BOURNEMOUTH is one of the most popular seaside towns in the UK, pulling in millions of visitors every year to its pretty beaches.
But there’s so much more to it than just its coastline, as Michael Regenhard, who manages the Bournemouth Highcliff Hotel, reveals.
Michael Regenhardt left Germany for Bournemouth 20 years ago and he’s lived there ever since – what did he make of it when he first arrived?
He told us: “I’m German, so you look at the English and think they do all these weird and wonderful things. Then when you live here – I eat my lamb with mint sauce now – my mother will never forgive me for that.”
Michael continued: “I wear brown suede shoes now too. And when I came to Bournemouth – it was the first time I went to an amusement arcade I was given a bundle of coins and I thought ‘what do I do with this?’
“But now, when I have friends come to visit, I take them on the lift down to the beach – then we go there and their eyes light up.
“I see it with Brits too because it’s nostalgic – it takes them back to their childhood. It’s a lovely experience – then we go for fish and chips afterwards.
“You can’t get more English than that.”
Here are his top Bournemouth recommendations.
Hotels
Being the Multi Property General Manager of the beautiful Bournemouth Highcliff (and the Portsmouth Marriott) – Michael has to recommend it to visitors.
“The Highcliff is 150-years-old and was initially just four townhouses then it was converted into a hotel. Next to us we have the original coastguard cottages that Bournemouth had when the smugglers still came across the sea.
“They go back to around 1830 – and they’re part of the hotel as well. Now they’re rooms, with a little garden in front of them.”
“Winston Churchill stayed here at the beginning of World War Two – he was actually declared wartime leader at the hotel.”
Michael continued: “We have 160 bedrooms and the hotel sits on top of the cliff, so we get the best views out of most of the hotels I would say.
“We have Brasserie Blanc, it’s our restaurant partner, and we have an outdoor swimming pool.”
Restaurants
“I have one in the summer which is called El Murrino – it’s right on the beach. But it’s only open from April until September.
“It has good vibes, it has good food – it’s very simple, pizzas, burgers, salads, cocktails and beers. But it’s one of the only restaurants right on the beach.
“We have a place for Tiien Thai, which I have to say, is in my hotel. It’s not part of the hotel, but it is inside. It’s been around for almost 12 years and I think it’s the best Thai restaurant in the south.
“I’m a Panang man – it’s what I have every time I go. And they have the best crispy squid, or calamari.”
Bars
When it comes to beach bars, he said there aren’t many, but praises Aruba which overlooks the pier, saying there is “always a good vibe in there during the evening”.
He added: “We have a place called The Botanist now in the square in the old Debenhams building – it’s very beautiful and it’s on the rooftop.
“You take an old staircase up, and it is a restaurant too but they have a lovely outside bar – you overlook the square and the Lower Gardens.
“Our hotel has a bar as well, it’s part of Brasserie Blanc, they have a fantastic terrace – but that would be biased from me!”
Pubs
“One in the town centre is called The Sun which has recently been refurbished, it used to be called 60 Million Postcards.
“It has a good look to it with a big terrace.
“Then there’s a couple up in The Triangle, they’re a bit older; The Branksome is one of those.
“There’s two pubs in the main square too – like the Wetherspoons. It depends what you want.”
Date night spots
“Go back to the Urban Garden as a restaurant because you can go on a romantic walk there too through the gardens, take the staircase, it’s half in the jungle.
“Afterwards, if you’re a bit younger, I’d say go down to 1812 which is next to the BIC.
“It’s a huge building and there’s a cocktail bar inside there – it gets busy on Fridays and Saturdays.
“But it’s a nice setting, especially if you sit outside.”
Best beaches
“One really nice beach is if you go towards Sandbanks, the beach is beautiful, there aren’t any stones – but it is busy.
“During the week, it’s much quieter.
“Branksome is a lovely beach with two lovely restaurants there and it’s a nice, family-friendly spot. It’s not too busy – and you can only park in the Chines.
“I don’t think there’s a bad spot in Bournemouth though.”
Hidden gems
“One of those is Sobo Beach, which is in Southbourne. It’s very much a neighbourhood beach and is usually quiet, but busy enough that it has a good vibe.
“SOBO Beach Bar and Restaurant is great too – it’s very quirky, a bit Miami, very colourful with good music on the weekend.
