With the best intentions in the world, you might hope to make it to the Bovington Tank Museum or Corfe Castle, but what you guys really come to Dorset for is the beach.

Around Bournemouth and Sandbanks, imagine soft sands and sparkling beach bars. Head to Studland, it’s a wilder coast, perfect for picnics on the dunes. Then you hit seafood territory, where the resort towns of Weymouth, Lulworth, West Bay and Lyme Regis lure weekenders with their oyster shacks and cobblestone coves.

The latter of those locations are also settings for Wonka – a fictional biopic based on everyone’s favorite candy seller, Willy Wonka, will be released in December 2023. It will star big names like Timothee Chalamet, Rowan Atkinson and Olivia Coleman, so it’s best to get there before everyone gets ready for the beach.

Arguably, all of these big names are overshadowed by Dorset’s true stardom, however. We are referring, of course, to the famous natural limestone arch that appears on many postcards in this region – Durdle Door. Located right on the Jurassic Coast near Lulworth, it’s a definite hotspot and one you’ll definitely want to visit on your vacation.

Whether you’re a beach buff, a movie buff, or simply want to see what the Southwest has to offer, we’ve rounded up the best Dorset accommodations so you’re never far from the water.

The best hotels in Dorset are:

Location: Studland

There are restaurants with rooms, and then there is The Pig hotel. This is the best of the show, in a converted 1850s clifftop mansion (once a congressman’s seaside escape), with paths leading to Middle Beach and Beautiful Knoll Beach, and lawn views to Old Harry Rocks, are just a 30-minute hike away. Flip through your menu to see The Pig’s map of local food producers – no ingredients are sourced more than 25 miles away – then marvel at what chefs can do with pork belly, radish and Dorset salmon.

Price: Doubles from £260

Book now

Location: Bournemouth

This is what the seaside town has been waiting for: a five-star hotel with a poolside setting and luxurious interiors befitting Bournemouth’s Premier League status. Miami is the hotel muse, which means tropical gardens, pink umbrellas, candy-striped loungers, cabanas, and a gorgeous 30-meter pool make SoBe a lot of money. Even if you can’t find a room, order lunch on the sunny tiled terrace, where a Candy Floss cocktail comes with an array of sweets.

Location: Chesil . Beach

Owned by the same people who run The Groucho in London, it’s more of a private members club – maybe a fancy house party – than a bed and breakfast. on the beach. There are only nine rooms, each with sea views, sometimes from a mahogany bed or a foot bath if you’re lucky. There is no beach more photogenic than this stretch – so beautiful it was used as the site for the classic British crime scene Broadchurch Church.

Price: Doubles from £245

Book now

Location: Wareham

Start your weekend in style and head to The Priory by water – it’s on the banks of the Wareham River, reachable by any of the classic boat tours departing from Poole Quay; affordable but unforgettable. Then, settle in for an adult, gourmet getaway (no kids under 14 here), among the wood paneling, exposed rafters, and tiled floors. Wareham itself is an old market town (buzzing Saturday mornings) and premier territory, where pub gardens roll to the water’s edge and yachts drift by as if life were a canvas.

Location: Near Weymouth

Yes, you’re a parent, but that doesn’t mean you’re doomed to a lifetime of clean vacations. That’s why you’ll love the historic Moonfleet Manor, one of five luxury family hotels in the UK, each offering adults a country-style hotel experience, even if they don’t. accompanied by small children. That means you can expect four-poster beds, grand salons for iced tea and manicured gardens, but suites also feature bunk beds and dining spots that offer games. play to distract the kids and plastic cutlery to save you sweat on antique crockery. Better yet, you’re right on the Southwest Coast Road here, where you can take a big walk, or just step outside to pet the sheep that keep the hikers company. .

Location: Lyme Regis

You couldn’t be closer to the water in the old school pub that has these rooms – The English Channel literally drifts under your table, visible from the glass-walled breakfast room hanging over the sea. Owned by cool Cornish St Austell Brewery, the rooms have a trendy English beach house vibe: raw linen cushions; frayed velvet armchair; Traditional seaside oil paintings alongside contemporary black and white photographs. The best room was on the top of the building at the porch, with a beautiful view of the sea, although it was inaccessible due to the aerial rope railing stairs.

Location: Portland Island

If you’re splurging on your annual bonus, you’ll want Penn Castle, which can seat up to 20 people and impresses with a pool in the Orangery and dining room that once hosted Winston Churchill. If it’s a special week, you’ll probably enjoy one of the modern ‘Clifftops’ homes that jut out of the hillside, making it feel as if you could throw skimmers all the way to France. Or if you’re saving money on a Dorset crab dinner, then that’s Cove Park for you: a collection of caravans, cottages and sleeping pods with sea-like views throughout The Penn Estate, but at an affordable price. Mutually beneficial.

Price: Three-night stay at Cove Park from £291, self-catering

Book now

read our moe hotel reviews:

Read more about UK travel: