Smarter than the average Bear, this handsome bow-fronted Georgian coaching inn with a distinctive bear statue on a balcony is a fun hotel and local hangout, revamped in contemporary style

Hogwarts in style, this fairytale 1820s marine villa with its jumble of roofs, gables, gargoyles, towers and dormers, is set in gardens running down to a sandy beach. It delivers the usual Pig magic, with its dressed-down interiors, mismatched furniture, casual vibe, house bedrooms, shepherds' huts, thatched dovecotes, and a kitchen garden.

Within strolling distance of the town and the beach, this eco-friendly hotel in a handsome Victorian clifftop villa has smart, contemporary-style bedrooms and serves imaginative modern dishes and Sunday roasts in the restaurant and on the terrace.

Berthed on the banks of the Stour since 2006, this child-friendly, dog-friendly, glass-and-steel hotel, with the sleek lines of a cruise liner, was built for leisure and family fun, with casual and more formal dining.

Deep in Thomas Hardy country, this picture-perfect thatched cottage is a popular restaurant with rooms run with great charm by Ariane Jones and her husband, Jamie.

A fine Georgian coaching inn with strong Thomas Hardy associations, The King's Arms has characterful bedrooms and public spaces blending modern comforts with vintage finds, a dog-friendly drop-in bar with a real fire for drinks and casual dining, and a restaurant serving locally sourced pub classics and more inventive dishes.

Following a stunning redesign, this family-friendly, luxury New Forest hotel and spa continues to set the standard for country-house comfort, romance, fun and superb food.