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 family friendly hotels in Dorset
Featured Hotels with Special Offers
The Eastbury Hotel & Spa
Sherborne, Dorset
'Sunday Sleepover' 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
Autumn/Winter 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
Festive Getaway 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 family friendly hotels in Dorset
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.
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.
Alexandra Hotel
Lyme Regis, Dorset
Family run, fun, friendly and relaxed, this hotel with a sea-facing garden and views over Lyme Bay has many fans among our readers.
Yalbury Cottage
Dorchester, Dorset
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’.
Moonfleet Manor
Fleet, Dorset
'I'm bored' is just not an option at this friendly hotel on the Dorset coast. A huge indoor games room, swimming pools for all ages, a skittle alley and fossil hunts are on tap; an Ofsted crèche, high tea and baby listening give parents a break.
The King's Arms
Dorchester, Dorset
A commanding presence on the high street, this Georgian coaching inn has moved with the times, its interiors beautifully renovated, its bedrooms modern and well equipped, with casual dining in the bar and locally sourced dishes in the restaurant.
Captain's Club Hotel
Christchurch, Dorset
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.
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 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.
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.
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
