Coastal Stay in Bournemouth: Stay with Breakfast, 3-course Dinner, Bottle of Prosecco & More at The 4* Cumberland Hotel

A Brutally Honest Review of the Cumberland Hotel, Bournemouth We’ve stayed at the Cumberland many times over the years. It’s a stunning Art Deco hotel—it always reminded me of something straight out of Poirot. The tribute nights have usually been great, the Christmas market stays have been lovely, and the staff — especially the bar team — are consistently polite, friendly, and a real credit to the place. Although the food is generally excellent, the breakfast service can be inconsistent, with the hot plates often failing to keep food warm. This year, we booked a 2‑night stay because we already knew the pre‑ and post‑New Year’s entertainment wasn’t usually great. We weren’t expecting much from those nights—but we were expecting Gala Night itself to be worth the money. Instead, we were left furious. We paid about £745 for what was advertised as a glamorous New Year’s Eve Gala. We also knew the prosecco on arrival was only for non‑residents this year — fine, we accepted that. We dressed up; everyone looked incredible – tuxedos, jewellery, the whole glamorous scene. The food was lovely… and that’s where the positives ended. Then the “entertainment” began. Instead of the band we were expecting, we got a duo who would have been perfect for a nursing home afternoon sing‑along. They howled, they bellowed, and it was honestly painful. The actual band — the one we assumed we’d paid for — was next door, and we weren’t allowed in. Three‑quarters of the restaurant walked out to sit in the foyer. People were complaining everywhere. The only ones enjoying it were guests in their late 70s and 80s — because that’s exactly who the entertainment seemed to be aimed at. One lady was absolutely furious — she was still ranting about it the next morning, still complaining because she couldn’t believe how badly the night had been handled. And honestly, who could blame her? I spoke to several managers who apologised and admitted they don’t vet the acts. How is that acceptable for a £745‑ish New Year’s package? I organise events myself—if I delivered something this poor, I’d expect to be held accountable. We should provide refunds or compensation to the guests who endured that disaster. Eventually, we were allowed to wander into the cheaper disco party just to salvage the night. Thankfully the DJ saved the last hour after midnight, but by then the damage was done. We spent a lot of money on what turned out to be a complete let-down. Yes, the facilities are excellent, but at that price, the entertainment should not be an afterthought. If anyone is thinking of booking New Year’s Eve at the Cumberland—don’t. Please verify the entertainment in advance, as our experience was quite disappointing. And the next day’s entertainment was just as awful. There’s only one other honest review out there — from a man named Peter — and he described the night perfectly. We were seated next to a lawyer who had been staying for seven nights, and even she was appalled. She said she’d be writing to management. Unsurprisingly, the hotel hasn’t responded to my in‑house survey either. Cumberland, you need to do better. Much better.

Relaxing weekend Decided to go away for the weekend at the last minute and the Cumberland was a good choice, we had no problem parking, the staff were friendly and helpful, and our room, a sea view with balcony, was lovely, overall we had a great relaxing weekend which is just what we wanted, we will definitely return to the Cumberland and have no problem in recommending the Hotel to friends and family.

Great visit The Cumberland Hotel Calm & relaxed atmosphere Plenty of space & well laid out Service was excellent Great explanation of all services & all questions answered. All areas of the hotel that were visited, were very clean.