Haven Hotel

Negative experience: Awful rude Manager no surprise its shut down.

Negative experience: Fine, but £11 for two coffees...

Positive experience: Lovely vacation in a great location. Big shout out to the cleaning staff. They do a fantastic job.

Fantastic experience: Beautiful hotel, excellent facial, lovely facilities. I had a very lovely birthday at The Haven Spa. The staff made my day very special, particularly my therapist Achali (first class treaatment). Finished the day sipping gorgeous wine from the hotel bar overlooking the coastline. Could not have asked for more....

Fantastic experience: Great hotel with beautiful views and sun terrace. Heated outdoor pool and access to very quiet beach. Dined in restaurant on the evening which was a delight and fantastic first class service. Catalina was a pleasure and had a great personality and truly professional. Highly recommend a stay in this hotel.

Positive experience: Fantastic setting overlooking the sea and our bedroom was excellent, although interesting decoration. The rooms were somewhat sparse. More effort could have been made on a more varied menu for the calibre of the hotel, but the Shell Bay Restaurant a 5 minute ferry ride over the water won our quest for better food!

Negative experience: After a long drive, my partner and I were looking forward to checking into our hotel room with a balcony. Followed by an afternoon drink and something to eat on the terrace , overlooking the harbour entrance and the Old Harry Rocks. We were a little surprised to find that there is no table service, so we popped into the bar to order some drinks and a couple of sandwiches , we also planned to dine in the restaurant for our stay as the menu looked good. Firstly, we were told that we can’t add the payment to our room, it is cash or card only. A little unusual to say the least! We were then told that there is no food available as the chef has left and won’t be back till 18:00, We asked for room service and we told there is no room service menu! We popped to the lovely staff on the front desk, as we thought this was ridiculous! They apologised and confirmed that management had decided this should be the case, we asked where we could get some local food! We found the ‘caff’ next to Rick Steins they were only to pleased to take our money, they provided drinks and excellent sandwiches! We both had a feeling of frustration so decided to spend our money away from the Hotel, and have booked a table at Rick Stein‘s for dinner and found another restaurant called the Guildhall Tavern in Poole for tomorrow evening! To the management: What normally happens when a guest asks for some sandwiches (in a 4* Hotel)……….a member of staff pops to the kitchen to make them! In turn your naive cost saving and reduction of service, leads to a poor review,, loss of revenue, no repeat business and the story being told to other potential guests. Just to add The staff and some of the customers at the ‘caff” were not surprised and then hold us the Haven was struggling and had low occupancy.? (I wonder if there’s any correlation to cost cutting and reduction of service?!) Do look at the ‘Which’ hotel guide which confirms that a four star hotel is expected to provide 24 hour room service and WiFi in bedrooms (none in our room!)at just under £400 per night, I would have expected far more?!! https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/uk-hotel-chains/article/hotel-star-ratings-explained-a0bgV3M8kfx2

Fantastic experience: On the point of Sandbanks, by the chain ferry, this hotel has views out to sea and across to shell bay. We stopped in for a drink as we are staying at the sister hotel along the beach. The hotel has a plush 1920s feel, like something from an Agatha Christie film. The hotel has direct beach access and its own pools, a leisure club, and spa. The restaurant looks particularly good and not too expensive from what we saw of the food. We intend to stay here on our next trip down here

Fantastic experience: Wonderful restaurant at a beautiful location offering a variety of interesting dishes. A very pleasant dining experience.

Positive experience: We have dined in the restaurant here twice and always had great food with very good service. The views from the restaurant are stunning!

Fantastic experience: My husband and I stayed from 4th August to 14th at the Haven Hotel, the views breathtaking ... all I can say is, we had a lovely time at the Haven Hotel.....we found the staff very friendly, and attentive and helpful overall our experience very good. James & Frances Miller.

Fantastic experience: I have came here a few times during the years and it is a nice place to eat and have a drink. The views are fantastic, you see the ferry and the staff is nice and polite. I really hope they won't demolish this place, it would be such a shame to put apartment buildings instead.

Positive experience: While the location is superb you can tell the owners want to demolish this place and replace it (the council won't let them). It was built in the 1880s with additions in the 1920s and is now fading into a past-its-best condition (like other places in this chain). The water pressure (2nd floor) is awful. The toilet won't flush without 3 goes. The shower is only for people under 5'5. The double bed was too short and too narrow. The breakfast was fairly good, the WiFi was OK (22 down, 9 up), the TV was fine. Room air-con and coffee machine were very good. Sea view with balcony was lovely. It's good they have EV charging points - but although rated at 7.3kW only supplied 3.1kW - and charged 95p per kWh which is very expensive at any power level but at this low rate is outrageous. The pools have missing grouting and are generally a bit grubby. Changing rooms are on a different level to the pool and showers cold and low pressure. Given the room rate of £300 per night, I do not think this is a good value place, even if you like views.

Negative experience: The view is beautiful from the restaurant, however the staff in the bar was very unprofessional - they overcharged us for a coffee and a cake and we didn't even receive a bill, and on the top they asked us where are we from. £19 for 2 coffee and cakes .. be careful and always asked for a bill!

