Bournemouth Highcliff Marriott Hotel

Formerly four large mansions in 1873 and part of the Coastguard station, the hotel has extensive sea views.

The origin of the Bournemouth Highcliff Marriott Hotel can be traced back to 1873 when a terrace of four large mansions was in the process of being built on the West Cliff.

During the year a company was formed for the purpose of "finishing it and opening it as a monster hotel with all the most recent improvements".

Its prominent position gave it extensive views seaward, and, in those days, inland; and being new was "fitted and supplied with novelties and conveniences suitable for the requirements of first class visitors".

A few years later a two-floor, four-bay extension was added in St Michael's Road attached to the north side of the main building.

The main development in this period was the building of a large six-bay extension on the east of the hotel.

After it was de-requisitioned, the Highcliffe re-opened on May 20h 1946 with the Labour Party Conference, the first since their election victory in July 1945.

At the end of 1970, the Highcliff was closed while extensive modernisation work was carried out and a conference centre was built.

Clement Attlee, Harold Wilson, James Callaghan, Margaret Thatcher, John Major and Tony Blair and many well-known trade union leaders, have all been to the Highcliff.

[citation needed] Others who have stayed at or visited the Highcliff over the years, include Robert Louis Stevenson, who stayed in 1884 while he was looking for a house, Beatrice and Sydney Webb, Madame Prokofiev, U Thant, then Prime Minister of Burma, Rudolf Schwartz, the first post-war of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and Rudolf Nureyev.

A£6.5 million refurbishment of guest bedrooms incorporating new bathrooms and air conditioning, the main function suites and the restaurant, was begun in 2000 to adjust the hotel to Marriott standards.