Riviera Hotel & Holiday Apartments

We have stayed many times at the Riviera. Excellent position to walk to many places . Bournemouth Pier , the beaches , Westbourne shops and restaurants. The staff especially Mike on reception go out of their way to help. Such a dog friendly hotel . Nice roomy bar area with sofas to sit and relax with views over the sea. We enjoyed our Christmas break. Our dog was happy to stay in the room as the meals were in the spacious restaurant. Thank you to… I think Selina, for your service … she’s worked there for quite a few years. I would say just needs some updating in the rooms although beds very comfortable and rooms are clean. Could do with a fridge and better tv’s …. And we could hear every conversation through the wall to the next room… but prices reasonable. Back again in a couple of weeks with my girlfriends.

Location was great 5 minutes to beach also near to middle chine @ suspension bridge. Hotel a great choice more than we expected. Room was upgraded and with a balcony with sea view clean, furniture slightly old looking but the room had everything you need. Breakfast well cooked.

We went for Twixmas or as far as the food in the evening was concerned Christmas leftovers, first evening was ok puddings a let down no cream or custard offered with a sticky toffee pudding blade of beef was lovely. Second evening a buffet one of the hot options eas beef stew I had the lukewarm veg curry soggy veg with a jar of sauce tipped over.Third evening lukewarm chicken sent back even though my husband cuts my food up it was not the correct temp I’m am retired catering manager with over 30 years experience and nominated for two national awards three nights every night new potatoes otherwise spotless and staff perfect

Staff are so friendly and helpful, as nothing is to much trouble.

Very friendly staff. Clean.Received a complimentary upgrade to a balcony/sea view room. Comfortable bar area. Happy to allow dogs. Close to the beach

We stayed for four nights from 29th December with our daughter and our small dog. As other reviews mention, the hotel is quite old and dated, but it was fine as a base and somewhere to sleep. We had use of the pool, which was freezing; however, on the plus side this meant not many people were using it, so it was quiet and peaceful. The hotel was also dog-friendly, which was great. It did feel as though guests who had booked the “Twixmas” package were treated much better, which was disappointing as we were paying guests too. Because we had our dog, we had to have breakfast separately in the bar area and walk back and forth to collect food. That was fine, but it would have been nice to be checked on occasionally, have plates cleared, or be offered cutlery. Instead, we were largely left to fend for ourselves. Although the breakfast itself was good, we did have to wait for food to be brought out on several occasions — one morning it was 45 minutes late — which is frustrating when you have places to be. We did eat at the hotel one evening and the food was nice (sandwiches and a small fish and chips), but the menu was more limited than usual as we were told the chef was busy preparing food for the “Twixmas” guests. On another night, we were unable to use the gaming facilities (ping pong and table football) as the space was being used for the Twixmas guests. Due to staff being so focused on those guests, we did feel ignored and forgotten at times, which was a real shame. The location is great and the hotel is clean despite being dated, but unfortunately we wouldn’t stay again, and we definitely wouldn’t recommend visiting over Christmas unless you’re part of the Twixmas package.

We booked a new years eve package and it was great value. The staff were so attentive and friendly. The food was excellent and I'm a fussy eater! Nothing was too much trouble. I would definitely book again either at new year or another time. The beach was just a walk away. The only thing I would point out is that if you are elderly or have a disability, you would be best to tell the hotel before as their are two quite steep steps to go down to get to your table and if you are are carrying anything it makes it a little difficult. The dining area is all one large room but about 10 tables are down the steps.

Location is convenient to the beach. Atmosphere on arrival was wonderful, very warm welcome from Mike at Reception and Manager Jo Young. Our room was ready on arrival. Clean and comfortable. Our 3 night New Years Eve package was amazing value for money. The service from the staff was second to none. Enormous thanks to Mike on Reception and Adam F&B Manager. Your dedication to the hotel and your profession is admirable. This was not our first visit and it certainly won't be our last. Thank you all for a great few days.

Mixed experience, but very poor management behavior Some members of the staff were very kind and friendly, and we truly appreciate their efforts. Unfortunately, our overall experience was negatively impacted by the extremely rude and unprofessional behavior of the bar manager. We were staying as two families with children. The hotel restaurant had very limited opening hours, which we fully understand. However, these hours were not always compatible with families traveling with kids. When the restaurant was no longer serving food, we ordered food from outside. Despite the fact that we were still purchasing drinks from the hotel bar, we were reprimanded and told that we were not allowed to eat outside food anywhere in the hotel premises, only inside our room. This situation felt unnecessary and uncomfortable, especially given that we had no other food options available at the hotel at that time. The most upsetting experience happened on New Year’s Eve. During the celebration, the manager distributed a glass of champagne to all guests present, but deliberately skipped our table. This made us feel embarrassed and discriminated against in front of other guests. When I approached the manager to ask about it, he responded in a very rude manner, stating that it was a “private party.” This was shocking, as we were never informed that the event was private. On the contrary, we were told there would be a DJ playing for all guests, which clearly indicated that the event was open to everyone. Being exposed and treated this way was humiliating and completely unacceptable. A hotel should make guests feel welcome and respected, not embarrassed or excluded. Sadly, due to this poor management experience, we would not return or recommend this hotel.

I’ve been here many times with my child. We love it and always want to return. Such lovely friendly staff. Lovely quiet rooms. Fantastic location. The jacuzzi is great. A favourite with my son is the table tennis and table football as well as the swimming pool.