Fantastic experience: This is our third stay of the year at The Haven Hotel; the staff are all superb, very friendly, fantastic service, cannot fault. Perfect location for our family holiday, loads of water sports close by with discount for our stay at the hotel. Thank you to our waitress Chloe and waiter Alessandro for this evenings dinner and brilliant service. The reception team were great at sorting accessibility for the room and parking space. Thank you again Jason and the team. The Hobbs family

Positive experience: Restaurant is back to good food. Book a table outside and you have a great sea view. Wine is £10 a glass but main problem is a silly pay when you order rule which is not what a gourmet restaurant should have!! Friendly staff

Positive experience: An amazing location with wonderful waterfront views. But bar and food prices are very high and service is often poor. Lots of staff hanging around trying to look busy but avoiding actually serving customers.

Positive experience: The service was unprofessional. The bar cocktails appalling. No nibbles at the bar. Location is superb and the spa facilities good. Hotel has seen better days.

Positive experience: Without a shadow of a doubt this hotel is seriously lacking qualified staff. We popped in for lunch on the terrace and first observations was the lack of warmth on arrival. The hotel was like a ghost town. We arrived just before 12 and breakfast was still on display. We took a seat on the terrace and then queued for some while for a drink. The barman was doing his best but needed more help. We later placed an order for good and to be fair this was tastey but not specifically what we’d ordered. The hotel needs updating, some serious management and direction, some trained staff and some renovations to the terrace. Even a few plants or hanging baskets would help! Great potential but not nearly there, yet.

Positive experience: Very nice location but needs more attention.We went there for a friends birthday celebration and after getting our order they told us we are sorry there is a problem at the kitchen we only have fish and chips, and chicken burger but theyvserved some other food to our next table which was not acceptable at all. The service was not satisfying. It is good for a drink but not more.

Negative experience: The location is amazing. That’s where the positives end. We are local so we didn’t stay but we did try to use the restaurant out on the terrace on a sunny day. The service is absolutely diabolical, basically laughable. No welcome, not offered menus, had to get up to ask order, service was so so slow, Things came out separately and were sent over and over to a different table instead of ours, tried to order from a waitress she said she couldn’t take the order, about 50 minutes for a round of sandwiches, Ordered regular Coke, was served diet with a presumption that was okay, that was not okay. The view was absolutely lovely and we enjoyed sitting in the sun but the service is offered by teenagers who are severely undertrained and there appears to be no management control over anything in regards to the service

Positive experience: First of all, this was booked for our honeymoon and the hotel was aware. Entering into the hotel the new member of staff was very good, the one who was training her genuinely didn't seem to care about her job. Very lackluster approach and we did not feel welcomed. Very nice touch of rose petals and swan as we entered the room, so props to the hotel for this. There was an issue with a broken fan not providing cool air (dyson hot cold) was rectified very quickly, so I cannot fault them there. I did hear other guests complaining about this issue with mixed results (some got another broken fan) We had an incident where staff were telling us to grab teacups from behind hot counters, then was told not to by breakfast supervisor. This made my pregnant (albeit very delicate wife) cry, for which I cannot fault the GM who came down and apologized, further breakfasts there were no issues with this. Inconsistent information give by staff during breakfast caused this confusion. and I believe this issue has been resolved now. Front desk staff did not seem concerned a keycard was removed from our hotel room during cleaning, I highlighted the risk for potential theft (i'm sure I was over-paranoid), but the front desk did reissue and void all key cards once highlighted someone could steal this card, steal valuables from the rooms and it looks like it was one of us. We were almost laughed at, where this sort of thing does happen (I'm sure their staff are trustworthy, but I like being safer than sorry). The hotel staff in the pool area were probably the most enthusiastic, and really helpful. We just didn't feel valued by the hotel at-all if I'm honest. Service was OK, not what we would expect for a 4 star hotel. Just felt like we was in a premier inn rather than a 4* hotel, we did not try lunch or dinner due to bad reviews. Breakfast was a standard hotel breakfast, nothing special but not a bad breakfast. Bagels would have been nice but really I'm being picky at this point. You are paying for location with this hotel, as the location is great, just really wanted something a bit more as it is a 4* hotel.

Fantastic experience: A fabulous hotel with excellent resources atmosphere and exceptional staff who go above and beyond. Access to lots of places to visit and such a beautiful setting to chill, drink and relax.

Fantastic experience: A top star hotel and restaurant in the true sense of the word. Everything including its location is special. Idyllically situated on the sun kissed golden sands of Sandbanks peninsula in Poole. A great opportunity to explore the activities of windsurfing, waterskiing and kayaking. The indoor pool provides a splash of fun, and guests can also take advantage of a sauna and steam room.

Fantastic experience: I had a brilliant time at this fantastic hotel the food ws great and the customer service very good .One member of staff Michil Banasszkiewcz was absolutely outstanding when i pointed out a problem with me re-entering the building he immediately took this to management to ensure this lookout would not happen again in the future.Also upon my partner being dissopinted that the pool was opening at 10am instead of 8am. he explained why the pool was opening up late he pulled out all stops to make the pool open at 08.30am.This young man is a credit to the company well done Michil keep up the great work.

