The Sandbanks Hotel Review

Friendly staff. Comfortable bed. Very nice breakfast. Gorgeous views.

Best location for (kite)surfing. Very helpful watersports academy (belongs to the hotel) and friendly staff. Warm your bones after a cold session in the sauna. For east to north wind use the lagoon otherwise go to the sandbanks-beach. The rooms are clean and spacious. Good breakfast with a sea-view. Coming back soon

Nice hotel, spacious rooms and bathroom, excellent room service, very friendly staff who go out of their way to make you feel comfortable and satisfied. Beautiful seafront view and great terrace restaurant with great pizzas even though the menu is a bit limited. Over all very clean hotel and we absolutely loved our 4 day stay there and will come back again.

Went for lunch at the Chinese restaurant in the hotel, the food was excellent with plenty of choice, and the ocean views are great!

For the price the room was outdated, room wasn't the cleanest either. View was really nice and staff were very friendly. The Chinese restaurant onsite is really good and the outdoor bar is a nice setting, just closes abit early.

Dated and feels rundown. Great beach location and friendly staff was the only thing going for it.

Very nice hotel, a little tired in places. Staff very attentive and polite nothing was too much trouble. Food was of a very high quality but bar drinks a little pricey. No iron available in room, TV in an odd place compared to bed position and although bed was quite soft it was very comfortable and we had a great nights sleep.

Wow fantastic place to visit and stay in certainly plenty to do certainly will be going again

Was hoping to have lunch on the terrace but as we had our small dog with us I was told in no uncertain terms No we are not a dog friendly establishment, there were only two other people sitting outside. The management have the impression we were not good enough

My friend and I visited sandbanks hotel to enjoy a lovely hot chocolate and cake after having a nice walk on the beach. Great, friendly service.

Fantastic location, friendly staff BUT very dissapointing as a lunch time venue! Having stayed recently for a special occasion my Husband and I were enjoying the ambience of the terrace, after enquiring for a lunch menu, we were told you can only have pizza or Chinese food! We only wanted a sandwich! No, you can't have a sandwich, pizza or Chinese food! We weren't alone in our quest for a sandwich, other guests were walking to the nearby tesco express to bring a sandwich back!!! What are you thinking of FJB Hotels, really!!! Come on, you're exploiting your location at the cost of your guests! We decided to conform and booked the Ocean Palace restaurant in the evening, our table was for 7.30pm (not overly late), as we leisurely enjoyed our meal with fantastic views, the waiter was clearing our table from our main course at 9.05pm and nonchalantly said, "no desserts",
"I'm sorry" we replied, "did you just say, we can't have dessert", "yes" he replied, "the kitchen is closed" but we hadn't finished our meal. We were shocked, to say the least, it was still daylight outside, with people enjoying the evening. We live locally and could have frequented the restaurant but unless you want to eat at 6.00pm, forget it, you won't have chance to finish your meal before they want to kick you out!!!! Some of us like to eat like the European continent and not the USA!!!!!! You really need to rethink your policies FJB, as this one is not working, pizzas in cardboard boxes and wooden knives and forks, totally uncivilised, I can't think what Clientele you are trying to attract. Personally I would have enjoyed a nice Caesar salad and a glass of wine in such a beautiful location but sadly not to be!!!!

If you are looking for Faulty Towers you have found it. This place had no management and the standards are so low in every department.

The staff range from rude to incompetent. The service is diabolical and the food is amongst the worst i have ever in my life tasted.

The star rating should be 2 star not four and maybe even 1 star.

The management were non existent for the entire weekend. The outside bar and 3 inside bars were closed a bank holiday yet there were 2 guys manning the car park to make some non resident was not parking there. The hotel for the weekend had residents only for the whole weekend- a bank holiday weekend. The facilities are deserted as there is no way of getting any service. What planet are you guys on?

I asked at reception what time the restaurant closed at and was told you'll have to go and ask them.

The breakfast looked like it was cooked a month ago. The staff have no leadership, direction or drive. The ingredients on all the food i tasted here was the cheapest you could imagine.

No care, attention and i don't think they give a damn. Nice part of the world though.

