Hotel Collingwood won't be winning any interior style prizes any time soon, but comfort is the order of the day at this family-run property, and the hotel delivers on making guests feel at home. It's a popular hotel with walkers and ramblers, as there are beautiful hikes in all directions. The building itself is simple and welcoming, in cream-colored stone with a brown roof, fronted by a few palms and leafy plants. Public spaces are well-maintained, and there are a cozy restaurant and bar with a huge dance floor -- perfect for having a jive when the nightly cabaret kicks off. The hotel is bright and airy throughout, and is decorated in calming magnolia colors, with unoffensive artwork and classy, striped curtains. Overall the atmosphere is unhurried and quiet, a natural fit with the peaceful setting.

Hotel Collingwood is ideally located for exploring the Bournemouth beach, a few minutes' walk away. It's also just a few minutes on foot from Bournemouth International Centre, which is great for music gigs. Also nearby are Bournemouth Lower Gardens and the Oceanarium, each within a five-minute walk. In about 15 minutes' drive, guests can reach either the New Forest National Park -- famed for its ponies, old-growth forest walks, and charming villages -- or Sandbanks, which has a show-stopping beach. Walkers and ramblers regularly take the picturesque walk to Sandbanks, and back again to the hotel; it's about an hour and 15 minutes each way. The quaint town of Christchurch, with its charming harbor and cute restaurants, is a 15-minute drive.

The decor and furnishings blend traditional style with more contemporary touches, but with a chain hotel feel: light wood furniture, wall-to-wall grayish carpeting, dated leather chairs, and curtains and bed runners with tired patterns. Free Wi-Fi is available in all rooms, and tea/coffee facilities and flat-screen TVs with Freeview come as standard -- though TVs are on the small side. The tiled bathrooms, in particular, feel dated and in need of a spruce up. Larger rooms have combination shower/tubs, while others have stall showers; the free toiletries are small but acceptable. Beds are comfortable and plush, but there's not much in the way of perks -- no fluffy bathrobes here. However, the sea views from some rooms are quite pleasant, and rooms are quiet.

The hotel has a great indoor swimming pool, but children need to be supervised as there isn't a lifeguard. The whirlpool is pleasant enough, as is the fitness center (if walking along the beach hasn't burned enough calories), with a good range of cardiovascular equipment including a rower and an elliptical machine. The games room has a snooker table, ping-pong table, and table foosball; the room gets plenty of natural light, and is just off the reception area. There's also a downstairs billiards room, painted in vibrant green. The ballroom is huge and perfect for line-dancing or sequence dancers, and is popular with locals as well as guests. The restaurant serves English and continental dishes for breakfast and dinner, and three-course Sunday lunch; bar snacks are available throughout the day, as are drinks from the bar. Wi-Fi and parking are free.