Fantastic experience: Had a few drinks here ... (rooms were fully booked) inside and outside. Super location with indoor and outdoor poo and beach. Views of Isle if Wight can be seen from outside sitting area. Definitely will be back

Positive experience: You can't beat the location of the Haven but unfortunately the rooms are a little tired, the pool liner needed replacing years ago and looks dreadful and the staff lack a certain get up and go. We will keep going back as we love the location but we'd really appreciate the hotel pulling their socks up please!

Negative experience: Lovely views. No service. Told snack menu not available mid afternoon as they were too busy. Terrace was 1/4 occupied! Took 40 minutes and walked out. What a joke.

Positive experience: My husband and I had the excitement to visit for first time sandbanks and haven hotel . The hotel looks lovely , the staff also is very polite and friendly . Rooms were good overall . Spa facilities are great . Breakfast was nice with great choices . Our only disappointment was food from restaurant - lunch and dinner. We had fantastic service at the restaurant and the food is delicious but presentation of food wasn’t quite impressive. If you have selection of cheese for £13 I would expect at least 4 different cheeses and nice presented . But Instead we received plate with 3 pieces cheese (not even cut on slices ) , literally 3 crackers ,3 grapes , 3 celery and suspicious tasting sauce . However we requested extra crackers or something to eat that 3 pieces cheese and we received freshly baked bread which was very nice . Our last meal was for lunch and I ordered Large Cesar salad - I first received similar looking salad (pictures attached) and found on bottom 2 big boiled potatoes and the waiter was very polite to change it . The second similar with huge lettuce leafs but not crotons (I’ve attached pictures but the chef could at least chop on pieces that lettuce leafs for more presentable meal. ) as well for £15 Large salad is quite sad potion . Little more attention to details can boost to 5* the place

Fantastic experience: Nice rooms and great facilities. We preferred to take the ferry and spend the day on the beach. Such a great and convenient location. Loved it

Negative experience: This used to be the most fabulous beautiful hotel in the 1980's to the end of the early 2000's. Tablecloths every meal, dining with exquisite menus and breakfasts wonderfully served tablecloths abounded. Staff and rooms superb. Afternoon teas with pastries and cucumber sandwiches also on table cloths with draped curtains and gorgeous furniture overlooking the sea etc. A dream to stay there UNTILfrom the mid 2015 plus. We all went as a family. Shock! The dreaded modern makeover. All had been modernised in the cheapest fashion - as it is to this day. Needs a complete remakeover. No one seems to make any hotel in England BEAUTIFUL these days. They are all kitted out in the most cheap Conran style that we were only to keen to see the back of but which is back again! Taste. perhaps a French or Italian style would suit this wonderful located Hotel. Glad I know the old model and had fabulous food and comfortable beds and wonderful service. I don't know how people can give this hotel nearly full marks! No taste - the British are still at the fish and chips stage!!!! Pity......

Positive experience: We had our wedding reception at the Haven Hotel 20 years ago so decided to stay on the Saturday night (in September) to celebrate. I had been abit worried after reading some of the reviews that I would be disappointed but we had a lovely stay. The Check in process was smooth and the receptionist was friendly. We had a harbour view room which overlooked the Sandbanks ferry. The room was spotless and had everything we needed. There was tea and a coffee machine and a mini fridge. The bathroom was compact but very clean. We used the swimming pool and sauna/ steam rooms. The pool area had a few broken chairs but was clean. The hot tub was small but big enough for 2 with great views over Old Harry Rocks. The breakfast had a great selection and was refreshed regularly. The views were lovely. The hotel is pay as you go which was fine for us but could see it may be tricky if your there along time although I think atleast you can keep onto of your spend. I think it would be good if your room card allowed you to get around the hotel rather than having to put a code in however this wasn't an issue for us more a nice to have. All in all we had a lovely stay and although it may not be as new and shiny as some it was clean and the location can't be beaten. We would atay again

Fantastic experience: We were blown away by the location and the view from our balcony. The building is located so you have panoramic views of the beach and all the little coves and watch the Sandbanks ferry go back and forth. So lovely to sit in the lounge or the restaurant and have views of the sea and boats. Lovely experience. Love the private entrance to the beach and the steam and sauna is lovely and comfortable.Very clean and a lovely quiet location at night.

Fantastic experience: Boat fans must have a balcony you will not leave your room excellent, pools and fitness center and spa outdoor space and sunbathing with a beach on site .restaurant with fine dining location on the balcony 5☆

Positive experience: The rooms are hugely variable even for apparently same class. Eg we booked deluxe double 4 nights. First offering had 4ft bed and tiny room but half view of beach. After a bit of hassle asking for a larger bed we had a sea view with king size bed in small stuffy room without air con for a night then a larger room with queen sized bed without air con facing car park above housekeeping with noise in the morning. Our son had single de luxe which was lovely with 4ft. Bed , balcony and sea view with air conditioning. The spa and pool and great. Bar and food good. Staff very helpful.

