The Grosvenor Bournemouth, when I visited, had only just been taken over from the old Gala site, and it still shows many a sign of the old regime. Right there in reception is a huge “G” – although strictly speaking they can get away with keeping it, since they’re now Grosvenor anyway. The lighting and general look and feel of the place are still very Gala-ish, mind, and no doubt there will be a bigger refit on the way to make it fit in better with the rest of their 50-odd casinos.
It proved a bit of a challenge to get in at all, actually – evidently I have three different profiles on their computer, which at least meant I got to look at three different photos of myself, in three different states of alcohol-inspired shambles. Naturally I went with the one that looked most like my current appearance. The fattest one.
It all happens upstairs in the Grosvenor Bournemouth, so I dragged my lazy self to the top deck. It’s actually a very good sized site once you get onto the main level, and the first stop has to be the balcony, with a rather lovely view out towards the sea. Can’t think offhand of a nicer casino view in the UK to be honest, and as it was a sunny day, well, it was tremendous.
To business, though, and a tour around the floor. It was amazingly busy for a Tuesday afternoon – although actually on closer inspection there were a huge number of staff. The tables were looking a bit tired on my visit to be honest – the cloths (apparently called “layouts” by the casino people) were looking a bit shabby – once again, I expect the new Grosvenor regime will take care of that in no time. There’s also a pretty huge poker area – space is one thing they’re not short of for sure.
The décor is typical Gala, with pretty low ceilings and some extraordinary bar seats which were very comfy to sit in but exceptionally hard to get up from. I can only imagine the older generation of punter with a couple of adult beverages trying to make their exit – perhaps they have a designated chair tipper on staff. There’s another bar facility downstairs, but it doesn’t appear to be in use.
It’s a nice if dated site, and best experienced in nice weather I reckon. If you are Bournemouth, and struggling for something to – which sounds pretty feasible based on the visit I made to town – then take a look
