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The Best Boutique Hotels in Dorset, England

Dorset is brimming with charming boutique hotels and places to see, such as Gold Hill, Shaftesbury
Dorset is brimming with charming boutique hotels and places to see, such as Gold Hill, Shaftesbury | © Nick Fewings / Unsplash

With broad sweeping bays and dramatic rugged cliffs, the Jurassic Coast in Dorset is among the most popular natural attractions in the UK – and a fossil hunter’s paradise, especially along Charmouth Beach. History buffs will also find the quintessential English county brimming with stately castles, manor houses and ancient inns – some of which are now boutique hotels. Here’s our pick – bookable with Culture Trip.

The Rose and Crown

Boutique Hotel, Bed and Breakfast, Inn

Pub corner with fireplace, stools, sofa and table
Courtesy of The Rose and Crown / Expedia

This fabulously traditional inn is in the lovely Dorset village of Trent – just outside the storybook market town of Sherborne – with roots tracing as far back as the 14th century. With its crackling wood fire, authentic cask ales and friendly regular locals, it’s a quintessential pub with buckets of character. Guest rooms are inside a converted cowshed and come with top amenities such as luxury double showers, quality bedding and terraces overlooking the pretty surroundings.

The Pilot Boat

Luxury, Boutique Hotel

Cosy boutique double bedroom with nautical theme, desk and radio
Courtesy of The Pilot Boat / Expedia

The Pilot Boat is a restored Grade II-listed building set in the buckets-and-spades seaside town of Lyme Regis. A jaunty nautical vibe prevails, with stripy seating, rope lighting and numerous seafaring prints. Traditionally styled rooms come with some impressively high-end amenities, such as Dyson hairdryers, Roberts radios and White Company toiletries – as well as fab sea views. An all-day restaurant boasts a top breakfast menu, a pizza oven and cracking bloody marys.

Plumber Manor Country House Hotel

Luxury, Boutique Hotel

Double room with traditional theme, dresser and TV at Plumber Manor
Courtesy of Plumber Manor Country House Hotel / Expedia

A real slice of Dorset’s romantic past, Plumber Manor is a fine Jacobean country house still owned and run by the same family that built it in the early 17th century. Its serene garden setting is surrounded by a scenic rolling landscape as far as the eye can see. Classically elegant guest rooms are split between the main house and stone barn, many with dreamy views. What’s more, its refined restaurant is a local favourite. Resident black labs and snuffling pigs add to the country charm. You can even bring your own – dog, that is.

The Bridge House

Boutique Hotel, Independent Hotel, Hotel, Pubs with Rooms

Dining room with chairs and tables at The Bridge House
Courtesy of The Bridge House / Expedia

Few hotels can claim to have a private island, but the Bridge House is one of them. American actor and singer Telly Savalas, enamoured by the property’s lovely riverside setting, once owned it. A £2m refurbishment has since updated the hotel with smart, modern styling, especially in the restaurant and bar, where all food is sourced locally. You can also enjoy your meal from a table on the island, where you might (with luck) see its family of local otters or resident kingfisher.

The Ollerod

Hotel

Table and chairs next to a fireplace at The Ollerod
Courtesy of The Ollerod / Expedia

Set in the smart Dorset village of Beaminster, this chicly updated boutique hotel is a former clergy house dating from the 14th century. A thriving local art community has filled the interiors with all manner of paintings and sculpture. One half of the husband-and-wife team is a former Michelin-star chef, so this restaurant with rooms boasts outstanding dining. With cool modern-classic English decor, the guest rooms reflect an overall package of top-quality rural lodgings.

10 Castle Street

Boutique Hotel, Independent Hotel, Hotel

Stately hotel exterior with pristine gardens at 10 Castle Street
Courtesy of 10 Castle Street / Expedia

This Grade II-listed Palladian mansion was built in the early 17th century, and today, it’s one of the top luxury hotels in Dorset. It looks and feels every inch the stately home, with its beautifully landscaped grounds and elegant interiors. It’s home to an impressive art collection, too, with local names sharing walls with the likes of Banksy and Hirst. Dining is suitably refined, and the rooms are calming havens of high-end bedding and lovely garden views.

The Fontmell

Boutique Hotel, Budget Hotel

Grand roll top bath with garden view at The Fontmell
Courtesy of The Fontmell / Expedia

This countryside gastropub with rooms is deservedly known as one of the finest places for eating and drinking in the area. There’s everything from lobster and steak to wood-fired pizzas and fish and chips (gourmet style, of course), as well as a wine cellar that champions small, independent winemakers. Guest rooms are sumptuous with big beds and feather covers. If you’re after a treat, Room 6 features an extravagant roll-top bath – perfect for soaking à deux.

The Pig on the Beach

Hotel

Traditional hotel exterior with conservatory and big garden at The Pig on the Beach
Courtesy of The Pig on the Beach

Set in a fairytale yellow manor house, the Pig on the Beach is a gloriously quirky mix of Victoriana, rustic charm and seaside nostalgia. It’s surrounded by lush gardens, with superb views out to the Old Harry Rocks sea stacks – the easternmost point of the Jurassic Coast. The walled Kitchen Garden (a signature of the Pig mini-chain) keeps the restaurant supplied with fresh produce – the rest is locally sourced. Bedrooms fuse luxury touches with homely charm, and when you fancy some pampering, you can book a massage in the Potting Shed treatment room.

The Seaside Boarding House

Hotel

The Seaside Boarding House near the coast
Courtesy of The Seaside Boarding House / Booking.com

From the creators of the Groucho Club in London comes this homage to the classic British Edwardian hotels of old – as distinctive as it is nostalgic. It mixes rejuvenated furniture and fittings from the ’20s to the ’80s with marine salvage pieces, such as nautical paintings, to create a timeless atmosphere of seaside sophistication. Rooms are all goose down, Egyptian cotton and sea views, while an enviable setting overlooking the stunning Hive Beach, with its must-try cafe, adds to its undeniable appeal. Naturally, you’ll want to drop anchor at the hotel’s restaurant, too, where plates of Dover sole and Lyme Bay shellfish wash down nicely with crisp glasses of white wine.

Looking for more places to stay in stunning Dorset? Check out our pick of the best hotels in Dorset for every traveller, bookable on Culture Trip.

About the author

A dyed-in-the-wool Londoner now firmly rooted among the cobbled streets of old town Palma de Mallorca, left a piece of himself in Mexico some time in the last millennium and had a previous existence touring the world with a band you've probably never heard of.

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