Hotels in Poole: Old Town, Holes Bay and Sandbanks compared
Twelve Poole hotels by area: two in the Old Town 4 minutes' walk from the quay, five budget chains with on-site parking, three on Sandbanks.
Facts checked against official sources on 1 November 2026. How we research
Poole hotels by area
The table runs from the Old Town out to the Sandbanks peninsula. Rooms and parking are from each hotel's own website, read on 1 November 2026, except Holiday Inn Express, whose own site blocked automated reading: its row is from Poole Tourism's listing. Times are estimates from OpenStreetMap routing between postcodes, with no traffic, to the quay (BH15 1HJ, by the Brownsea ferry kiosks) and to the Sandbanks beach office (BH13 7QQ). Walking times are given up to about 25 minutes; beyond that, driving times.
| Hotel | Area and postcode | Rooms | Parking | Est. to Poole Quay | Est. to Sandbanks beach office | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel du Vin Poole | Old Town, Thames Street, BH15 1JN | Room count not stated. 24-hour room service, restaurant and bar | 10 spaces, £15 overnight, first come first served | 0.2 miles, 4 min walk | 5.2 miles, 14 min drive | Hotel du Vin Poole |
| The Antelope | Old Town, High Street, BH15 1BP | 23: single, double, twin and superior. No lift | Not stated | 0.2 miles, 4 min walk | 5.1 miles, 14 min drive | Greene King Inns: The Antelope |
| RNLI College | Holes Bay, West Quay Road, BH15 1HZ | 60, all with harbour views. Breakfast included when booked on its own site | Free, first come first served | 0.7 miles, 14 min walk | 4.8 miles, 13 min drive | RNLI College Hotel: book a room |
| Travelodge Poole | Holes Bay, Holes Bay Road, BH15 1LS | Standard double, family, twin and Standard Plus | Limited, free, first come first served (Smart Parking) | 0.7 miles, 15 min walk | 4.8 miles, 13 min drive | Travelodge: Poole |
| Holiday Inn Express Poole | Town centre, Walking Field Lane, BH15 1RZ | Not stated. Breakfast included | On site, charge not stated | 0.9 miles, 20 min walk | 4.5 miles, 12 min drive | Poole Tourism: Holiday Inn Express Poole |
| Premier Inn Poole Centre (Holes Bay) | Holes Bay, Holes Bay Road, BH15 2BD | Doubles, including a Standard Double with a view | Free; register the car on the reception tablet | 1.2 miles, 25 min walk | 5.3 miles, 14 min drive | Premier Inn: Poole Centre (Holes Bay) |
| Travelodge Poole North | Fleets Corner, BH17 0LA (sat nav) | Standard double, family and Standard Plus. Accessible rooms on the ground floor | 75 free spaces, first come first served | 3 miles, 8 min drive | 5.4 miles, 14 min drive | Travelodge: Poole North |
| Premier Inn Poole North | Creekmoor, Cabot Lane, BH17 7DA | Double, twin, family and accessible | Limited, free, first come first served; cars and transit vans only | 3.9 miles, 11 min drive | 6.3 miles, 17 min drive | Premier Inn: Poole North |
| The Canford | Canford Cliffs, Cliff Drive, BH13 7JF | 11 rooms above the pub | Private car park, charge not stated | 4.6 miles, 13 min drive | 1.7 miles, 5 min drive. Canford Cliffs beach 3 min walk (hotel’s figure) | The Canford |
| Harbour Heights Hotel | Sandbanks Road, BH13 7LW | Four room types, three sold on the harbour view. Spa bath in every bedroom | Free, first come first served | 4.3 miles, 12 min drive | 1.1 miles, 25 min walk | FJB Hotels: Harbour Heights rooms |
| Sandbanks Hotel | Sandbanks peninsula, BH13 7PS | Economy, family, sea-view and harbour-view rooms; direct access to the beach | Free, first come first served | 4.6 miles, 13 min drive | On the beach. Beach office 0.8 miles, 17 min walk | FJB Hotels: Sandbanks Hotel rooms |
| Haven Hotel | Tip of the Sandbanks peninsula, BH13 7QL | Sea-view, deluxe and Poole Harbour rooms; leisure club | Free, first come first served | 5.8 miles, 16 min drive | Direct beach access. Beach office 0.5 miles, 10 min walk | FJB Hotels: Haven Hotel rooms |
- Area and postcode
- Old Town, Thames Street, BH15 1JN
- Rooms
- Room count not stated. 24-hour room service, restaurant and bar
- Parking
- 10 spaces, £15 overnight, first come first served
- Est. to Poole Quay
- 0.2 miles, 4 min walk
- Est. to Sandbanks beach office
- 5.2 miles, 14 min drive
- Source
- Hotel du Vin Poole
- Area and postcode
- Old Town, High Street, BH15 1BP
- Rooms