Had a 2 night get away for my wifes birthday and my birthday . Was a lovely surprise to find chocolates and a birthday card there for us . I cannot fault the hotel in anyway apart from the fact I couldn't turn the hot tap on with my toe while laying in the bath . Thankyou very much to all the staff for a lovely stay

Good for drinks but food was bad for a summer party

Very friendly hotel, accommodating towards our 11 month old son.

Loads of potential here but the place is looking very run down now. The price does not reflect the lack of care given to the building. Starting to have the faulty towers feel with old doors just blocked off etc.

Great Christmas party last night: food was delicious, everything organised and brought to the table very efficiently, nice hot plates! Very expensive drinks and long trek to the toilets from the dance floor.

Location is perfect, especially when the weather has been like it was this weekend. Rooms are very dated and overpriced for what they are, food is average. But if you want to be in Sandbanks and you want to be on the beach, this is the price you have to pay.

We have been here a few times now and I would give them 5 stars but feel that all the rooms could do with an upgrade! It s looking a little bit tired over the last couple of years and we feel that because of the great location it has the owner is relying on that for the bookings. Also our last visit (just over a week ago) we found our shower inadequate. We were on the top floor and the flow of the shower was terrible! Very, very slow.. I was unable to wash my hair as I knew it would take forever to rinse!
So I actually used a friends shower that we had gone to visit whilst in sandbanks.
Having said that the Italian restaurant is fantastic and I will give credit where it s due. The staff are very attentive, great atmosphere with the background music, log burner in the middle and the three course meal we had was delicious!

I took my wife here for her birthday weekend and reserved a table at Ocean Palace. We had a fantastic meal. The breakfast in the hotel was absolutely spot on. The room I booked over looked the sea and was very comfortable with a great view. All the staff we met on our stay were very polite and helpful. They all looked very smart and tidy. We will come back, Thank you guys for making our weekend special.

Is ok, staff on reception and at swimming pool very capable

Went for a wedding reception, lovely venue. Gorgeous views, staff really helpful. Well worth a visit.

Loved this hotel in a beautiful place but they are building flats there

Lovely hotel lots of social distancing plans in place one way system felt very safe there

Just had an afternoon tea- AMAZING! The service was so lovely and the good was so lovely. The scones were warm (2 each!!) and were the best we've ever eaten! The hotel has been modernised and so clean and fresh. Impeccable !!

I stayed here before what was to have been a 3km swim with The Human Race. The swim was cancelled but a number of other guests said they were going in the sea regardless. I thought it would be worth seeing where the swim took place (despite the wind and rain!). I was surprised to see you could step out of the hotel onto the beach at the back. I loved the warmth (literally) of the hotel. I would like to come back next summer and explore the area, taking my time and being "Proud to be British". There really is an ambience about the area and the genteel calm of the hotel. I'd be happy to come back with friends or on my own - I would not feel out of place here in either situation.

view well this stunning sights very friendly helpful staff well manners polite not cheap but you get what you pay for stunning beautiful area I strongly advise it

Nice people. Poor coffee. Fatty bacon roll but will come back as have enjoyed in the past. Gordon G

We came here as wedding guests. With the sun out it was lovely sitting on the veranda right by the beach. Expensive but worth the mark up

Stayed here three years running with our two kids. Family friendly with direct access to the beach and a decent little indoor pool for the rubbish weather days. Also has access to the big outdoor pool and gym at the Haven Hotel down the road.

AMAZING atmosphere, amazing views, and brilliant staff.

The best Sunday carvery ever! The location is wonderful, the view amazing, and the meat was amazing. The staff are generally helpful and friendly, although on occassion they've clearly been stressed! And ofcourse, in the Summer, parking is obviously an issue!

We had a one night stay with evening meal and breakfast 21 December it was absolutely lovely we enjoyed the whole experience. Wow view from our room of the sea. Will definitely return. Highly recommend

We have had a amazing time at the Harry Potter Xmas and Leo got to tell father christmas his wish list bless him xx thankyou Natasha Manley for taking us xx merry Christmas and a happy new year to you all xx

Visited for a work team building event, staff are very helpful, food was good for catering as well.

1) The buffet was disgusting with flies!
2) after one night they had to change uncomfortable mattress. When the staff changed it - the mattress I had been sleeping on, after they removed the sheet, had huge dark brown stains all over it and it made me feel sick. Plus the bedding had stains all over.

Nice! Prices are in keeping with location - a bit pricey, but it's a lovely spot. Service was good.