Positive experience: Having spent 7 sunshine filled days at Sandbanks in Poole staying at the Haven Hotel , I can say it was a most relaxing holiday. Booking in and out was a simple process, if somewhat impersonal. The hotel operates a pay as you go system. So when vacating your room at the end of your holiday, it is a simple matter of putting your key card in a basket on your way out. The rooms were clean and the housekeeping staff delightful. Nothing was to much trouble. The breakfast ... there was ample food on offer. The quality of food left something to be desired as fairly bland. I suspect cheaper products used or it was cooked to death. The Sunday roast was delicious and tasty, which was in stark contrast to the breakfast offerings. Another meal we had was fine , but two king prawns and a bit of lettuce for £10 as a starter was not worth it .. it was nothing special. (We ate out at other places and The Anchorage restaurant nearby served excellent food and service , and value for money,which I can highly recommend. ) The location of the hotel is beautiful and the jacuzzi and swimming pool facilities fabulous . The staff worked really hard and were sometimes overwhelmed with work , running about and sweating profusely trying to do everything. The hotel is art deco in style and deserves to be a listed building , it is beautiful, a one off.

Positive experience: Love this hotel right on the beach, staff were always on hand - lovely leisure facilities - just a shame there wasn't much atmosphere in the evenings.

Positive experience: We only visited for a drink as we were staying nearby. The location is great - right on the water so you can sit outside and watch the boats go past. The drinks are actually reasonably priced which was a surprise! Thought it would be a lot more expensive. But the service was mediocre... It didn't put us off going again the next night but was a slight shame.

Fantastic experience: Pleasant and helpful staff. Amenities are plentiful with spa treatments, gym, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, Jacuzzi, steam room, sauna. Couldn't get any closer to the beach. Very inspirational location.

Fantastic experience: We are local.. and haven't visited since the pandemic. Just as lovely as it always was.. lovely staff.. and we enjoyed sitting outside in the sunshine.

Positive experience: Indoor and outdoor pool was closed when we arrived for our 1 night stay with 2 children which is shocking at the amount you pay. Room was dated. Left very unimpressed

Fantastic experience: Lovely Hotel with fantastic views. Staff friendly and efficient. We had a budget room which was very clean, pleasant and well furnished.

Negative experience: It's not often i wright a review, but feel i should on this one! Where do i start... I guess this Hotel is in a prime location with nice surroundings, but massively overpriced £££ for what you get! The hotel its self is very run down and in dire need of a refurbishment, the staff are not piratically friendly or understanding, no Air-con in our room, yet our friend's that spent the same as us (£275) for 1 night had Air-con, little sleep as the room was soooooo hot! (like 30oc at night) the beds are so small, the rooms are very dated and the building looks like a block of flats from the front! Over rated and over priced if you ask me!!! We did complain about this to the manager but he really didn't get the point we were trying to raise, all he wanted to do was just offer money back, this was not the point we were trying to get across, as this doesn't seem fair for people staying here in the future. Very pretentious!

Negative experience: The hotel is in need of a refurbishment both inside and out. Whilst it's location is superb, it looks like the odd building out situated amongst luxury. This is mirrored inside the hotel too and parts of it resemble an retirement home. Rooms are simple and old fashioned especially reflected in the polystyrene ceiling tiles. Several walls decorated in a ghastly blue and gold glitter to reflect it's location I'm guessing albeit the only impression it gives off is a depressing one. Many of the bathrooms are dark and antiquated. Service, especially breakfast is poor. Asking for a poached egg is sure to get you a frown from the staff. Give this place a bit of investment and some TLC and you've got a winner.

Positive experience: Absolutely lovely location with amazing views across Sandbanks. Hotel was nice and generally very clean. Room was good with a great view but let down was the small bath/bathroom and the jets on the bath didn't work. Also the pool facilities definitely require some TLC. For a hotel that allows children to swim they are let down by the lack of family changing areas. Only baby change as such is one in the women's changing rooms which is fine if you aren't a single dad or your child doesn't require two people to get them changed Spa was lovely and breakfast was good. The hotel was good value for money but would say that it didn't live up to 4* and definitely needs some more upkeep as generally seems tired. Staff were all friendly and helpful though so definitely helped!

Positive experience: Great location on Sandbanks, room was mid sized and reasonable. Breakfast was good. Service was generally good but couldn’t get a late drink on site. The pool and outdoor area were very good with a nice warm hot tub and gated access to and from the beach.

Positive experience: Enjoyed our three night stay. Nice, comfy hotel, with lots of facilities. The gym is excellent, the family room was spacious and lots of extras like coffee pods. A bit too hot (hottest day of the year) as the towel rail was scorching. The hotel is a little tired and could do with a bit of TLC and some little extras like, table cloths at least for the evening meals, offering coffee/tea at breakfast in stead of it all being a bit Holiday Inn Express! Location is perfect and it was nice of them to order constant sunshine! Thank you all.

Positive experience: I went out for lunch, but upon arrival, I noticed that all the outdoor tables had signs indicating they were reserved. Some people at one of the tables advised me to remove the sign and take the table, which was later confirmed by a waiter. The service was quite slow as we had to request our drinks three times and they still hadn't arrived 30 minutes after we were seated. The food was mediocre, particularly the dry chicken burger. While the place has a nice ambiance and offers a beautiful view, I cannot personally recommend it for a satisfying dining experience.