“During the week it’s part of the neighbourhood where people go for coffees in the morning and so on. That’s a great beach and it’s not busy.
“If I give one tip – if you ever go to the beach, avoid the piers. Go 200 metres one way or the other, it’s just too packed.
“There are miles and miles of beach.”
Local experiences
“Past Southbourne is a little place called Tuckton, and when you speak to all the English tourists they talk about Tuckton Tea Garden – but that’s not the experience I’m talking about.
“They have a mini marina there and from there you take boat trips up to Mudeford Spit. It’s like little boats for eight or nine people, then you drive up the river a bit, go part Christchurch and come out on Christchurch Bay.
“It’s a beautiful little trip. Then when you get there you have England’s most expensive beach huts, which go for around £250,000 and over.
“They are the only beach huts where you can stay overnight and some of them have dual aspect so you can see the Isle of Wight and Christchurch Bay.
“It’s a beautiful trip. There’s a little train as well which goes to Hengistbury Head and from there you can take a bus or a cab back.
“Not many people know about that.”
Family attractions
“There’s the Oceanarium – it’s something for the whole family. It’s right on the pier, they have penguins there.
“It’s nicely done with lots of activities, quite educational – it’s a nice thing to do as a family.
“The pier has a zipwire, and a climbing centre now too. Overall, the pier has lots of little activities for families.
“As for attractions – it’s really all about the beach.”
Shopping
“I’d say Westbourne which from the hotel is a five-minute drive away.
“It’s a very nice, older kind of neighbourhood; it has an arcade with shops inside and the high street isn’t one long road, it’s more of a loop.
“They’re all very individual shops, with nice cafes, lovely restaurants – it’s all a bit quirky.
“It takes you away from the classic shopping centre – which we do have.”
Cheap food spots
“Where the pier is, there’s the Pier View Kitchen and it’s got a huge terrace, it’s half self-service and half service.
“But they have everything you need and you can pick up a bacon butty and a coffee for £5.
“It does what it says on the tin and you can look over the whole pier approach.”
Sweet treats and coffee
“There are two places that aren’t far from each other – there’s a place called Fika on Westover Road.
“It’s where the Pavilion is, and they’re really individual coffee shop, it’s a lovely place to eat, they do ice creams too – it’s very cute.
“Then there’s another coffee spot I recommend called BigWigs – it’s a family bakery that have a few places dotted through Bournemouth.
“Great pastries, cakes and great coffee – they serve Bad Hand coffee which is a local coffee roastery.
“Then you have Bad Hands itself which is up towards the Triangle, that’s where their roastery is, and they have a coffee shop now too.”
Cheap activities
“We had a group recently that hired some bikes and went all along the promenade from one end to the other. And the best time to do that? 8 o’clock in the morning – it’s stunning.
“That’s a nice way of doing some sightseeing while in Bournemouth. If you’re looking for something free to do, head to the beach.”
Cultural activities
“There’s the Russell Cotes Museum on Eastcliff in a beautiful old building which goes back over 100 years.
“It used to be family owned and the people in there loved collecting art and sculptures and it was slowly turned into a museum.
“It’s very beautiful and inside, it’s fantastic and it’s Bournemouth-centric.
“That’s from the pier, five minutes up the hill – there are also some art galleries on Westover Road if that takes your fancy.”
Best views
“So if you go over to Mudeford Spit, that is attached to Hengistbury Head – and you want to go to the oppositesidee of Sandbanks.
“It’s not a mountain, it’s a hill and it’s beautiful to walk, you can go along the beach and around it – or up and over.
“Once you’re on top of it, you see the Isle of Wight and The Needles, Swanage and Christchurch – it’s absolutely beautiful.
“When the regatta is on over on the Isle of Wight you can see all the ships too.
“The best time to do it in the early morning when it’s clearer – you can see for miles.”
Michael has some final tips as a local…
“I just say prepare for the weather! It’s one of the main things that people do wrong.
“It could be sunny and then it gets cold – which it always does in the evenings.
“As I said before there’s never the wrong weather, just the wrong clothes – and I’d say Bournemouth is just as lovely in the autumn and winter.
“It’s lovely in the summer months but it can be a bit too much – if you come out of season, October, November – it doesn’t matter, it’s still lovely. Just put your jacket on.”