Not Quite a Holiday Let, Not Quite a Hotel. Marsham Court’s Apartments Are Something Better

The group accommodation problem

Most groups trying to stay together in Bournemouth face the same dilemma. Book a holiday let and you get the space and flexibility you want, but you’re on your own for everything else: no bar, no pool, no one to help if something goes wrong, and often a checkout clean that makes you feel like the hired help. Book hotel rooms and you get the service and facilities, but the group splits across different floors, mealtimes become a coordination exercise, and the whole thing loses the relaxed, together feeling you were after.

Marsham Court’s two self-catering apartments sit in the middle of that gap — and it turns out the middle is a pretty good place to be.

What the apartments actually offer

There are two apartments, both located within a private dwelling on the hotel’s grounds. The larger one sleeps up to six guests between May and September (four adults plus bunk beds for two children), making it a genuinely useful option for friend groups, extended families, or multi-generational trips. The smaller apartment sleeps up to four.

Both come with access to the hotel’s facilities, including the outdoor heated pool (available May to September) and on-site dining. So you’ve got the independence of self-catering when you want it, and a bar and restaurant on your doorstep when you don’t.

One recent guest who stayed in the six-person apartment summed it up well: “a perfect blend of an Airbnb feel but with the bonus of having the hotel for the heated pool, bar and great food — and the staff were so helpful and friendly.” They “couldn’t recommend it enough”, and are already “looking forward to visiting again.”

The dog-friendly bit

Both apartments welcome dogs, which changes the planning equation considerably for a lot of groups. Finding self-catering accommodation that takes dogs, is clean and well-maintained, has good things to do nearby, and doesn’t feel like a compromise is harder than it should be.

At Marsham Court, dogs are genuinely part of the picture rather than a reluctant afterthought — as one recent guest put it, they “loved that they could take the dog too.” Bournemouth’s beaches and the surrounding coastal paths give you plenty of options for walks, and the East Cliff location puts you close to town without being in the thick of it.

Worth knowing: a dog cleaning fee applies, so factor that in when you’re working out costs. The team can confirm current rates when you call to book.

The location

Marsham Court sits on Bournemouth’s East Cliff, which puts the seafront within easy reach and the town centre close enough to be useful without being noisy. Recent guests have found “everything on their doorstep” — exactly the kind of access a group trip needs. You want restaurants, shops and things to do close by — but you probably also want to be able to sit by a pool in relative peace the next morning.

The hotel’s facilities include on-site parking, which for a group arriving by car (with or without a dog in the boot) is less of a nice-to-have and more of a necessity.

Who the apartments work best for

• Friend groups wanting to stay together rather than split across separate rooms
• Families with children who need more space than a standard hotel room provides
• Groups who want the option to self-cater but don’t want to be entirely cut off from a kitchen
• Anyone travelling with a dog who doesn’t want to leave them out of a proper trip

The apartments aren’t suitable for guests with mobility requirements — both are on the first floor of a private dwelling with stair access only and no lift — so it’s worth checking the hotel’s accessible room options if that’s a consideration for anyone in your group.

How to book

The apartments can’t be booked online — you’ll need to call the reservations team directly on 01202 923026. That’s actually no bad thing; it means you can ask questions, confirm what you need, and get the stay set up properly from the start.

Find out more about the apartments or explore everything Marsham Court has to offer at marshamcourthotel.co.uk.