Excellent location, standard services nothing to blame. The only thing is the shareholder could consider to spend a little money to upgrade the facilities in the room at least as same as Ibis but not require as same as premium inn. Overall a good place to enjoy, in summer.

Beachfront location, great Beach Bar, what more could you want!

This hotel has nicely furnished rooms and good views. The beds are slightly uncomfortable. All of the restaurants inside the hotel serve brilliant food. The atmosphere is very cheerful. I would recommend going.

Very friendly and professional staff, always trying their best to cater to your needs. The building itself is a typical rather oldish beach hotel (similar to some you may find in the Netherlands) but has been modernized as much as possible. Sea view is fantastic! Beach is really clean, beach bar is comfortable. It was a very pleasant stay for us!

I was visiting to use the watersport centre there, they were friendly, equipment was great and location was excellent.

Shocking! Website, artwork would suggest it's a 4 Star hotel. It isn't by far, food awful, areas of the hotel unloved & needs repair. More staff are clearly needed. Reception staff however, were nice.

Good hotel with good food. An exquisite location ...

Used the restaurant on a Sunday evening, no atmosphere.(but it was Sunday night). Very basic furnishings. Food (buffet style) was dry, all the meats were dry and the chicken in the curry was chewy! I didn't eat the rice with the curry, it had the strangest taste and again dry and very "clumpy". People having to wait for dishes to be refilled.
The only good things were the puddings and the very pleasant girl on reception.
I hear they are pulling the hotel down. Probably a good thing.
I'm not usually this miserable! I was looking forward to this meal as the last time I went there, we stayed for the night and had meals, it was fantastic.... A long time ago now but had good memories.. But now!... I wouldn't go again.

I've never stayed at a better Hotel it was the best thing since sliced bread the staff were excellent

Not impressed - had afternoon tea here and it was overpriced, disappointing and I have had far better for half the cost in other local hotels. Environment is stunning and staff attentive.

although the views are amazing the rooms need updating considering the price you pay

Nice hotel and cracking location but needs updating as showing signs of wear and tear.

Lovely place. Just popped in for a coffee and sit watching the sea.

Fantastic Christmas package but lets return to the discount price. Food, rooms and staff really good. Bar prices abit steep. A great place for a family Christmas.

We only popped in for a quick dinner before getting home. When I walked in I couldn't tell if we were allowed to eat there as we were not greeted by any of the staff.
They had run out of almost all items on the menu.
We sat on the beach terrace which is large with nice modern furniture, but every table was piled up with used plates and glasses.
We all had to have pizza which was obviously factory made and bought in. The toppings were sparse.
I used the toilet. No cubicle had toilet paper and the whole room was littered with napkins and empty glasses, despite the notice to say that the hotel takes pride in its facilities which are checked regularly.
I would have asked for loo roll at reception, but the poor girl there was run off her feet.

Lovely location of course but the hotel is tired and needs a refurb for the price being charged.
They did a good job of keeping everyone safe.
Food in the Italian restaurant lovely but the male Manager on duty needs to go on a customer service course!!

Absolutely LOVED this place as a kid. 10000% would recommend and will hopefully be bringing my future kids here.

The treatment at this hotel is second to nothing. I rste it second only to Buckingham Palace

Supberb views. Bit expensive for every day eating. Best avoided in summer unless booking or staying..

Need a little bit of updating, however had a lovely stay with a great view.

The property is looking a bit tired but the staff are very nice and they are coping with Covid regs very well. A notice in the lift saying the wearing of a mask is mandatory would be good however. Breakfast is well catered for and the italian style cuisine restaurant is excellent.

We wanted a break away easter, booked in on good friday to find that we were on ground floor with a childrens play area directly outside our belcony. That night we had children runningup and down the corridor out side ourroom and then to end the day i had a family in room 8 next door who were so noisy keeping us awake and then in the morning waking us up. As we were showering andgetting ready inthe morning, we had to keep curtains closed as people on the terrace and play area was watching us. I think it should have been looked at on booking that we were child free andshould have been put on a differant level. One person i spoke to had 3 children and was on the fourth floor. I did ask to be moved but was told its full nothing can be done!! After a 5 hour journey u have to say very disappointed !!!!

Great Food and Service as usual. FJB Hotels always deliver.