The Best Boutique Hotels to Book in Bournemouth, England

Located on a discreet road in East Cliff, the Orchid bills itself as the first boutique hotel in Bournemouth. It opened in 2004 and, since, has undergone a refurbishment. It now boasts a mellow vibe, with bronze lighting fixtures and dark matt blue walls in the communal area, which contrast nicely with the orange and yellow splashes of the furniture and fittings. The bedrooms are warm and bright, and there’s a lovely outdoor terrace for dining and enjoying a drink – grab the hanging egg chair if it’s free.

The clue to discovering the USP of The Green House is in the name – you’d struggle to find a more eco-friendly place to stay. All 32 rooms in the East Cliff hotel are heated by solar power, plus fuel is made from waste oil produced by the kitchen, and all the coffee beans are composted. Additionally, the Arbor Restaurant uses organic, artisanal, local and Fairtrade produce. Location-wise, the brilliant and eclectic Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum is only a short walk away.

Marsham Court really looks the part of a seaside hotel. It boasts a clifftop location and whitewashed facade, replete with rows of bay windows overlooking the crescent-shaped swimming pool, which is heated and stays open from May to September. You get a great sea view from many of the rooms, and there’s a two-bedroom apartment sleeping six if you want to go self-contained. The afternoon tea, with homemade scones and Dorset clotted cream, is a delight.

Langtry Manor is one of the most historic hotels in Bournemouth, built by King Edward VII (at the time, Prince of Wales) for his lover Lillie Langtry, who designed the building. It’s got the feel of an elegant country retreat while being within easy walking distance of the beach and town centre. The King’s Room and Lillie Langtry Room both have balconies, the former featuring an original carved inglenook fireplace, with ornate tiles depicting scenes from Shakespeare’s plays, and a Jacobean four-poster bed. The swan motif is prominent in Lillie’s room, a symbol of Edward and Lillie’s love, and it also boasts a roll-top bath and another four-poster.

This great little hotel is part of the Urban Guild group of hospitality businesses across Dorset, whose ethos is based on seasonal food, a sociable atmosphere and community involvement. You’ll find all that here, with the Sunday roast as a particular local favourite, a lively bar with a heated outdoor area, and a real focus on sustainability – check out the beach-toy sharing-box collaboration with social movement Plastic Free Bournemouth.

There’s nothing more boutique than a small hotel that is one person’s labour of love. Owner of Boho Beach House, Chanine, took the money she had saved from flipping properties and running a children’s nursery for 10 years, at the same time as raising her two daughters, and poured it into this Victorian townhouse dating back to 1885. The result is a cute hotel with bags of personality – there are plenty of knick-knacks from Chanine’s world travels and locally sourced antique furnishings. Independently owned Dilli Haat, a little way across town, is thoroughly recommended if you like Indian food.

Essex-born owner Ricky is a veteran of the hospitality industry, in which he started at the age of 16. He has run this renovated late-Victorian guesthouse with wife Harps since December 2017. The pair gives a new personality to an old classic, with bright, colourful rooms, rows of pretty hanging baskets outside and a cracking breakfast. It’s well situated, too, roughly equidistant from Bournemouth and Boscombe town centres, and with the beach close by.

It’s not hard to guess what the theme of this Bournemouth boutique hotel is – even a glance around without knowing the name would do it. There are prints of chocolate boxes on the walls, the rooms are decorated in chocolatey hues, and, of course, there’s chocolate on the menu – the chocolate breakfast pancakes are really worth a try. Among the chocolate-themed events are chocolate portrait painting, chocolate tasting and belgian-truffle-making workshops. It’s also well located on West Cliff Road, just around the corner from the Bournemouth International Centre and the heart of town.