Poole in General

Advantages: Near the Sea, lovely Harbour, pleanty to see and do
Disadvantages: Lots of holidaymakers!

POOLE: Poole is located on the southcoast of England in Dorset. It is 2 miles from bournemouth but could not be more different. With its superb beaches and beautiful natural harbour, its a hidden treasure. PLACES TO GO: Sandbanks Beach: Has been awarded the blue flag (for cleanliness and met all the standards) for the last 17 years. In peak season it is ensured that sands are sifted, cleaned and raked on a regular basis, I have been there when ...
...other beaches that spread between Poole and Bournemouth as well. It has a pay and dispaly car park, but get there early on a nice day because it gets busy! You can have Jet ski lessons, powerboat tution there as well. Not to forget Brittany ferries goes to France for day trips from Poole. You can also do day/weekend trips to Jersey and Guernsey from Poole as well. BROWNSEA ISLAND: This is a little island situated in Poole harbour, you get on a ... Read review

Advantages: Good beach. Good restaurants. Very select in parts
Disadvantages: Not cheap

...Italian friend of mine considers Poole to be the nicest coastal resort in England and he put his money where his mouth is for he sent his daughter to the Dorset town to learn English at a local language school. I have been to Poole four times-once for a job interview,the other three times on leisure trips,and must say I also rate Poole very highly. The town has a wonderful harbour which I believe is the second largest natural harbour in the world ...
...Dining out is a breeze. Poole has a lot of very good restaurants and you will also find some of the pubs serve up very tasty and economical lunches. Seafood dishes come recommended. The town also has its fair share of ethnic eateries-you will come across Chinese,Italian,French, Thai,Indian and Greek restaurants to name but a few. Shopaholics are not left out either for the Dorset resort is good for shopping and there are the sophisticated shops of ... Read review

Advantages: Never Boring, great beaches, plenty to do
Disadvantages: Harbourmaster? lol

...you haven't yet been to Poole in Dorset, this review may just change your mind. As a family we have been going now for about 15 years from when our kids were toddlers and we can still find things to do that we haven't done before. A FEW FACTS Poole is the largest natural harbour in Europe It was created during the Ice Age. It is the home to Sunseeker boats It has more blue flag awards than anywhere else in the UK It is the home of the RNLI LOCAL ...
...reached via a ferry from Poole Quay. This island is well worth a visit, you may even see some red squirrels, these are almost extinct elsewhere in the Uk. It is also the birthplace of the Scouting Association. Admission charges are £4.20 Adult, £2.00 child or £10.40 for a family. It is a haven for wildlife and peacocks roam freely. Poole Park There are loads of things to do in Poole Park and you could spend a good half day there perhaps going on ... Read review

Advantages: Beautiful beaches and a great harbour. Lovely pubs along the quayside. Dog Racing!
Disadvantages: Too much traffic- its a nightmare especially in summer!

I've been living in Poole now for three years now so I think I'm qualified to tell you the best bits and the pitfalls of a Northerner moving to the South. There are several reasons I moved here one being to be by the sea! What a plus! Poole is a lovely holiday spot and there are plenty of places to stay, eat and be entertained and with neighbouring Bournemouth not to far away, any young person's dream. But what is it like to live here for a Northerner? ...
...a flat near Bournemouth or Poole town centre or you can walk to work then you need a car. Transport here is poor. I live approximately three miles from the town centre, mini-buses run every half an hour and take 20mins, the fare is £1.30 which is 50p more than in Wakefield (my home town in West Yorkshire). If I were to travel to Westbourne (where I work- approx. 10 miles) on public transport it would probably take me one hour at least and cost £4 ... Read review

Advantages: Great place
Disadvantages: Too perfect

...surroundings. You will find Poole in Dorset, it is one of Dorsets main towns. It is often named the little sister of Bournemouth because you'll find Bournemouth only a few miles from Poole. Poole is a beautiful place with many attractions, year after year many people flock to the town for holidays and many more buy properties in the area to live in. Poole has many interesting points to consider, it homes the largest natural harbour in the world, ...
...mentioned quite a bit about Poole itself, so now I am going to go on to a place situated in the East of poole, its one of the main places and tourist attractions in Poole, Dorset, it's called Sandbanks and homes many people and tourists. Sandbanks is where my uncle lives and is known to be one of the most expensive areas in the world. Myself and my family have the lucky priviledge of going to visit my uncle and our cousin each summer for a week ... Read review

Advantages: All inclusive: good food, comfy rooms
Disadvantages: Occasionally grumpy staff, up a hill, bar closes 12

...and English. Food is also available from the All In bar throughout the day, and consists of snacks foods such as toasted sandwiches and general junk food. BAR The All in bar is open from 10am-12am and serves local drink equivilents. The staff are either friendly and jokey or moody and unpleasant. I went to the bar one night at 6 minutes to 12 and was looked at, ignored then had the shutters slammed down in front of me. After which ALL of the lights are turned off in the bar and pool area DESPITE people sitting there still - was horrified to see some older pensioners cast in darkness, which they would then have to stumble their way out of. FACILITIES We didn't use the outdoor pool but the general pool area does look a little on the shabby side, probably because the tiling is very old fashioned and requires some updating. There is also... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Fantastic facilities, services and views
Disadvantages: Expensive,

...I'm not much of a hotel person. Give me a B&B anyday. In my experience most are cold, impersonal and the facilities often sound better on paper than they are in real life. Gleneagles is different. Like any 5 star, luxury hotel Gleneagles has a lot to offer - luxury en suite rooms, top class restaurants (one with Michlin stars), sports facilities and the usual slew of services. What other hotels don't have is a choice of 4 world class gold courses, on site activities such as archery, shooting, off-road driving (suitable for kids), falconry, a maze, a wide range of sports facitilities such as tennis courts and mountain bikes. Most of my time there was spent in the luxurious Spa, which included a lap pool, a general 'fun' pool, jaccuzzi, jet pool and outdoor hot pool, steam room, sauna and plenty of loungers just to laze... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Good room cleaning and laundry
Disadvantages: entrance on 'Party Street'

...Perunika Hotel, Golden Sands, Bulgaria This hotel wa listed as 3+ stars we would award it 2 tops Hotel Fronts to Party Street. We arrived 3a.m. hotel front littered with ladies of the night and empty beer bottles. Hotel reception staff, gruff and unhelpful. normal response "I dont know" appeared to have English until addressed in English. Bedrooms clean and linen changed frequently, no complaint here other than to say we were robbed while at breakfast! only access to room possible - cleaners. Management totaly uninterested said all money should be in safety box in hotel recetion - rather impractable our main valuables were certainly there, some money you need to survive! Pool was small and shaded with approx 20 sunbeds and 1 parasol for approx 200 guests. These were expensive to hire. Pool generally unkept, pool boy slept under... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average off topic