A decent but basic 2 star hotel near Bournemouth Pier

Advantages: Good value for money and good location.
Disadvantages: Based on the price, none.

...heating radiators, but also had openable windows which looked out on to the sea. Good wardrobe space, a dressing table and draw space. The bed was comfortable enough and the linen and pillows were of a good standard. The restaurant/bar was reasonable and the staff on reception were polite and helpful. I did not have a car but there was some car parking space outside but I don't know if this would incur an extra charge. The hotel is about a 5 minute walk from Bournemouth pier and a similar distance from Bournemouth town centre. Its abour 2 Km from Bournemouth Railway Station. Hotel stays in Bournemouth are quite expensive so I'd recommend The Russell Court as one of the better value 2 star hotels to stay at....

bella6789 24.02.2009 · Read review
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Review of Russell Court Hotel, Bournemouth

Brighton Pier

Advantages: Free entry
Disadvantages: Gets very crowded

...Seaside piers seem to be a very British tradition and there are many different examples to be found in England and Wales, although oddly none exist north of the border in Scotland. Brighton's pier is one of the most famous of them all. Officially known as The Brighton Marine Palace Pier or the Palace Pier for short it officially opened in the May of 1899. By this date the Victorians and their predecessors had already built many other piers, including two earlier ones at Brighton. Brighton's first pier was constructed in 1823. This was known as The Royal Suspension Chain Pier and still existed in 1891 when construction of the Palace Pier began. At this time the Chain Pier was considered to be unsafe and was in a state of disrepair so one of the conditions attached to the construction of the new pier was that this old one was demolished...

micksheff 09.05.2009 · Read review
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Review of Brighton Pier

Ramada Encore Bournemouth - Customer Service Needs Improving

Advantages: Clean spacious rooms
Disadvantages: Customer service levels lets the hotel down

...The Ramada Encore in Bournemouth is a well placed hotel within walking distance of numerous bars and restaurants as well as the beach and surroundings attractions. At the time of writing there are over 70 Ramada hotels in the UK. ARRIVAL AND CHECK IN The hotel was easy enough to spot from the main road as it has a large sign in front to indicate its presence. We drove into the car park at the rear of the hotel and managed to find a parking space. There were also guest parking spaces at the front of the hotel and underground parking available with a lift to bring you up to reception. The car park has around 80 spaces. We were able to enter the hotel through the rear entrance and went to reception which was just a few yards away. There were two sets of people checking in but we didn?t have to wait as one set had just...

anonymili 12.08.2009 (15.08.2009) · Read review
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Review of Ramada Encore, Bournemouth

The North Pier, Blackpool

Advantages: Lots of fresh air, fully accessible by disabled visitors
Disadvantages: A small admission charge

...If you think about the main English seaside resorts then the chances are that they will have a pier. There is something very quintessentially English about seaside piers and in Britain they are largely restricted to England, with a handful in Wales and none at all north of the border in Scotland. Blackpool in the north west of England is unusual because it boasts three different piers. The North Pier, Central Pier and South Pier. As its name suggests The North Pier has the most northerly location of the three. It is also the oldest pier in the town and at 503 metres long it is also its longest pier. Eugenius Birch was drafted in to design The North Pier. He had been responsible for the design of Britain's first seaside pier at Margate. This was his second pier project and following its success he would go on to design a further...

micksheff 11.11.2008 (12.11.2008) · Read review
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Review of The North Pier, Blackpool

God Bless Piers!

Advantages: interesting stories, a lot of fun parts, his hatred for George Bush!
Disadvantages: Some name dropping!

...As it was my birthday last month I was inundated with new books, not that I am complaining but I just now need a few extra hours in each day to get through them all. I decided that I would read this one first as I did need a break from Harry Potter as I was getting Potter overload! For those of you who don?t know Piers Morgan is an ex-newspaper editor and he is now a judge on Britain?s Got Talent and also the equivalent show in America. He also still writes articles for a variety of papers and magazines. This book is entitled God Bless America and it is a diary which piers starts on 23rd October 2006 and he continues to write until 5th November 2008. He talks about his time in America and how he spends his time going back and forward between the countries. Piers does talk about how he initially hated America and thought that all...

sewbizzie 19.05.2009 · Read review
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Review of God Bless America: Misadventures of a Big Mouth Brit: Diaries of an Englishman in the Land of the Free - Piers Morgan

Queens hotel Bournemouth

Advantages: Great facilities and location
Disadvantages: Some rooms on the small side

