Why Bournemouth is the UK's best seaside escape

Ask anyone who has spent a long weekend in Bournemouth and they will tell you the same thing: it doesn''t feel like Britain. Seven miles of clean, golden sand. A bay so sheltered the sea is calm and bath-warm by July. And a microclimate that means you can often have lunch outside in March. Here is why we think Bournemouth is the UK''s most magical seaside escape — and why guests keep coming back to The Chocolate Box. THE BEACH Bournemouth Beach has won the Blue Flag award more times than we can count. The sand is fine and gentle on bare feet, the bay slopes shallow for hundreds of metres, and there are beach huts, ice cream kiosks and the famous pier all within an easy walk. From the hotel you''re on the sand in around fifteen minutes — and on a clear day you can see the Isle of Wight from the pier. THE GARDENS Few seaside towns have a green spine like Bournemouth''s. The Lower, Central and Upper Gardens stretch from the beach right up into the town, full of palms, hidden cafés, mini-golf and free music in the bandstand on summer Sundays. They are a free, year-round joy. THE WEATHER Bournemouth sits in one of the warmest, sunniest pockets of the UK. We get more sunshine hours than almost anywhere else on the mainland — which is why our courtyard is a little suntrap from spring right through to October. THE CLIFFTOPS For one of the most underrated views in Britain, walk up to the West Cliff at sunset. Watch the sky turn pink behind the Purbeck Hills and the lights come on along the pier. Bring a flask. You''ll thank us. THE FOOD From fish and chips on the beach to fine dining on the cliff, Bournemouth has grown up as a food town. (More on that in our foodie guide — and don''t miss the Café Kitchen here at the hotel, hosted by BBC MasterChef finalist Chef Kayleigh.) THE EASE Bournemouth is two hours by direct train from London Waterloo, two hours up the road from Heathrow, and has its own international airport. You can be on the beach with a cone in your hand before lunch. We could go on. Come and see for yourself — we''ll have the cava ready.