Fantastic experience: This is the 3rd time we have been here. First visits we had sea views . lovely. This time we overlooked the rear car park. Room was very spacious. Staff and food excellent. Maybe pricey but we knew this from looking at menu etc before we booked. A little tired in places but nothing horrendous

Negative experience: Amazing location, Great facilities, lovely rooms. Menu is not that great to Be honest and food takes forever to arrive. the service is scattered at best, almost comical! Could be amazing but needs a bit of work. Never 4 star. Restaurant is disappointing

Fantastic experience: Great hotel and spa facilities, excellent location with beautiful views of the sea. Breakfast was lovely. Only downside was the shower, it wasn't very powerful but overall was a great experience and will definitely go again.

Positive experience: Great hotel, fantastic location with beautiful views. Easy access to the beach and great spa facilities. The only negative is the bathroom within our room was very dated and the shower was terrible (very low water pressure). Overall a great experience and will go back again.

Positive experience: It was a great location, nice rooms, however tiny bathrooms. We had room 114 it had sea views, but under infont was the roof of the restaurant under the balcony. It was apparently the best room, but it has a very tiny bathroom. The morning views were nice to have. Breakfast was just about OK. They could improve the quality of coffee. The good thing was that it had access to the beach.

Negative experience: I feel the manager committed a race incident towards me as she singled me out and asked me if i stay in the hotel even though we just came out of thespa and asked her where our room is , she ruined our stay because we are just a bit darker then her

Positive experience: Can’t beat the location. Rooms clean. Reception and Pool Attendant were delightful. Breakfast excellent. Only downside was the shower was a bit of a mystery and took ages to get to temperature. Also we booked a late checkout but were badgered by housekeeping to leave, as they obviously hadn’t been told.

Positive experience: Live local, so have never got to try the guest experience in this hotel. We met some friends for dinner in the hotel. Staff friendly, service attentive to a point but there seems to be a lack of focus on detail. Starter of chicken terrine with no toast to accompany. Remedied. Rice pudding desert came out almost cold and we were told that the chef had microwaved it for us. Probably the solution in 99% of hotels. But guests don't need to know that. Ordered a coffee latte with syrup. Didn't have any syrup so gave me the coffee without any without an explanation or asking me if I would mind it without. I did. This location is rather tired these days. I've been a patron for at least 35 years here. It needs a refresh. Not knocking down and rebuilding with a price tag for millionaire tastes only. It seemed awfully quiet for a March weekend with skeleton staff and large areas closed off. Our friend's room was large and well equipped with dual aspect views of the harbour and ferry to Studland. Needs some focus on staff skillets and a breath of fresh air soon.

Fantastic experience: Recently had a fabulous stay at the Haven Hotel. Could not fault anything, first class service and the staff were extremely friendly and helpful. Will definitely return later this year!!

Fantastic experience: Superb hotel and really welcoming staff. The rooms and the views are wonderful. Highly recommended breakfast and evening meals. Our favourite place to visit in Dorset

Positive experience: Dated but lovely hotel, service excellent, rooms with sea view lovely, the food was great, the chef works his magic with the flavours, breakfast was OK, would have liked a wider range, ie salmon, advacado, kippers, but still nice breakfast, would recommend.

Positive experience: The Haven Hotel Sandbanks 11.2.23 On arrival at the hotel its obvious that ithe hotel needs aome investment, t's starting to look a little tired....the lettering of the hotel at the main entrance held on with Grey Gaffer Tape......not what you expect of a hotel nestled in the beautiful surrounding of Sandbanks. Reception looks tired but the welcome was warm from the staff. The views from inside the bar and restaurant are spectacular, the outside terrace area is great too. We were so taken by the views that we stopped for lunch (table 303 in the bar). The food was terrific....chef to be congratulated on quality and taste of food, we really enjoyed it. The winter lunch menu (2 or 3 courses, very good). We booked afternoon tea whilst there for a friends 80th Birthday, helped expertly by Anita (there are two Anita's, both helpful). Would love to see this hotel restored to its former glory as used to be spectacular. Its investment that's needed !! Either that or knock it down and rebuild a NEW Haven Hotel as the location is beautiful. Thanks for a good visit Julian & Amanda

Positive experience: Lovely hotel and restaurant, good food though pricey, service not that good, no please or thankyou and bar staff ignore you. Some proper ales in bottle's. Shame the deal we were there for wasn't honoured.

Fantastic experience: Great location lovely staff very nice rooms. Comfortable bed and pillows great breakfast. Access direct to beach. Higher recommend this hotel whatever the season

Positive experience: The Staff and Location make this hotel. Being right on the beach, you can just go for a stroll whenever you like, or if you stayed when we did, you can sit in the restaurant and watch the huge thunderstorms over the sea. The staff were so chatty during the storms when not much was going on. When they were busy they were very polite and nothing was too much of an ask. Being just down the road to Bournemouth made it nice as the weather quickly changed and we wasn't too far away to come back. There are SO MANY delivery food services around that you could eat anything. The hotel food was a little too high class for my picky vegetarian needs. But the breakfast was gorgeous. The entire building could do with a little bit of modernising, but for now it works as it is. The swimming pool is rather small, but there was no one else there so my partner and I had great fun swimming about. Overall was lovely. The rules on dogs could be a little clearer though, as a room near us 100% had dogs in their room. Also if you could have a word with the local Crabs, as we went crabbing for the first time in my life, and one pinched me. But it was great for crabbing and fishing! Also if you wanted to propose, this could be a fantastic place!

