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The Merchant House

4.0 star property
Bed & breakfast with an outdoor tennis court, 5-minute walk to Poole Harbour

Choose dates to view prices

Photo gallery for The Merchant House

Restaurant
Double Room, Ensuite (Bennett) | 1 bedroom
Double Room, Ensuite (Paye) | 1 bedroom
Bathroom
Exterior
The Merchant House in Poole Old Town offers an upscale retreat. Start with a delicious breakfast, explore Poole Harbour's scenic views, enjoy free WiFi, an outdoor tennis court, and evening karaoke for fun at this well-positioned B&B.

Reviews

9.2 out of 10
Wonderful

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Free WiFi

Room options

Available filters for rooms
Showing 3 of 3 rooms

View all photos for Double Room, Ensuite (Bennett)

Double Room, Ensuite (Bennett) | 1 bedroom

Double Room, Ensuite (Bennett)

9.0 out of 10
Wonderful
(2 reviews)

Highlights

Separate bedroom
Private bathroom
Hair dryer
Coffee/tea maker
Digital channels
Iron/ironing board
Desk
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Double Room, Ensuite (Paye)

Double Room, Ensuite (Paye) | 1 bedroom

Double Room, Ensuite (Paye)

8.8 out of 10
Excellent
(3 reviews)

Highlights

Separate bedroom
Private bathroom
Hair dryer
Coffee/tea maker
Digital channels
Iron/ironing board
Desk
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

View all photos for Double Room, Ensuite (Sydenham)

Double Room, Ensuite (Sydenham) | 1 bedroom

Double Room, Ensuite (Sydenham)

9.2 out of 10
Wonderful
(5 reviews)

Highlights

Separate bedroom
Private bathroom
Hair dryer
Shower/tub combination
Coffee/tea maker
Digital channels
Iron/ironing board
Desk
  • 1 bedroom
  • Sleeps 2
  • 1 Double Bed

About the neighborhood

Map
10 Strand Street, Poole, England, BH15 1SB

What's nearby

  • Poole Quay - 3 min walk - 0.2 miles
  • Poole Harbour - 6 min walk - 0.4 miles
  • RNLI College - 8 min walk - 0.5 miles
  • Lighthouse, Poole's Centre for the Arts - 12 min walk - 0.7 miles
  • Sandbanks Beach - 11 min drive - 5.0 miles

Getting around

  • Poole Station - 12 min walk
  • Bournemouth (BOH-Bournemouth Intl.) - 27 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Poole Arms - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪Slug & Lettuce - Poole - ‬1 min walk
  • ‪The Lord Nelson - ‬2 min walk
  • ‪Banana Wharf Poole - ‬2 min walk
  • ‪Italian Gossip - ‬2 min walk

About this property

The Merchant House

Upscale bed & breakfast near Poole Harbour
The Merchant House provides everything you need. Stay connected with free WiFi in public areas.
Other perks include:
  • Breakfast (surcharge), an outdoor tennis court, and karaoke
  • Smoke-free premises
  • Guest reviews speak highly of the breakfast and location

Similar properties

Lunch and dinner served

Holiday Inn Express Poole by IHG

  • Breakfast included
  • Free WiFi
  • Restaurant
  • Air conditioning
8.2 out of 10, Very Good, 1,003 reviews
Holiday Inn Express Poole by IHG

Property amenities

Internet

  • Available in some public areas: Free WiFi

Parking and transportation

  • Extended parking on site (surcharge)

Food and drink

  • Breakfast available for a fee

Things to do

  • Karaoke
  • Outdoor tennis court

Guest services

  • No housekeeping service

Accessibility

  • No elevator

More

  • Smoking not allowed

Policies

Check-in

Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: 9:00 PM

Check-out

Check-out before 11:00 AM

Pets

Pets not allowed

Children and extra beds

Children are welcome

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card, or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts cash

We should mention

This property does not have elevators

Property is also known as

Merchant House B&B
Merchant House B&B Poole
Merchant House Poole
Merchant House B&B Poole
Bed & breakfast The Merchant House - B&B Poole
Poole The Merchant House - B&B Bed & breakfast
The Merchant House - B&B Poole
Merchant House Poole
Bed & breakfast The Merchant House - B&B
The Merchant House B B
Merchant House B&B
Merchant House
The Merchant House B B
The Merchant House Poole
The Merchant House Bed & breakfast
The Merchant House Bed & breakfast Poole

Frequently asked questions

Is The Merchant House pet-friendly?

No, pets are not allowed at this property.

How much is parking at The Merchant House?

Extended parking is available for a fee.

What time is check-in at The Merchant House?

Check-in start time: 2:00 PM; Check-in end time: 9:00 PM.

What time is check-out at The Merchant House?

Check-out is at 11:00 AM.

Where is The Merchant House located?

Located in Poole Old Town, this bed & breakfast is within a 5-minute walk of Poole Quay and Poole Harbour. RNLI College and Baiter Park are also within 10 minutes. Poole Station is 12 minutes by foot.

