Review: the Hampton by Hilton hotel, Bournemouth

This is my review of the Hampton by Hilton hotel in Bournemouth.

On Monday Rob reviewed the relatively new Hilton hotel in Bournemouth – click here.  I was staying next door in the Hampton by Hiton with four others, all courtesy of Rob’s Hilton Honors points, on the proviso that I updated the review I originally wrote back in 2017!

The last time I wrote something for HfP in November 2022 when I went down to Madrid for the Thompson Madrid hotel launch event. This wasn’t quite as glamorous, admittedly, but Hampton Bournemouth is still worth a visit.

The Hampton Bournemouth website is here if you want to find out more.

Hampton by Hilton properties are positioned as a ‘midscale’ brand, compared with the mainstream Hilton hotels which are considered ‘upscale’. When I first stayed here in 2017 I was unsure what to expect. Having stayed in many British seaside town hotels over the years (some awful and some truly awful), I was anxious to see whether Hampton Bournemouth was another similar property.  I was pleasantly surprised by what I found and the hotel has kept up its standards in the intervening six years.

The hotel is conveniently located just a five minute walk from the sea front or ‘Bournemouth’s world famous seven-mile promenade’ as it states on the Hilton website.  We were able to quickly pop down and enjoy a rather spectacular view of the sunset from the beach once we had checked in. There are plenty of restaurants and bars within short walking distance.

The Bournemouth International Centre is also just a few minutes walk away if you are heading to Bournemouth for an event.

We drove, but Bournemouth train station is a short taxi ride or a one mile walk away – I don’t recommend the walk if you have luggage.

The Hampton has an underground public car park which is shared with the Hilton hotel next door. You cannot book this but we found a space quickly on a Friday afternoon. I’d note that, for a new-build car park, the spaces seemed a little narrow given the width of modern cars. Parking costs £15 for 24 hours, added to your hotel bill.

Whilst the outside architecture is fairly bland and generic, walking back into the foyer after six years it still looks as good as new.  It was bright, spacious and clean and there was new artwork scattered around.

Check in was quick and easy and staff were friendly and welcoming. The rooms were booked in Rob’s name and because of his Hilton Diamond status we were all offered complimentary drinks and snacks.  Given that there were five of us spread over three rooms, none of which contained Rob who had headed to the Hilton next door in search of a suite upgrade (which he got) this was a generous gesture.

Rooms at Hampton Bournemouth

On exiting the lift and heading to our third floor twin room, the corridor continued with the bright and spacious vibe. You could tell that some effort had been made to avoid the sterile feel you often get when first discovering your room. Unfortunately I didn’t get a (admittedly marginal) sea view this time.

The Hampton by Hilton Bournemouth has 120 rooms. Queen rooms have a 150cm x 200cm bed. Queen family rooms have an additional fully sized sofa bed. Twin rooms have two 120cm x 200cm beds. Queen accessible rooms are also available.

Remember that the adjacent Hilton only has one room (I think) that allows more than two people per room, so if you want to share a room with your children then you need to go for the Hampton.

Our twin room had a modern crisp feel.  The colour scheme was agreeable throughout and the large floor to ceiling window allowed in plenty of sunlight to make the room feel welcoming.

In the corner at the foot of one bed there was a small desk with a smart looking turquoise chair which I was quite fond of. The room was not especially wide and when sat at the desk, it meant there was no room for someone to get by to look out of the window.

We were travelling light but two people with suitcases may have struggled for space, especially if staying for more than a couple of nights. There was a small luggage rack though:

The twin beds were equipped with soft crisp white bedding and were separated by a small set of drawers. Each bed had a power socket and reading light within reach.

I found the bed extremely comfy and slept well. This was helped by the fact I never heard another guest during the night or early morning. The room doors did not slam and I assume the corridors are well insulated. This was impressive as the Hampton seems to attract a lot of adult groups in town to have fun – although most guests last weekend were there to run the half marathon on Sunday.

