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Bournemouth Beach Lodges

Completed 2019

The Project

Located at Manor Steps zig zag to the east of Boscombe Pier, this project was delivered in two phases to create 24 overnight stay ‘beach lodges’ offering short term holiday accommodation throughout the year.

Each lodge offers sleeping facilities for up to 6 people, a small kitchen fitted with a fridge, hob and microwave; a hot water shower and toilet; heating; TV and Wi-Fi. Wall-to-wall bi-fold doors open out onto a timber deck overlooking the beach.

The highly insulated lodges achieve a very high year-round visitor occupancy with the summer season (April-October) and Christmas / New Year holidays being particularly popular.

The project also included a new hot food catering kiosk at promenade level, refurbished public toilets, new solar lighting bollards to the cliff zig zag and new Australian-style electric BBQs for guests to use. A new power supply was introduced down from the cliff top, together with utility stores and a lodges beach office.

Phase 1: in January 2017 fifteen huts were delivered to site, fully built and kitted out, and installed within the space of three days.

Super hut foundations complete December 2016+
Day 1 of huts - a beach hut being lifted into place+
Day 1 of huts - a beach hut being lifted into place+
Day 2 - Beach huts shown on site+
Day 3 - all beach huts on site+

Completed 2019: 24 Beach Lodges, each offering stunning views and year-round seafront holiday accommodation for up to six

A view looking down on the beach lodges+
A view of the tops of the beach lodges+
A view of the beach lodges with the nearest one open and chairs outside+
A view of the beach lodges+
A view of the inside of one of the lodges all lit up in the evening+
A sunset view of the lodges+
A view of the ocean from inside one of the lodges+

Background

This area of seafront previously hosted private beach huts across a number of terraces; due to the configuration of the low step of terraces dating back to the 1920s, the site could only be 50% occupied by beach huts in order to maintain sight lines from the huts to the beach. Existing private hut tenants have been relocated to promenade level and to a new raised terrace added just to the east of the site.

The project has delivered a new, year-round, visitor offer to the seafront and helped to improve general levels of perceived safety for all in this isolated beach area, particularly in the evenings and off-peak season.

Subsequent to project completion, the beach at Manor Steps was designated as an official Bathing Water beach for the first time, which led to the securing of a Blue Flag award.

Bournemouth Beach Lodges logo

Escape. Stay. Discover.

The Bournemouth Beach Lodges are operated in-house by the Council’s Seafront Team.

For more information visit www.bournemouthbeachlodges.co.uk

The beach lodges lit up in the dark+
Published: 14 March, 2024, Last modified:14 March, 2024

Project Details

  • Budget Phase 1 completed 2017: 1.8m, Phase 2 completed 2019: £1.4m
  • Project Lead Andrew Emery, Resort Development & Strategic Planning Manager
  • Principal Contractor Seascape
  • Lodges built by Phase 1: Ecologic Developments, Phase 2: iForm Buildings

BCP Seafront Strategy

A view of the beach and ocean from a cliff top
A bold and exciting vision for a world class seafront
Read about it