West Cliff is the family-hotel side of Bournemouth Pier: bigger properties, pool access on-site, a straight walk down the Zig-Zag path to the beach, and Alum Chine’s tropical gardens at the west end. It is also the closest neighbourhood to the BIC conference centre.
What West Cliff is, in three practical facts.
The West Cliff Zig-Zag is a stepped path from the clifftop down to the promenade, a 5 to 8-minute walk depending on the hotel. The cliff-lift (funicular) runs seasonally beside it. Along the top of the cliff, West Cliff Road hosts the corridor of larger family hotels (Marriott Highcliff, Collingwood, Cumberland-adjacent Britannia properties), while the quieter Priory Road end runs behind them with smaller independents and B&Bs. Alum Chine sits at the west end, 12 minutes’ walk from the Highcliff corner; Bournemouth Pier is 6 to 10 minutes east along the promenade.
The eight best hotels on West Cliff.
Featured hotel review cards render here on publish, ordered by our rating out of 10 and cross-checked against Booking.com and Tripadvisor aggregates.
Getting to West Cliff.
Bournemouth station to the Highcliff corner: 10 minutes on foot, 4 by taxi. London Waterloo to Bournemouth by train: 1h 55m direct. Southampton airport to West Cliff: 45 minutes by car. BCP parking on West Cliff Road runs £15 per day; Priory Road side streets are free after 18:00.