The Carlton Hotel is in a fantastic location, directly on Bournemouth seafront, and our sea-view room had a lovely view. The room was newly decorated, and the unusual beds were very comfortable. There is a bar on the ground floor with live music, but we were not disturbed by the band from our room.
However, there were a few drawbacks. Our room was on the second floor and involved quite a lot of steps, corridors and interconnecting doors to reach it. There was no hairdryer in the room, although one was provided when requested. The Wi-Fi did not work in our room, which also meant we could not use the Smart TV.
I also struggled with the shower because the temperature control would not turn properly, so I had a very cool shower. Parking is on the road and requires a ticket from the machine, with only limited additional parking in the nearby side roads.
At £229 for a Saturday night, we felt the stay was quite expensive, although the price may have been higher because it was Goodwood Festival weekend. Overall, it has a great location, comfortable beds and attractive rooms, but it would not be our first choice if visiting again.