Fantastic experience: I didn't stay here, just came in from the rain and had coffee. It was really comfortable and so welcoming. Perhaps a good place to stay, out of the peak holiday season?

Negative experience: This is a great hotel in a prime location with stunning views. Yes, the outside looks a little dated but thats OK, the rooms are beautifully clean and having a balcony is a must. The food on the other hand is really really bad. We booked to include dinner for an extra cost of £95. What a bad mistake that was. Firstly, there is no incentive/discount to pay for this when you book in advance, secondly you will have to make sure you spend all of your credit balance as they wont give you change if you spend less than £95. We had some slow roasted pork belly for a main, the port belly tasted salty and hard like it had been slowed roasted in a microwave. I had the Panko cod as a main. never tasted anything worse in my life. A McDonalds fillet-o-fish would have won more awards. This panko cod was soo dry not even a dollop of ketchup could have revived it. they were small bits of baked crumbed cod, no larger than a reconstituted chicken nugget from Icelands, only the nugget from Iceland would have tasted better. The biggest mistake we made was to have dinner there, in hindsight it would have been much nicer to get the ferry across to the Shell Bay restaurant and have a decent meal. Breakfast at the Haven on the other hand was decent, but then again you cannot really go wrong with a breakfast. Would I stay there again? 100% yes, would i eat there again? 100% NO

Fantastic experience: The Haven is in a lovely location, it has its own private access to the beach and views across to Studland. The breakfast buffet is great, there is alot of choice. The staff are helpful and polite. The cleanliness of the hotel is fantastic. The hotel is a little dated but overall I could not fault anything, I would definitely stay there again.

Negative experience: We visited the Haven Hotel to have lunch and use the Spa for my daughter's birthday. Before we even visited the hotel we were having problems contacting the leisure centre. It appears that the Spa/Leisure Centre and Hotel are not all connected. There are different telephone numbers for each department, so you have to call several times to make bookings or enquire about the hotel services. We had booked treatments and were hoping to use the pool and sauna, however it seems that if you are not staying at the hotel you cannot use the pool or sauna. We were at the hotel from 1045 until 1600 and did not see anyone use the pool during this time. This seems very short-sighted on the part of the hotel, not allowing Merit Spa guests to use the hotel facilities. I have been on many Spa days over the years and have never not been able to use the hotel leisure facilities. The Spa itself was very good as were the ladies who provided our treatments, however I am rather hesitant to book again if I cannot use the leisure facilities. We had lunch in the Point and found the restaurant to be cold and with only a few guests. The menu was limited in options and quite expensive. I chose a chicken wrap, but was very disappointed by the lack of chicken in the wrap, there were also items in the wrap that were not on the menu. It took a while for our waiter to come and take our order and once he had brought our food to the table, we did not see him again. We even had to go to the pay desk ourselves when we were ready to leave. As stated, this was a birthday treat for my daughter and we had been looking forward to our visit for sometime, however I am not sure we will be returning.

Fantastic experience: Lovely hotel, we are here for 2 nights. Service and location are brilliant, afternoon lunch was fantastic we had crispy beef a must for nearly all. Rooms nice and clean and comfy, just feel for the money and what we have just come from in Jersey for less and a much bigger room in a 4 star hotel, prices at the Haven are a little to steep

Positive experience: A 4 star hotel without a 4 star service. Short staffed I think. Credit facilities withdrawn to improve cash flow I assume. A little niggle that for a 7 night stay we were asked each morning if we had breakfast before, often by the same manager who checked us off against a room list. I feel if the list had a little bit more detail like our names and the length of our stay it would have been the personal touch that was missing. Staff were polite but I felt a little guarded, asking if we had booked for afternoon tea in a completely empty resataraunt. Our room was clean and recently updated although a gaping hole above the basin in our bathroom that hadn't be quite finished off and only noticeable when I stood in the shower bath a few inches higher. Its tough I guess at the moment but a bit of extra time and a little bit of ink on that breakfast list could be a cost effective bonus for the Haven.

Negative experience: I would not give this hotel one star. We live locally and have often been to The Haven over the years but after visiting there today to have a few drinks and snacks on the terrace, my family were all very disappointed. We went to reception to check our car registration in and was told we couldn’t have just drinks, we had to each have an afternoon tea at a cost of £26! Bread and cakes isn’t everyone’s choice, certainly not a healthy choice and this is all they offer. The reception staff were anything but friendly and welcoming, quite the opposite, a woman who asserted her authority by telling us everything had changed was very rude and sarcastic. We will never go there again, instead we went to Rick Stein’s restaurant in Sandbanks where the staff were friendly, welcoming and accommodating. We sat on their terrace overlooking the harbour and had drinks with no obligation to have food. It was so enjoyable, the service was exceptional so we stayed and had wonderful meals there too.