- 23: single, double, twin and superior. No lift
- Parking
- Not stated
- Est. to Poole Quay
- 0.2 miles, 4 min walk
- Est. to Sandbanks beach office
- 5.1 miles, 14 min drive
- Source
- Greene King Inns: The Antelope
- Area and postcode
- Holes Bay, West Quay Road, BH15 1HZ
- Rooms
- 60, all with harbour views. Breakfast included when booked on its own site
- Parking
- Free, first come first served
- Est. to Poole Quay
- 0.7 miles, 14 min walk
- Est. to Sandbanks beach office
- 4.8 miles, 13 min drive
- Source
- RNLI College Hotel: book a room
- Area and postcode
- Holes Bay, Holes Bay Road, BH15 1LS
- Rooms
- Standard double, family, twin and Standard Plus
- Parking
- Limited, free, first come first served (Smart Parking)
- Est. to Poole Quay
- 0.7 miles, 15 min walk
- Est. to Sandbanks beach office
- 4.8 miles, 13 min drive
- Source
- Travelodge: Poole
- Area and postcode
- Town centre, Walking Field Lane, BH15 1RZ
- Rooms
- Not stated. Breakfast included
- Parking
- On site, charge not stated
- Est. to Poole Quay
- 0.9 miles, 20 min walk
- Est. to Sandbanks beach office
- 4.5 miles, 12 min drive
- Source
- Poole Tourism: Holiday Inn Express Poole
- Area and postcode
- Holes Bay, Holes Bay Road, BH15 2BD
- Rooms
- Doubles, including a Standard Double with a view
- Parking
- Free; register the car on the reception tablet
- Est. to Poole Quay
- 1.2 miles, 25 min walk
- Est. to Sandbanks beach office
- 5.3 miles, 14 min drive
- Source
- Premier Inn: Poole Centre (Holes Bay)
- Area and postcode
- Fleets Corner, BH17 0LA (sat nav)
- Rooms
- Standard double, family and Standard Plus. Accessible rooms on the ground floor
- Parking
- 75 free spaces, first come first served
- Est. to Poole Quay
- 3 miles, 8 min drive
- Est. to Sandbanks beach office
- 5.4 miles, 14 min drive
- Source
- Travelodge: Poole North
- Area and postcode
- Creekmoor, Cabot Lane, BH17 7DA
- Rooms
- Double, twin, family and accessible
- Parking
- Limited, free, first come first served; cars and transit vans only
- Est. to Poole Quay
- 3.9 miles, 11 min drive
- Est. to Sandbanks beach office
- 6.3 miles, 17 min drive
- Source
- Premier Inn: Poole North
- Area and postcode
- Canford Cliffs, Cliff Drive, BH13 7JF
- Rooms
- 11 rooms above the pub
- Parking
- Private car park, charge not stated
- Est. to Poole Quay
- 4.6 miles, 13 min drive
- Est. to Sandbanks beach office
- 1.7 miles, 5 min drive. Canford Cliffs beach 3 min walk (hotel’s figure)
- Source
- The Canford
- Area and postcode
- Sandbanks Road, BH13 7LW
- Rooms
- Four room types, three sold on the harbour view. Spa bath in every bedroom
- Parking
- Free, first come first served
- Est. to Poole Quay
- 4.3 miles, 12 min drive
- Est. to Sandbanks beach office
- 1.1 miles, 25 min walk
- Source
- FJB Hotels: Harbour Heights rooms
- Area and postcode
- Sandbanks peninsula, BH13 7PS
- Rooms
- Economy, family, sea-view and harbour-view rooms; direct access to the beach
- Parking
- Free, first come first served
- Est. to Poole Quay
- 4.6 miles, 13 min drive
- Est. to Sandbanks beach office
- On the beach. Beach office 0.8 miles, 17 min walk
- Source
- FJB Hotels: Sandbanks Hotel rooms
- Area and postcode
- Tip of the Sandbanks peninsula, BH13 7QL
- Rooms
- Sea-view, deluxe and Poole Harbour rooms; leisure club
- Parking
- Free, first come first served
- Est. to Poole Quay
- 5.8 miles, 16 min drive
- Est. to Sandbanks beach office
- Direct beach access. Beach office 0.5 miles, 10 min walk
- Source
- FJB Hotels: Haven Hotel rooms
Old Town and the quay
The two Old Town hotels are the only ones within 5 minutes' walk of the quay, where the Brownsea Island and harbour boats leave. Hotel du Vin Poole is on Thames Street and has ten parking spaces at £15 overnight; when they are full it sends guests to the Britannia Quayside pay and display car park behind it, which it quotes at £12.50 overnight. It takes cards only, and its page says work on the outside of the building was under way on 1 November 2026.
The Antelope on the High Street is a Greene King inn with 23 bedrooms, 30 yards from Poole Museum by its own figure. It has no lift and most showers are over baths. Check-in is from 2pm and reception is staffed 7am to 10pm. Walking times from both hotels to every boat kiosk, and BCP's overnight car park rates, are in hotels near Poole Quay.
