The Spyglass & Kettle by Greene King Inns

Hotels
Greene King's Pubs & Hotels
7.8 (1089 reviews)
25-27 Stourwood Avenue, Southbourne , Bournemouth , gb

Free
Children allowed
Pets allowed

Facilities

WiFi available
Free WiFi
Parking
Free Parking
Non-smoking rooms
Restaurant
Heating
Terrace
Family rooms
Garden
See all facilities

Review Highlights

Pros:
Great location
Friendly staff
Cons:
Cold rooms
Dated facilities

Categories

Cleanliness
7.51
Generally clean and comfortable, but some reports of cold rooms and freezing bathrooms.
Service
8.48
Staff were consistently friendly and accommodating, though some concerns raised regarding responsiveness to complaints.
Location
9.02
Great location near the beach, praised in multiple reviews.
Room Quality
6.97
Rooms were described as small, cold, and dated in some cases.
Amenities
7
Basic amenities available but some issues with heating and outdated fittings.
Value for Money
7.96
Good value for short stays, though some felt it was lacking for longer durations.
Food and Beverage
7.51
Breakfast options generally liked, but some reports of items being overcooked or cold.
Overall Experience
7.98
Generally positive experiences with some minor issues.
* This sentiment is summarized by AI based on user reviews.
Updated at: 2026-01-08 05:19

Property Description

Prime Location by the Beach
Located on Southbourne clifftop with a stunning view of the Blue Flag beach, The Spyglass & Kettle offers a perfect seaside getaway.

Comfortable Rooms with Modern Amenities
Experience a cozy stay in rooms equipped with a flat-screen TV, a hairdryer, and an en-suite bathroom, ensuring a relaxing stay.

Convenient On-Site Facilities
Enjoy the convenience of an on-site bar & lounge and pub restaurant, perfect for unwinding after a day of exploring the nearby attractions.

Experience the charm of Southbourne at The Spyglass & Kettle - Book your stay now!

Important information:

When traveling with pets, please note that an extra charge of £10 per pet, per night applies. Please note that a maximum of 1 pet is allowed per room. Please note that the property can only allow small and medium-sized dogs.
A deposit may be required at the property.

Check-in and check-out hours:
Check-out: 11:00 AM

Property Policies

  • Groups

    When booking more than 4 rooms, different policies and additional supplements may apply.

  • Parking

    Free private parking is possible on site (reservation is not needed).

  • Pets

    Pets are allowed on request. Charges may be applicable.

  • Internet

    WiFi is available in all areas and is free of charge.

  • Children and extra bed policy

    Children of any age are allowed.
    Children up to and including 2 years old stay for free when using an available cot.
    Children up to and including 12 years old stay for free when using an existing bed.
    You haven't added any extra beds.
    Any type of extra bed or child's cot/crib is upon request and needs to be confirmed by management.

Location

Guest Reviews

7.8
Based on 1089 reviews
Cleanliness: 7.51
Service: 8.48
Location: 9.02
Room Quality: 6.97
Amenities: 7
Value for Money: 7.96
Food and Beverage: 7.51
Overall Experience: 7.98
P
Philip extended_group gb
8
Great value and superb location
Pros:

Great location. Easy parking for 4 motorcycles. Friendly helpful staff.
Good food and good value

Cons:

Bedroom furniture functional but a bit tired.

2026-07-03 via Nuitee
D
David Besant couple gb
8
Pros:

Lovely friendly staff and great value for money.

Cons:

The room could do with updating

2026-07-03 via Nuitee
C
Catriona couple gb
9
Friendly, good value for money, lovely location
Pros:

Friendly, clean, great location

2026-07-03 via Nuitee
N
Nigel couple gb
8
Pros:

Great staff & location

Cons:

Nothing

2026-07-02 via Nuitee
M
Marta family_with_children gb
8
Fajne miejsce ta krótki przystanek na 1 lub dwie bo noce . Mogę polecić z czystym sumieniem .
Pros:

Lokalizacja bardzo blisko plaży .
Personel bardzo miły i pomocny .
Śniadania bardzo dobre każdy może wybrać coś dla siebie .

Cons:

Pokoje czyste jednak łazienka bardzo mała i wymaga remontu . Co najbardziej mi nie odpowiadało to okna które były brudne i tylko jedno się otwierało jednak przy 4 osobach i dużym psie fajnie by było móc otworzyć je wszystkie .