Negative experience: We are local to the area and wanted to get a drink. We were told we had to buy food to go with it. We weren't hungry but my brother said he would buy something and the compere said this was fine and got us a table. When it came to ordering the compere then said we both had to buy meals. I was not hungry but ordered a £11 chicken wrap. It came and was soggy in the middle and contained hardly any chicken. Could not eat it.

Negative experience: Was in Sandbanks last August. We saw the Haven & thought we should book it next year before we go south France. I was totally gobsmacked when we saw the prices for 2 weeks. 8k for me, my other half & little boy. Let me put it this way, it cost more than our 2 week break in Cannes. Verdon Gorge here we come

Fantastic experience: Spa staff at The Haven are amazing! Nothing is too much trouble, delivered with friendly chat and smile. And Ela from the breakfast staff also deserves a special mention as quite possibly the most amiable lady with the friendliest personality, a real asset to the hotel.

Negative experience: Not what we expected, we have been coming here every summer since 2012 but not since covid until now. The standard has fallen, now barely a 4 star hotel. Friendly staff but not enough of them!. No room service, provided, not possible to charge anything to room, have to pay as you go. Restaurant menu doesn't change, dinner only until 8:30. Bar food menu very limited and uninspired compared to before and serves only until 8:30. Main bars closed, no atmosphere in the evenings. Very limited fresh fruit options for breakfast, very limited type of bread. Overall it seems the hotel is dying, seem like FJB doesn't care, a real shame. The Haven was once a great Hotel, it is in great location but now poorly managed. We probably won't be coming again.

Negative experience: Very sad.Have been coming for a few years and it's just going downhill. The hotel seemed so empty, the front bar were we used to arrive and order some food and drinks at any time of day is now closed! Few guests around the pool, no bar, we just went out on the beach with our own shop bought food. It's like they really do not care about guests and you get the feeling that you are not welcomed. Later at 3pm we were told that the only food they serve in the afternoon is afternoon tea only and nothing else and the hotel was completely empty which felt very sad. They really do not care, They are trying to strip it of every comfort even the fish tanks lights were off so really dark. Is it about electricity? Yet prices are higher and just to let you know the Sanbanks hotel is much worse!

Fantastic experience: Just had a lovely 2 night stay at this hotel Fabulous location...the food was excellent...staff very friendly and helpful Have no idea why some people have written such poor reviews. Our room was pristine and had everything you could need. We will definitely go back.....can't wait....

Negative experience: We have been coming here for many years as a staying and visiting guest. We have tried coming here twice recently to have some Sunday afternoon tea and cakes and were turned away. Management said only guests having booked a meal in the restaurant or booked to stay are allowed to come in. This hotel used to very busy. Both times we visited the hotel it was empty, now we know why. I really didn’t want to write this sad review but to be turned away twice and treated in this way was appalling, especially after all the years we have been coming here. We can only put it down to a bad management decision to turn away non staying hotel guests, even though we we were paying for Sunday afternoon tea and cakes which, was not cheap but used to be a great experience for the family and friends we used take with us.

Negative experience: Did not receive a warm welcome on arrival for afternoon tea. Not a resident and never will be now. Miserable faced restaurant assistant then enjoyed telling us he didnt have our booking and where we couldn't sit as we had small dog. Disappointing.

Fantastic experience: Fantastic weekend celebrating a wedding and combined the trip as our mini moon having just got married ourselves to recently. The staff went above and beyond to make us feel special.

Fantastic experience: Visited for dinner. All four of us loved it, great monkfish, pork belly and rack of lamb x2. There was no Malbec so we went for Brouilly, delicious so had a second bottle. Make sure to arrive early and have an aperitif in the bar, the view is worth it.

Negative experience: Having actually stayed here I’m shocked at the number of obviously fake positive reviews. Firstly, this place has the vibe of the overlook hotel from the shining only with less axe murdering and more of the following : the whole place is dirty - I ate here and got woken at 5am with food poisoning. The spa is a health hazard and should be condemned. Disabled access is a joke with one 1950s coffin style lift to service the entire hotel. The breakfast - I didn’t eat - pallid sausages and eggs that looked 5 hours old. 8 deep at the single self serve coffee machine. The staff - when I gave feedback about my stay - all I got was excuses “we’re very busy” - a shocker as I’ve stayed in better £50 hotels, and this was £280!!

Fantastic experience: Excellent location situated at the tip of Sandbank. Sandbank itself is a expensive place so hotel is bit expensive too. But definitely worth a visit . It's a great place for lunch especially with a sea view and food is delicious. Fish and chips is amazing

Fantastic experience: Excellent location, room was amazing with balcony, staff very accomadating nothing to much trouble. Would definitely visit again. One of the best hotels with a view we have stayed in.