Check prices for Hotel du Vin Poole on Expedia →
Check prices for The Antelope on Expedia →
Holes Bay and the station
RNLI College describes Holes Bay as part of Poole Harbour, and three hotels line Holes Bay Road and West Quay Road. RNLI College is the lifeboat charity's training centre; every one of its 60 bedrooms has a double bed, a pull-out sofa bed and a view across the bay. Travelodge Poole at Lifeboat Quay is staffed 24 hours, with check-in from 3pm. Premier Inn Poole Centre is the furthest up the road, and sells a Standard Double with a view as its own room type.
Holiday Inn Express Poole is on Walking Field Lane, east of the station: about 12 minutes' walk to Poole station and 20 to the quay by the routing estimate. Poole Tourism's listing gives free breakfast and on-site parking; the hotel's own site could not be read, so the parking charge is not stated here.
Check prices for RNLI College on Expedia →
Check prices for Travelodge Poole on Expedia →
Check prices for Holiday Inn Express Poole on Expedia →
Cheaper hotels in Poole
This site does not compare room prices, which change by the night. The five chain hotels in the table (two Travelodges, two Premier Inns and Holiday Inn Express) are the budget brands, and four of them publish free parking. Their family breakfast terms differ:
- Travelodge Poole and Poole North: up to two children under 15 eat breakfast for £1 each with every full-paying adult. Poole North's Bar Café serves dinner from 5pm to 10pm (Travelodge: Poole North).
- Premier Inn Poole Centre: up to two children eat breakfast free when an adult orders a Premier Inn Breakfast, under Premier Inn's terms.
- Holiday Inn Express Poole: breakfast is included, by the tourist board listing.
The two north Poole hotels are a drive from the harbour. Travelodge Poole North is on Fleets Corner Business Park, about 8 minutes from the quay by car, and Premier Inn Poole North on Cabot Lane, Creekmoor, about 11 minutes. Premier Inn Poole North's car park takes cars and transit vans only, and every car has to be entered on the tablet in reception or it gets a fine.
Hotels in Poole with parking
Eleven of the twelve hotels say they have parking on site; The Antelope is the exception. It is free at RNLI College, both Premier Inns, both Travelodges and the three FJB hotels on Sandbanks, all on a first come, first served basis; only Travelodge Poole North gives a number, 75 spaces. Hotel du Vin is the only one with a published charge, £15 overnight. The Canford has a private car park with no charge given, and Holiday Inn Express's charge is not stated.
The Antelope gives no parking at all. The nearest council option is the Quay Visitors multi-storey on Old Orchard, BH15 1SB, open 24 hours, which charges £2.60 from 6pm to 8am (BCP Council: Quay Visitors multi-storey).
Canford Cliffs and Sandbanks
The Canford is a Young's pub on Cliff Drive with 11 rooms above it, three minutes' walk from Canford Cliffs beach by its own figure, with check-in from 3pm (The Canford: contact).
On the peninsula, the three FJB hotels differ by what faces the window. Sandbanks Hotel has direct access to Sandbanks beach and sells economy and family rooms alongside sea-view and harbour-view ones. Haven Hotel, at the tip by the chain ferry, has a leisure club with indoor hydrotherapy pools and a heated outdoor pool in summer. Harbour Heights looks over Poole Harbour to Brownsea Island and has a spa bath in every bedroom. Beach access, pools and room types for all three are compared in hotels in Sandbanks.
Check prices for The Canford on Expedia →
Check prices for Sandbanks Hotel on Expedia →
Check prices for Harbour Heights Hotel on Expedia →
Check prices for Haven Hotel on Expedia →
Frequently asked questions
Which Poole hotels describe themselves as luxury?
Hotel du Vin calls itself a luxury boutique hotel on its own page, and Poole Tourism describes it as a luxurious hotel in the Old Town. This site does not rate hotels. The facilities that set the coastal hotels apart are on their own pages: Haven Hotel's leisure club and Harbour Heights' spa baths in every room.
Which Poole hotels take dogs?
Hotel du Vin, The Antelope, both Travelodges and The Canford publish dog charges, and Haven Hotel takes dogs by prior arrangement. Fees and limits are in dog-friendly hotels in Poole and Sandbanks.
Is Sandbanks in Poole or Bournemouth?
Poole. FJB Hotels gives Sandbanks Hotel, Haven Hotel and Harbour Heights Poole addresses with BH13 postcodes, as The Canford does in Canford Cliffs. For hotels on the Bournemouth side, start with where to stay in Bournemouth.
Is there a hotel near the Poole ferry terminal?
The cross-Channel ferries leave from Hamworthy, across Poole Bridge, and none of the twelve hotels here is on that side. The nearest are the Holes Bay and Old Town hotels; routes and walking times are in Poole ferry terminal.
Related guides
- Hotels near Poole Quay: walking times and overnight parking
- Hotels in Sandbanks: beach access and rooms
- Dog-friendly hotels in Poole and Sandbanks
- Boat trips from Poole: Brownsea, Swanage and harbour cruises
- Holiday parks near Bournemouth and Poole