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Cliff House Hotel

UK England South West England Dorset Bournemouth

OK, so it's not exactly on the cliffs, but we can forgive Cliff House Hotel this minor lapse as this is what Bournemouth's up-and-coming suburb of Southbourne has been crying out for – a boutiquey bolt hole which is, after all, barely a minute's walk from the excellent local beach. We were very impressed by the stylish bar and leafy garden of this characterful Victorian building whose previous incarnations have been a boys' school and a Salvation Army guest house. Small and intimate (there are just 14 rooms), this is still very much work in progress: some rooms are all style and modern flair, others are more traditional. But all are a good size, and the downstairs ones overlook the gardens. Proprietor Andrew Gosling is also the face behind a London catering company, FoodShow, and has plans for an in-house restaurant. For now, food consists of excellent breakfasts and a decent bar menu.