The room had a 32-inch LED TV, tea/coffee making facilities (no biscuits!) and an alarm clock radio.

Free wifi is available throughout the hotel and was perfectly adequate for streaming purposes.

Inside the wardrobe were a handful of hangers, a hairdryer and a laundry bag. There was also an ironing board and iron.

Bathrooms at Hampton by Hilton Bournemouth

The bathroom was an adequate size with a large walk in shower. There were plenty of towels but only one hook to hang clothes or wet items. More of these would be useful in a twin room.

Toiletries, branded with Spa Therapy, are contained in wall dispensers and did the job.

Breakfast at Hampton by Hilton Bournemouth

As with all Hampton properties, breakfast is included in the price of the room. It is served from 6am to 10.00am on weekdays and until 11.00am on weekends. There are signs noting that breakfast can be very busy at weekends from 9.30am but that is no great surprise.

The breakfast area was situated directly next to the foyer reception and was busy with a mix of families and group of friends when we arrived at 9.30am. However we commandeered a table for five without any trouble and looking around I realised it was a good size dining area.

The selection of buffet hot and cold food on offer was excellent with the usual cereals, pastries, cold meat and cheese, muffins and fruit available alongside all the traditional ‘full English’ cooked items.

My favourite item was the ‘make your own waffle’ table which instantly brought back memories of hotel breakfasts in the USA. The lashings of maple syrup managed to distract me from my hangover, albeit only temporarily.

Staff were very good at refilling the various dishes so we didn’t miss out or have to wait long for a particular choice. You need to get coffee from one of the machines provided – there is no table service.

Other amenities available included a 24 hour snack bar (there is no mini bar in the room) and a small fitness centre.

Conclusion

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at the Hampton Bournemouth.

It is in a good location and would be a perfectly good place to stay for a long weekend or if attending a conference at the BIC. Whilst last weekend was expensive (£170) due to the half marathon, you can get a room for next weekend (20th) for £102 at the time of writing.

If you are looking for a romantic getaway and want to avoid families with children then the Hilton next door may be a preferable choice. It is certainly the hipper of the two hotels with its funky reception area and Skybar. But if you want a modern, functional hotel at a good price for the area, with a chance of a sea view, then the Hampton comes highly recommended.

The price premium at the Hilton seems to vary between nothing and £40 per night, with £20-£30 being most common. You would also need to factor in the cost of breakfast (not free at the Hilton) unless you had Gold or Diamond status in Hilton Honors.

The Hampton by Hilton Bournemouth hotel website is here if you want to find out more or book.

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How to earn Hilton Honors points and status from UK credit cards (January 2024)

There are various ways of earning Hilton Honors points from UK credit cards.  Many cards also have generous sign-up bonuses.

Do you know that holders of The Platinum Card from American Express receive FREE Hilton Honors Gold status for as long as they hold the card?  It also comes with Marriott Bonvoy Gold, Radisson Rewards Premium and MeliaRewards Gold status.  We reviewed American Express Platinum in detail here and you can apply here.

Did you know that the Virgin Atlantic credit cards are a great way of earning Hilton Honors points? Two Virgin Points can be converted into three Hilton Honors points. The Virgin Atlantic cards are the only Visa or Mastercard products in the UK which can indirectly earn Hilton Honors points. You can apply here.

You can also earn Hilton Honors points indirectly with:

• American Express Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Rewards Credit Card (10,000 bonus Amex points)

and for small business owners:

• American Express Business Gold (20,000 bonus Amex points)
• American Express Business Platinum (40,000 bonus Amex points)

The conversion rate from American Express to Hilton points is 1:2.

Click here to read our detailed summary of all UK credit cards which can be used to earn Hilton Honors points. 

(Want to earn more hotel points?  Click here to see our complete list of promotions from the major hotel chains or use the ‘Hotel Offers’ link in the menu bar at the top of the page.)