six hangers, a hairdryer and a laundry bag. There was also an ironing board and iron. Whilst not a big user of irons myself, I was impressed and slightly confused by the powerful LED light shining from the front as my room mate diligently ironed his shirt!

The bathroom was an adequate size with a large walk in shower. There were plenty of towels but only one hook to hang clothes or wet items. More of these would be useful in a twin room. Toiletries, branded with Spa Therapy, are contained in wall dispensers and did the job.

Breakfast at Hampton by Hilton Bournemouth

As with all Hampton properties, breakfast is included in the price of the room. It is served from 6am to 10.00am on weekdays and until 11.00am on weekends. There are signs noting that breakfast can be very busy at weekends from 9.30am but that is no great surprise.

The breakfast area was situated directly next to the foyer reception and was busy with a mix of families and group of friends when we arrived at 9.30am. However we commandeered a table to seat five without any trouble and looking around I realised it was a good size dining area.

The selection of buffet hot and cold food on offer was excellent with the usual cereals, pastries, cold meat and cheese, muffins and fruit available alongside all the traditional ‘full English’ cooked items.

My favourite item was the ‘make your own waffle’ table which instantly brought back memories of hotel breakfasts in the USA. The lashings of maple syrup managed to distract me from my hangover, albeit only temporarily.

Staff were very good at refilling the various dishes so we didn’t miss out or have to wait long for a particular choice. There did seem to be an issue with the coffee on offer. I don’t drink it myself but some of my friends were not impressed. I never found out if the coffee machine was malfunctioning or whether my friends are incredibly sensitive when it comes to Sunday morning coffee!

Other amenities available included a relaxed looking business centre with two computers (situated next to the hotel entrance), a 24 hour snack bar (there is no mini bar in the room) and a small fitness centre.

Conclusion

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at the Hampton Bournemouth.

It is in a great location and would be a perfectly good place to stay for a long weekend or if attending a local conference. At around £80-120 or up to 30,000 Hilton Honors points per night for a queen room I think it is excellent value.

If you are looking for a romantic getaway and want to avoid families with children then the Hilton next door may be a preferable choice. It is certainly the hipper of the two hotels with its funky reception area and Skybar. But if you want a modern, functional hotel at a good price for the area, with a chance of a sea view, then the Hampton comes highly recommended.

The Hampton by Hilton Bournemouth hotel website is here if you want to find out more or book.

How to earn Hilton Honors points and status from UK credit cards (December 2021)

There are various ways of earning Hilton Honors points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Hilton Honors Gold status for as long as they hold the card?  It also comes with Marriott Bonvoy Gold, Radisson Rewards Gold and MeliaRewards Gold status.  We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

The Platinum Card from American Express

30,000 points and an unbeatable set of travel benefits – for a fee Read our full review

Did you know that the Virgin Atlantic credit cards are a great way of earning Hilton Honors points? Two Virgin Points can be converted into three Hilton Honors points. The Virgin Atlantic cards are the only Visa or Mastercard products in the UK which can indirectly earn Hilton Honors points. You can apply here.

You can also earn Hilton Honors points indirectly with American Express Gold (20,000 bonus points), the American Express Rewards Credit Card (5,000 bonus points) and – for small business owners – American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus points) and Business Platinum (40,000 bonus points).

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Hilton Honors points. 

(Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.)