Best Luxury Hotels in Dorset
Dorset is a diverse county. It’s the glitzy playground of the rich and famous, home to some of the nation’s best blue-flag beaches, as well as picturesque villages littered with historic thatched cottages. If you plan on staying in the UK this summer, this region will rival many overseas holiday options and is easily accessed from across the country by road, rail or air.
England, Dorset, Evershot
Summer Lodge Country House Hotel & Restaurant
(5 stars)This elegant Relais and Chateaux property and spa is found among the rolling green fields of Evershot. Listed as one of the Best Country House Hotels in Britain by The Daily Telegraph in 2019, awarded Hotel Restaurant of the Year at the Dorset Food & Drinks Awards in 2017 and voted No. 2 Top Hotel in the UK at the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards in 2017, the Lodge has an array of accolades to its name. Rooms and cottages are peaceful, and comfortable, yet regal in style. Fine dining is de rigueur, while the bar is home to over 300 whiskies.
Summer Lodge Country House Hotel & Restaurant
England, Dorset, Wareham
The Priory Hotel
(4 stars)Found on the banks of the River Frome, The Priory is an independently owned boutique hotel, with a renowned fine dining restaurant on Dorset’s south coast. Bedrooms are all unique, cosy, decorated in soft hues and furnished with unique antique pieces. Some are in the Main House, while others are right beside the water in the Boat House. The dining room – serving meals all day from breakfast through to dinner – has a classic country house feel, with green oak beams, fine china and luxury Mulberry Home interiors. Very much a grown-up residence, The Priory is reserved for guests aged 14 and over.
England, Dorset, Sturminster Newton
Plumber Manor Country House Hotel
(4 stars)Dating back to the early 17th century and found in Thomas Hardy’s homeland, Plumber Manor remains the Prideaux-Brunes family residence. As a result, the feel is homely and familial, with a warm welcome from the handpicked team of food and hospitality experts. The Jacobean manor has also been a hotel for four decades, flanked by pretty gardens and a stream. Options for activities include organised shoots, a trip to nearby Longleat and leisurely dog walks (there are a number of pooch-friendly rooms). Or spend some ‘me time’ reclining in a deckchair close to nature as you’re served some of Dorset’s finest cocktails.
England, Dorset, Poole
Hotel du Vin Poole
(4 stars)Housed in an ivy-clad Georgian Mansion surrounded by wrought iron railings, Hotel du Vin enjoys a prime setting on the quaint Town Quay. The property is a former merchant’s house, turned chic modern boutique hotel. It provides a comfortable familiarity for those already au fait with the chain and is large enough to provide facilities such as a courtyard for alfresco drinks, a bar and a bistro (serving French and British-inspired cuisine), alongside a sense of exclusivity (there are just 38 individually styled bedrooms).