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. A guest returning on their third visit reported that the 'new plumbing in the bath and shower worked very well'. 'Our room exceeded expectations,' writes another, who slept in one of the Boat House suites with French doors to a riverside veranda. 'It was beautifully decorated and furnished with polished wood and various artefacts, a super-comfortable bed.' The bathroom had a walk-in shower and spa bath. Bedrooms in the main building all have their own character, perhaps toile de Jouy wallpaper and fabrics. Some have gorgeous garden views to the river, others overlook an inner courtyard. In the restaurant, Stephan Guinebault's menus include dishes such as paprika and black pepper Purbeck venison. Our readers shared a 'giant dover sole' and particularly appreciated that their meal started with canapés and ended with petits fours. 'The best food we have had for a long time,' write others. (John Barnes, David Craig, and others)