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Reviews

The Merchant House Reviews

9.2

Wonderful

9.4

Cleanliness

9.2

Location

9.6

Staff & service

9.2

Eco-friendliness

9.2

Property conditions & facilities
Rating 10 - Excellent. 167 out of 252 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 69 out of 252 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 8 out of 252 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 4 out of 252 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 4 out of 252 reviews

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Nicola

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Very welcoming host. Great breakfast with some unusual additions. Overall great stay.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

8/10 Good

Iver

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Charming
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2025

10/10 Excellent

Marion

Liked: Staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Great landlord and breakfast
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Jen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
This is a really cute bnb in a good central location - the quay is lovely especially when the sun is shining like it was for my stay. David is so lovely and a pleasure to talk to - Bentley is also adorable. Overall a very pleasant stay.
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2024

8/10 Good

Di

Room a bit small for two people but great situation for getting to boat trips early morning after a good breakfast. Also close to The Poole Arms pub that does good fish/ seafood.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2023

10/10 Excellent

Mick

Liked: Cleanliness, property conditions & facilities
What a fantastic work stay. Great location, great host. I felt like I was on holiday. I can’t praise the Merchant House highly enough!
Stayed 1 night in Jun 2023

8/10 Good

Nicola

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Excellent little b&b. The host was so welcoming, like a home from home. Very convenient to the quay & high street but also very peaceful. Great breakfast, quality produce with lovely homemade bread. Would highly recommend.

10/10 Excellent

Tim

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Gin and Jazz in Poole

Enjoyed our stay at the Merchant House, a real hidden gem of a place to stay in Poole. David is an excellent host, very knowledgeable of the surrounding area. He is also extremely good and talented cook, probably one of the best breakfasts we've ever had . Highly recommended and will using again on our next trip to Poole
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2022

4/10 Poor

Alistair

Cheap doesn’t need to be filthy

The place was really dirty the host was ok but our room had so much dust and dirt you could have set up an allotment in the room, the bed well there is nothing good about that, the mattress was as old as the building and the springs have gone, awful nights sleep, if we hadn’t been stay just for the night we wouldn’t have stayed,
Window sill in bathroom
Window sill in bathroom
Window sill in bathroom
Settee
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Veronica

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Home from Home,

Set in a quiet street just behind the quayside, and very near to the high street, bus garage and train station for easy access to the surrounding area, this boutique hotel is small, cosy and comfortable. With the personal touches that the friendly owner provides. My ensuite room was clean and perfect for my two night stay. I felt completely at home, with my own front door key to come and go as i pleased. David was a great host and we chatted like old friends in his kitchen diner as he prepared a great breakfast for me. He is very informative about the area, and gave recommendations for dining and places of interest. I would be happy to stay at The Merchant House again.
Stayed 2 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Ray

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
Loved this place. The owner David was very friendly and prepared an excellent breakfast! Down side is limited Parking - we had to use a multi story car park across the road from the B&B, but the 24 hour fee was reasonable. The other minus was it was very noisy in the evening. There was a group of people nearby that were chatting loudly into the early hours, which disrupted our sleep. No fault of the owner of our Property! We would recommend the Merchant House if you wish to be treated well and are not too fussed about the hustle and bustle around you. Thank you.
Stayed 1 night in Jul 2024

8/10 Good

Timothy

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
A little awkward to get to and park. A lovely host and a very character property
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2025

10/10 Excellent

Brian

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
David is a very special host And a stay at The Merchant House is a rather special experience. You are a step away from the quayside and from restaurants etc
Stayed 3 nights in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Cherry

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
David was an excellent host and the veggie breakfast that he cooked to order could not be faulted. His homemade bread is delicious. Our room was cosy, but had everything we needed. Good powerful shower :) Great location for eating along the quayside. David's restaurant recommendations were spot on.
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2025

10/10 Excellent

Richard

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Merchant House - Poole

amazing cozy hotel room. super clean. great host. English breakfast was personnally cooked for us and over the top. walking distance to everything. parking was available, however, this was off season.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2025

8/10 Good

Lars

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

The artsy experience

Your smiley-model-looking-silky-voice-tall-guy-artistic-father-of-five-contract-builder David will make your stay comfy. Artsy home. Smooth stay. Great breakfast. Nice bed with large pillows x4. Good value for money 👍
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Mark

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, amenities, property conditions & facilities
This is a unique and characterful place to stay, close to Poole Quay. David is super friendly and helpful. He is a font of knowledge on the attractions in the area. Excellent and very filling breakfast in a lovely dining area and you get to meet Bentley too.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2025

10/10 Excellent

Ellen

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

A great stay at an amazing place

We had a great stay at this interesting house. The host was friendly and helpful, the room was clean, warm and well appointed, and the breakfast was just amazing. Will stay again!
Stayed 1 night in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Olivia

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Lovely stay

The room was warm and cosy; the location was really central and easy to find. David was super friendly and made us a wonderful breakfast including home-made sourdough!
Stayed 1 night in Jan 2025

8/10 Good

Verified traveler

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort
Ideal location, Ltd parking the owner was very friendly, great service.
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Richard

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
A very individual style, with a charm of its own. Room a little small, but very quiet and fun. Many thanks. RFB
Stayed 1 night in Dec 2024

10/10 Excellent

Colin

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities

Great breakfast, ideal location

Lovely cooked breakfast. My room was a bit small, but fine for one night. Great location in middle of time, one street back from the front
Stayed 1 night in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

Sunil

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities, room comfort

Great host warm welcome

Great host and comfortable room. Cooked an excellent English breakfast and made us feel very welcome.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2024

8/10 Good

Mark

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
.
Stayed 1 night in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Christopher

Liked: Cleanliness, staff & service, property conditions & facilities
Had a great couple of nights stay at the Merchant House, David is friendly and is a great host at breakfast. And breakfast ....one of the very best we have ever had , David is a fantastic cook , feels like he is really looking after you . Would defiantly stay again .
Stayed 1 night in Aug 2024

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