...Getting there Our family stayed at the Queen?s Hotel Bournemouth for 2 nights back in May 2007. The drive down from North London is 112 miles and took around 3 Hours 20 Minutes which included a 30 minute stop over. The Hotel is located on Meyrick Road, just a minutes walk from the sea front and a 15 minute walk to the Pier. There is room for about 15 cars in the car park at the front of the Hotel, with room for a further 20 cars at the rear. This is free to use for guests and you give your car registration details when you check in. The hotel has 109 rooms and deluxe suites situated over 4 floors. There is a lift near the reception to all floors except lower ground which has just 6-8 steps, so the Hotel is ideal for the elderly. Rooms Choices of rooms range from four-poster bridal suite rooms to deluxe, family and executive...

eddierog 13.08.2007 · Read review
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Review of Queens Hotel, Bournemouth

Following in Orwell's footsteps on The Road To Wigan Pier.

Advantages: An Glimpse into Britain's Social history
Disadvantages: Not light reading!

...Review of 'The Road To Wigan Pier' by George Orwell. I am reviewing a paperback edition of the book, published by Penguin Classics; 272 pages, cover price £9.99. The book was first published in 1937 by Victor Gollancz. My copy was published in 2001. I picked up the The Road to Wigan Pier in a book exchange facility that I often use when travelling on my narrow boat. I had read Orwell's well known classics, 'Animal Farm' and 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' many years ago and seeing this book decided to re visit George Orwell's writing. The Book First off, how can I describe The Road To Wigan Pier? Well, it is not a novel, nor is it a work of non fiction in the way of a true life story. It is basically an account of the findings of George Orwell's tour of the industrial areas of Britain in the 1930s. I have to be honest...

brittle1906 05.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Road to Wigan Pier - George Orwell

Welcome to Sunny Bournemouth !

Advantages: Centrally located hotel in Bournemouth
Disadvantages: Old building means prone to squeaky floorboards

...I recently had to attend a course for work, which involved several overnight stays in Bournemouth. I opted to stay in the RAC rated **** Norfolk Royale Hotel, located in the central town area of Bournemouth. Arriving at the hotel, there is an area at the front where you can drive in and park whilst you check in. (You can also park in this area overnight, or in the underground carpark - each charged at £9 per night). Checking in is straightforward - although you will need to leave credit / debit card details, but this is standard practice. Reception is in the lobby area - a plush, well furbished area with comfortable chairs, an open fire and a bar. You will be given a keycard, and told where your room is. (On my visits, a porter service was not visable, although may have been available on request). The hotel itself is quite old...

SRowlands 14.10.2006 · Read review
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Review of Norfolk Royale Hotel, Bournemouth

Wigan Pier: A stroll down memory lane

Advantages: Good for older people and school groups. Theatre group excellent
Disadvantages: Hard to find. expensive if you only have a quick look round

...Wigan. It is not the most inspiring place is it? Images of cloth caps, cobbles, clogs and cotton mills spring to mind. The other major thing about Wigan is that although it is miles away from the coast it has its pier featured in the title of the George Orwell classic "The Road To Wigan Pier" and also in a number of old music hall jokes. It also inspired the building of the first heritage centre in Britain, in the early 1980s, the Wigan Pier Experience. What is the Wigan Pier Experience? The Wigan Pier Experience, as mentioned, was the first heritage centre in the country. It was built as a community initiative to bring tourism to an economically depressed community using the reputation of the pier as a starting point. The pier, which was a coal-loading device by the canal side, had long since disappeared but was resurrected...

duskmaiden 17.02.2006 · Read review
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Review of Wigan Pier

Getting around Bournemouth

Advantages: The review tells the story
Disadvantages: The review tells the story

...INTRODUCTION I thought I would write about how to get around in Bournemouth for two main reasons. The first, is that I live here/there so I am in a good position to inform people about it. The second reason, is that Bournemouth is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the United KIngdom and many people will visit at some point during their life. Before I get into the main part of the review, I will say that travelling in Bournemouth isn't pretty good or easy. That's why people need to be informed. ROAD (CAR) Bournemouth is particularly prone to heavy traffic, throughout the year. The main reason for the large number of traffic jams on the road, is as a result of the road network. As Bournemouth has grown and developed, new roads and access have had to be built. It is impossible to reach some areas of the town...

thespurs 25.07.2004 · Read review
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Review of Getting Around in Bournemouth