Fantastic experience: We were here two years ago and had a really nice time. Unfortunately it has gone down hill. The hotel itself is nice and the staff are friendly enough. What's missing is the ability to serve people and manage the place. We witnessed a member of staff cleaning a table while a gentleman was seated at the table. He managed to spray him with the table cleaning spray and then proceed to clean the table pushing all the mess either on the floor or onto the chairs. You can't get a coffee at certain times of the day, or any drinks. You can't get a light snack after 15.00 so your only option is the main restaurant. Run out of crisps at the bar. Asked for a spoon with our meal which should've been given, by the time it arrived we had finished. Inadequate crockery given for the type of meal ordered. Sometimes you will be just ignored. After talking to other guests they had all said the same as us that it's gone downhill and the staff are not tentative enough. A poorly run unorganized hotel. Unfortunately this hotel is thriving on its location which to be honest is really really nice, I believe if it wasn't for the location, this place would have shut a long time ago.

Fantastic experience: My husband and I love to visit the Haven for lite lunch and glass of wine especially on a sunny day. The pork wrap is delicious and the location has spectacular views. Pieter the waiter is very friendly. Lovely peaceful atmosphere for a lazy sunny afternoon.

Positive experience: The food was superb. The room was comfortable but a bit tired. E.g. the shower was very hard to get to the right temperature.

Positive experience: A lovely place to stay the room was spotless and the breakfast plentiful. The walk along the beach was fabulous especially looking at all the beautiful properties along the way.

Positive experience: Didn't stay. This was a special Valentine Afternoon tea on Saturday last. Contents of tea were a bit measly sadly with only a few mini sandwich fingers, plus some mini cakes. Loads of cream for scones, but asked for more jam. Was told when I booked it, £50 for 2, (not over excessive), but no mention of service charge. What really made me cross, was charged an extra 75p for 2 teaspoons of jam, what was really taking the .....!

Fantastic experience: The hotel was above the expectations I had read about and reviews in my opinion. The staff were brilliant and service 10 out 10, we had our evening meals there for the 2 nights again I couldn’t fault the food or service in any way again 10 out 10. We enjoyed our stay there that much I’ve booked again for our anniversary later in the year. I personally would recommend this hotel to anyone.

Negative experience: My stay took me about 5 - 10 mins. Readon: they refuse to make u cup/pot of tea or coffee if you not taking any food with it. However, the menu in the bar is very poor for decision. Probably thats the reason why this hotel with his beautiful Seaview is dying. Sad.

Fantastic experience: Friendly and accommodating staff an absolute masterclass in customer relations. A three day festive break with a dining package that was creative and beautifully presented. Best kept secret. Hope I haven't blown it. Will be checking out tomorrow and hopefully will be able to book for a return next Christmas

Positive experience: Not as luxurious as I was expecting. The room was nice but the food (breakfast) was cold and left under a lamp to keep warm which made the food quite hard. The hot drinks tea/coffee were always luke warm. We stayed for 4 days but have enjoyed better stays at a much cheaper hotel.

Negative experience: I have just had lunch in the restaurant which I booked for a treat for my partner. I have to say I was very disappointed We did tried to have a conversation in the bar along with the builder drilling and hammering. I asked the barman if it was going to stop but not sure if he understood. Very disappointed..

Positive experience: Stayed here as part of a company Christmas party. The Standard Room was a good size, comfortable, with a nice bathroom. Food was great and better than I have had at many other large parties hosted at hotels.

Fantastic experience: Have had a really lovely couple of days stay all the staff were really helpful & friendly. We booked a sea view room which was very comfortable & slept really well we even had an Nessprsso Coffee Machine. Had a delious meal in the restaurant the first night & their was a great choice at breakfast. Didn't use the pool but it looked really inviting just didn't have enough time. Will definately be back soon!!!

Positive experience: Special occasion. Hired a room and appreciated the service and quality of the food. Found it strange that non residents were unable to get drinks from the bar.

Fantastic experience: Beautiful uninterrupted views of the sea, ferry lights and the harbour activity all round. Lovely stylish welcoming interior. Staff were friendly, efficient and polite. Food was beautifully presented with a great combination of flavours. This is a unique location. To replace the current building with blocks of flats, in this historically significant place, shows blatant disregard for our cultural heritage and contempt for tourists, visitors and the local community.

Positive experience: Enjoyed a lovely, relaxed weekend break, at this hotel, there seems to be a bit of wear and tear with the decor, all in all, the staff are friendly, professional and helpful, I would recommend booking a room with sea views and also taking a relaxing walk along the beach and also visiting within different seasons.

Fantastic experience: The haven hotel is just magical hotel fabulous beachfront location excellent breakfasts each morning lovely room with what can only be called a patio/ balcony overlooking the sea and fantastic chain ferry lovely comfy bed lovely bathroom excellent staff plus the awesome facilities of a small pool steam and sauna rooms and a wicked outdoor piping hot jacuzzi cant thank the haven hotel enough for this excellent 4 night experience a massive well done to you all keep up your excellent work.

Positive experience: This hotel is in a wonderful position. Our room had the most wonderful view over the sea and surrounding countryside. However, the hotel itself is a little tired and the room showing signs of wear. A sort of fading glory. The restaurant on the hotel was a disappointment. My fish dish was lovely but my wife's plant based paella was a real disgrace; the rice tasteless, the plant chorizo was a veg sausage chopped up with no taste. The chocolate dessert was the correct colour but had no flavour at all. That said, I would visit again, for the view, but I would give the restaurant a miss.