Simply Bournemouth Hotels
At Simply Bournemouth Hotels, we feature selected hotels in Poole as well as hotel accommodation in nearby areas to suit every taste and budget.
Suitable Hotel Accommodation & Comfortable Surroundings
A warm welcome awaits you at our selected hotels, where polite, friendly staff are available to make sure that your stay at the hotels is both memorable and pleasurable.
With accommodation to meet a range of budgets, the selected hotels have been specially hand picked to offer easy access for sightseeing and business, a comfortable stay and hospitality, traveller facilities and business services.
Browse Poole Hotels
Poole is a coastal town, port and tourist destination, situated on the shores of the English Channel, in the ceremonial county of Dorset in southern England. The town has a population of 141,128 and is part of the South East Dorset conurbation, of which the other two principal towns are Bournemouth and Christchurch. Poole is famed for its large natural harbour, and is one of the main centres of sailing in England.
Poole is positioned on a popular stretch of coastline, with the resort of Bournemouth to the east, Studland and the Jurassic coast to the west.
Poole lies on the northern and eastern sides of Poole Harbour. The oldest part of the town (including the historic quarter of Poole, the Dolphin Shopping centre and Poole Park) lie to the south of the Holes Bay and the north of Poole Harbour. To the west of Poole is Upton. Within the northern boundaries of Poole are the settlements of Broadstone and Merley, with Wimborne lying just across the northern border. Also within the northern boundary is Canford Heath, a new settlement built on an internationally important heathland during the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Thankfully, what is left of the heath is now protected, although still in private hands. At the eastern edge of Poole, the town abutts Bournemouth and the settlements of Talbot Village, Wallisdown, Kinson, Winton and Westbourne. The administrative boundary of Poole also includes the mainly residential areas of Parkstone, Branksome and Hamworthy. The Poole areas of Wallisdown, and Talbot Village houses students who attend Bournemouth University (the administrative area and main campus of which is in fact located in Poole itself).
Sandbanks, a small sand peninsula across part of the harbour mouth (to the east of the main town centre), is so popular that it has the fourth highest land value, by area, in the world. There are exclusive homes both on Sandbanks and the area stretching east from the Harbour to The Avenue (the eastern boundary of Poole).
Poole Harbour is a popular location for watersports because it is sheltered and calm. Poole Harbour is also one of the largest centres for sailing in the UK with many yacht clubs including Lilliput Sailing Club, Parkstone Yacht Club and Poole Yacht Club. Parkstone Yacht Club has recently been hosts of the OK World Championships, numerous large National Championships as well as being organisers of Youth Week and Poole Week, two of the largest dinghy regattas of their type in the country. In 2006 they will be hosts of the J24 European Championship Regatta.
Poole's best known sports team is its motorcycle speedway team, the Poole Pirates. Poole's oldest football team is Poole Town F.C. which plays in the Wessex League Premier Division. Poole Borough F.C. play in the Dorset Premier League.
Poole's entertainment sites include Tower Park, the refurbished arts centre now known as The Lighthouse, Poole town centre itself and Bournemouth's clubs, bars and restaurants.
Poole Museum re-opens in June 2007, following a refurbishment and extension funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The extension, designed by architects Horden Cherry Lee, includes a balcony with views over the Old Town and Harbour. Entrance will be free.
Poole is twinned with Cherbourg in France.
The majority of local bus services in Poole are provided by Wilts and Dorset who are based at the town's bus station. Other services are run by Transdev Yellow Buses and Roadliner. There are limited services provided by First. Coach services to London and other destinations are operated by National Express.
Poole has four railway stations on the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo to Weymouth within the Borough. These are, from east to west, Branksome near the border with Bournemouth, Parkstone, Poole in the town centre and Hamworthy serving Hamworthy and Upton. Poole railway station has the most frequent service and is served by express and semi-fast services to and from London Waterloo and also a local stopping service between Wareham and Brockenhurst.
Poole is a cross channel port for passengers and freight with up to seven sailings a day in the peak summer season. Services to Cherbourg in France are operated by Brittany Ferries who provide a year round service. A seasonal service to the Channel Islands and St Malo, France, is run by Condor Ferries.
Poole is close to Bournemouth International Airport which is actually in the Borough of Christchurch. Again, continuing the makeover of the town, Poole may be introducing a new state-of-the-art Tram system and improved rail links. Also, with a new ferry route to Spain in the near future.
