The magnificent Sandbanks Hotel sits proudly on Poole’s luxurious peninsula with sweeping views across this endless golden stretch of beach. With panoramic sea views from its pretty terrace and many of the bedrooms, the hotel looks out over the Purbecks to the West and Bournemouth and beyond to the East.
The Sandbanks is impeccably presented with enviable coastal and port views. Despite its status, its mission is to provide a relaxed, affordable and family-friendly holiday destination. The hotel provides direct access to the world-famous Sandbanks beach with beachside terrace for waterside drinks and dining.
Your stay, your way
The four-star Sandbanks Hotel has 105 rooms, many with sea or Poole Harbour views. The Standard rooms are available in single, double, king and twin layouts and are furnished with flatscreen television, en-suite with a bath, complimentary wifi, a working desk area and tea, coffee and biscuits. Seaview Doubles guarantee you a vista across Poole Bay – a relaxing reminder you’re on a beach holiday from the moment you open the curtains. You can upgrade your Seaview Double with a balcony room to get even closer to the ocean while enjoying a leisurely start to your day. Perhaps you’re tempted to choose a Poole Harbour Double room with balcony. With this, you get the same beautiful waterside views but with the added interest of watching Poole Harbour and Brownsea Island from your balcony.
Upgrade to a Deluxe Seaview Double with balcony for a separate lounge area with comfortable seating and a large en-suite bathroom. These rooms have an extra-long balcony with table and chairs – giving you a cosy corner to relax and enjoy the last of the day’s sunshine. If you’re bringing the family, the Sandbanks Hotel’s family rooms are perfect for everybody to rest after a day in the sun. The rooms can accommodate two adults and two children up to 16 years of age with an interconnecting bunk bed room or single beds.
Fun for kids
The Sandbanks Hotel is a family-friendly destination offering a packed programme of entertainment and activities for younger guests during the school holidays and plenty of fun facilities and food options all year round. The Funsters Team, featuring Captain Swash and Betty Buckle, will entertain your over-fours with games, beach activities, creative play and talent shows all day, every day over the school holidays if they want to spend time with friends while you take advantage of the facilities. The Funsters are a professional cast of entertainers, dancers and singers, DBS checked and full of energy and ideas to keep your young ones active, happy and safe.
The hotel has two adventure-packed play areas – a soft play area inside with parents’ viewing area and an outdoor pirate-themed playground with activities for children of all ages where they can climb, slide, swing and explore.
If you’re holidaying with teenagers, the hotel’s Teen Zone is a great place to hang out, make friends, try new things and have fun. Activities run in the afternoons and evenings during school holidays – ideal if they’re partial to a lay-in or don’t fancy your evening plans!
The Watersports Academy
Whether you’re a seasoned water-skier or more of a shallow-water paddler, your stay at the Sandbanks Hotel is a great opportunity to take part in and discover a whole variety of water-based activities including windsurfing, powerboating and wakeboarding. There is a dedicated kid’s club, giving thrill-seeking youngsters the opportunity to try a whole mix of watersports like paddle-boarding, sailing and ringo riding! Older teens and adults can sign up to RYA youth training courses, instructor courses and kite surfing lessons too. The Academy’s qualified and friendly instructors will help you discover a new watersport or polish your skills.
The Leisure Club
If a spot of relaxation and pampering is more your style, the hotel’s blissful leisure club has a heated 10-metre indoor swimming pool, sauna and pool-side recliners where you can enjoy a bit of ‘me-time.‘ There is also a mini gym with a range of cardio and weight machines if you’re feeling more energetic.
Divine dining
The Sandbanks Hotel is a popular beachfront dining destination for guests and day visitors drawn in by the culinary creations of Head Chef Simon Hallam and the unbeatable sea views. The aptly-titled Seaview Restaurant serves up an extensive and tempting evening menu using local ingredients featuring fresh seafood and locally-sourced meat and vegetables. There’s a dedicated children’s menu for smaller diners and dedicated times where adults can dine without the little ones. Dinner is served 7pm to 9pm daily, and the kids’ menu is available from 6pm.
Alternatively, discover the Ocean Palace Chinese restaurant at The Sandbanks Hotel – open for lunch (12pm to 2pm) and dinner (6pm to 9pm). This talented team serves up an array of tasty Asian dishes prepared and cooked in the hotel’s bespoke Chinese kitchen. To avoid disappointment, call 01202 707 377 and book your table in advance.
If you’ve stayed the night, enjoy a delicious breakfast served at the Seaview Restaurant between 7am and 10am weekdays (from 8am on weekends).
Tea for two
A traditional cream tea is served between 3 and 5.30pm with homemade scones, thick Dorset cream and fruity jam. Enjoy yours with a warming tea or coffee while you watch the waves or treat yourself to a glass of champagne or Pimm’s.
Lazy Sundays
Why don’t you combine two great British traditions – a brisk seaside walk and a Sunday roast? The Seaview Restaurant is the ideal place to gather the family for a delicious carvery without the washing up! Carvery served 12.30 to 2.30pm every Sunday.
If you’re after a lighter bite straight off the beach, the Sandbanks Beach Club serves up lots of tasty snacks on the terrace to entice you out of the water. The delicious al fresco menu tempts with stone baked pizzas, burgers and other light bites, served between 11am and 9.30pm, April to September (weather permitting).
Your special event
Holding a wedding on this pretty stretch of the world-famous Sandbanks Peninsula is an unforgettable experience. You can swap your vows while basking in panoramic sea views from the hotel’s beautiful Compass Suite or in the covered and heated terrace before spilling out onto the soft golden sand for your group photographs. The Sandbanks Hotel has its very own dedicated team of wedding planners on hand to help orchestrate your special day.
The Compass Suite is also available to host your wedding breakfast with seating for up to 100 guests. This conservatory-style room with panoramic views of the beautiful Sandbanks coastline is perfect for hosting your celebratory first meal as a married couple. The chefs at the Sandbanks can help you to design the perfect wedding menu, using fresh and locally-sourced seafood, meat and vegetables. There’s also an option to have a barbecue on the terrace if you want to take full advantage of the beachside location.
When the formalities are over, the room can be transformed into a great space where up to 150 guests can party! There’s plenty of space for your DJ or band, with a private bar and access to your own beach terrace where you can watch the sun set over your perfect day.
Business & event facilities
If you are staying here on business, there can’t be many better office backdrops than the sea views from the Sandbanks Hotel. The bedrooms come with a work desk, free wifi and plenty of tea and coffee to keep you going!
The hotel has a range of options for hosting business functions, meetings, interviews and team away days. There are six versatile suites which can accommodate events of all scales, from team catch-ups to global conferences including the Peninsula Suite which provides a raised stage and break-out areas, with sea views on one side and harbour views on the other.
The Wessex Conference Suites make up a dedicated conference centre, with four flexible rooms – ideal for hosting meetings and functions or as a training venue.
If you want to book a private dining experience for up to 40 people, La Mer Suite provides a secluded setting for business lunches or family celebrations. This room offers beautiful views of the sea and access to the beach terrace.
The Sandbanks Hotel has a professional Conference and Events team who can help you in the planning and running of your event. From room dressing to catering to team-building activities in the Watersports Academy, they will help ensure that your event runs smoothly and efficiently.
Careers at the Sandbanks Hotel
If you work in hospitality and love the look of the Sandbanks Hotel, you can search on the FJB Careers website for vacancies with this prestigious Bournemouth and Poole hotel group. Other properties in the group include the Harbour Heights Hotel and the Haven Hotel on the Sandbanks peninsula, plus the Chine Hotel in Boscombe, Bournemouth.