2026-06-30 via Nuitee
J
Julia solo_traveller gb
5
It was too small a room and no air as so hot
Pros:

The location was excellent and staff were friendly

Cons:

The room was so hot and no air plus verry very tiny and no fan given.No change of towels, bin emtied or tea milk top ups the next day

2026-06-29 via Nuitee
L
LINDA couple gb
2
Terrible!
Pros:

Location and breakfast

Cons:

Very rude staff. Not enough staff to handle the demand with staying and visiting guests. Never arrive on Quiz night if you want to be served! Kitchen closed at 8pm although we had booked dinner for 8pm. They reluctantly agreed to do a meal for us but then didn’t have any salad available on the hottest day in June!
The shower knobs came off in our hands and the shower when working only had boiling hot water! The staff told us to use another rooms bathroom shower ….. oh and walk back to our room in a towel! Seriously??
Only one fan in the bedroom and small sky light windows so the bedroom was like a hot oven! Medium thick quilts on the bed and the radiators were still on a low setting! This was June in a heat wave!
Rooms and bathrooms could do with some redecoration and repairs.
We ended up walking to Southbourne to get food from Sainsbury’s so we had a picnic on the cliff top. That was the best bit about our visit.

2026-06-29 via Nuitee
D
Darko couple de
8
Für uns war es eine schöne Unterkunft für eine Nacht auf dem Wege zur Fähre nach Poole.
Pros:

Die Lage ist toll, direkt am Meer, an dem schönen Strand von Boscombe Beach. Im Hotel, Restaurant und Pub mit ab und an Live-Musik. Bushaltestelle direkt am Hotel Richtung Bournemouth. Parkplatz direkt am Haus. Hotel ist allerdings schon in die Jahre gekommen.

Cons:

Duschtemperatur konnte nur sehr schwer geregelt werden, unbedingt verbessern

2026-06-28 via Nuitee
F
faith solo_traveller gb
8
2026-06-28 via Nuitee
M
Maria Leonilda solo_traveller br
3
Pros:

Estava localizado pertinho do mar!

Cons:

Tudo parecia um sacrifício enorme! As escadas íngremes e não tinha elevador.
Café da manhã pobre e nem mesmo a famosa máquina de café existia. Se queria tomar um café tinha que pagar extra ou se servir de um preto e sem leite quente. Misericórdia! Nunca vi tanto descaso!

It all felt like a huge hassle! There were steep stairs and no elevator.
The breakfast was poor, and there wasn't even the usual coffee machine. If you wanted coffee, you had to pay extra or help yourself to plain black coffee—no hot milk. Good grief! I’ve never seen such a lack of care!

2026-06-28 via Nuitee
G
Georgina Liezl couple gb
8
When we came to check in, we were told that there was no reservation under my name. Turned out that it was an internal i
Pros:

It is right next to Southbourne beach, less touristy and crowded location.

2026-06-26 via Nuitee
M
Mike solo_traveller gb
9
Pros:

Location

Cons:

All good

2026-06-25 via Nuitee
R
Rachel couple gb
10
Excellent stay
Pros:

All staff were polite and attentive.
Room was clean and large - only thing, no hair dryer in room
Location was brilliant - right across the road from the beach and free parking at hotel or in area

Cons:

Nothing

2026-06-25 via Nuitee
T
Terence family_with_children gb
7
Suited our needs
Pros:

Location

Cons:

Bathroom- the shower enclosure did not close properly. Needs updating. Also needs a shelf for toiletries etc. Only one window that was an opening window thus on a very hot evening was a bit stuffy.
Having said that we would stay again as its right opposite an entrance to the path to the beach.

2026-06-24 via Nuitee
P
Peter solo_traveller gb
8
Pros:

Location is excellent.

Cons:

We stayed during a heatwave and the room was just too hot and airless despite the fan. However, this was a very unusual situation in fairness to the venue.

2026-06-24 via Nuitee
L
Larry couple gb
6
great staff building in a sorry state
Pros:

the staff were brilliant but clearly over worked at busy times

Cons:

the whole building needs work it all looks very old and tiered and needs modernisation i noticed this as soon as we pulled up

2026-06-23 via Nuitee
D
David couple gb
2
Room poor. Breakfast service needs rethink
Pros:

Location

Cons:

Long way upstairs. Room very hot. Shower poor.

2026-06-23 via Nuitee
E
Elisabeth solo_traveller de
6
Pros:

Super Lage nah am Strand.

2026-06-23 via Nuitee
A
Amanda couple gb
4
Very disappointing all round. Would never stay here at this accommodation again
Pros:

This property was very disappointing. Our room was small and gloomy and very noisy so we had to jeep window closed and it was a hot one. Food in restaurant was very poor. I know only pub food but inedible and I.m not usually fussy. After 1 night we left. We didn't enjoy our stay one bit

Cons:

..we only liked the location. Nice beach

2026-06-22 via Nuitee
I
Ida couple at
8
Pros:

Free parking, good food, good wifi

2026-06-20 via Nuitee