The Good Hotel Guide is the leading independent guide to hotels in Great Britain & Ireland, and also covers parts of Continental Europe. The Guide was first published in 1978. It is written for the reader seeking impartial advice on finding a good place to stay. Hotels cannot buy their way into the Guide. The editors and inspectors do not accept free hospitality on their anonymous visits to hotels. All hotels in the Guide receive a free basic listing. A fee is charged for a full web entry.
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Best hotels for walking in Dorset
Featured Hotels with Special Offers
The Priory
Wareham, Dorset
'A Night To Remember' Special Offer
There's certainly nothing monastic about this much-loved hotel, in a 'wonderful building with a cleverly added glass dining room' looking out over gardens bordered by the River Frome.
The Eastbury Hotel & Spa
Sherborne, Dorset
'Last Minute Summer Stay' Special Offer
Behind the pretty façade of a Georgian town house in an affluent market town, this hotel is a perfect retreat, with small spa, oasis garden and croquet lawn.
Plumber Manor
Sturminster Newton, Dorset
Summer/Autumn Three Night Special Offer
For over 50 years the Prideaux-Brune family have welcomed guests to their ancestral Jacobean manor house in an English country garden with the Divelish stream skipping through.
The Grange at Oborne
Sherborne, Dorset
'Spring Fling' Special Offer
Built of stone from the Purbeck hills, this 200-year-old house on the edge of the village stands in formal gardens, which are floodlit at night.
More Best hotels for walking in Dorset
The Acorn Inn
Evershot, Dorset
Thomas Hardy fans will be in their element at this local watering hole in Dorset, which was the model for 'The Sow and Acorn' in Tess of the d'Urbervilles.
The Seaside Boarding House
Burton Bradstock, Dorset
High on the cliff top above Chesil Beach, this is an effortlessly hip, relaxed, fun hotel with a Cape Cod vibe, light and airy bedrooms, a bar serving cocktails and brilliant snacks, with seriously good cooking in the restaurant.
Alexandra Hotel
Lyme Regis, Dorset
This modest Georgian house, built for the Earl and Countess of Poulett, has been much extended since Jane Austen visited and fell in love with Lyme.
Summer Lodge
Evershot, Dorset
Country-house luxury abounds at this child-friendly, dog-friendly hotel, a Georgian mansion, its ‘well-maintained gardens a huge joy to visit’.
Yalbury Cottage
Dorchester, Dorset
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.
The Ollerod
Beaminster, Dorset
Eclectic menus and stellar cooking are a big attraction at this 14th-century clergy house, now a restaurant-led hotel with recently renovated bedrooms that combine pale paint finishes with designer wallpaper.
Moonfleet Manor
Fleet, Dorset
A Georgian manor house above Chesil Beach, this is a dog- and people-friendly hotel designed for holidays and fun, catering to everyone from tinies to grown-ups with sophisticated tastes.
La Fleur de Lys
Shaftesbury, Dorset
Little has changed at this restaurant-with-rooms in its three decades, but spotless bedrooms with thoughtful touches, and a slightly retro gourmet dining experience have their own appeal.
The Pig on the Beach
Studland, Dorset
There is a hint of Castle Gormenghast about this fairytale 1820s marine villa, with its jumble of roofs, gables, gargoyles, towers and dormers, in gardens running down to a sandy beach.
The Bear
Wareham, Dorset
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
The Grosvenor Arms
Shaftesbury, Dorset
With its Tuscan columns and pedimented gable, this coaching inn appears solidly Georgian, but the interiors are contemporary, with well-equipped bedrooms, a clubby bar and dining room serving wood-fired pizzas and bistro-style dishes.
