It was good to see our niece baptised and the stay at the hotel made it really enjoyable.

We chose this hotel as it could accommodate our family of 5 without having to book 2 separate rooms and because of its close proximity to the beach. The accommodation was very clean and there was plenty of space to accommodate us. Unfortunately, the room was extremely hot, even with the windows continuously open - you could feel a definate change in temperature in different parts of the hotel. We were woken in the early hours of each morning (several times the first morning) by delivery vans coming to the hotel and the drivers were certainly not trying to keep quiet. The staff at the hotel could do with some customer service training - the reception staff did not even look up as you stood at the front desk! The first waitress I asked for decaf coffee didn't know what I meant and got her colleague - even he looked at me blankly and then brought me a sachet of dried up coffee. The breakfast was ok - plenty of it but the usually mass produced fried food. Plenty of cereal but no fresh fruit in sight. On the plus side, the price was good for the 5 of us, staying 4 nights with breakfast and was a good base for us to get around. We stayed Monday to Friday with the Bournemouth air festival (free) starting on the Thursday - it continued through to the Sunday but we were later told that the flying on Saturday and Sunday was cancelled due to the weather. We were lucky with the weather the day we spent on the beach for the festival and there was plenty to see and do. The hotel was a short walk to the beach but be warned - steep slope down a (safe) path - fine going down but out of breath on the way up - although there is a cliff lift you can take (which costs per person). Anyway hotel was fine regarding cleanliness and comfort (although basic) and we would recommend it for larger families as long as customer service doesn't bother you - you get what you pay for I guess.

Our hotel room was very very tired, but our overall break was very good, food served was of a very good quality, and the staff were excellent throughout the holiday. The entertainment was good and there was always something going on. In all we really enjoyed our Christmas at the hotel.

Bournemouth beach was excellent and clean with plenty of parking and amenities nearby. Heathlands hotel was fine, the staff were friendly and helpful, although the window in our bedroom was broken and would not shut properly. The room and bathroom were very clean however, but the shower was not very practical to use. Breakfast the next morning was ok, plenty of food, although the staff did not bring out jugs of hot drinks quickly enough. All in all, value for money for the price we paid.