Summer Lodge

We spent a long weekend here for a special celebration with some close friends. We booked three of the cottages which were all different and all charming. The beds were extremely comfortable and the bathrooms equipped with luxurious towels and toiletries. There were welcome drinks and a lovely bowl of fresh fruit on arrival. In our cottage we enjoyed the fire and a very comfortable sitting room. We used the hot tub attached to our cottage one afternoon, it was well-equipped and the room heated. We took breakfast in the main house, with a very good choice of dishes available to set us up for each day. On the first evening we dined in the main house. The meal was outstanding, certainly worthy of a Michelin star. With this dinner we chose the flight of wines suggested to accompany each dish, an excellent decision and avoided a compromise on choosing wines by the bottle. The second evening we ate in the Acorn Inn, another delicious dinner and a relaxed setting for the evening. The service in the hotel and the inn was unfailingly good. A couple of our friends brought their labrador and she was given a warm welcome with treats provided in their cottage. We would certainly return!

Traditional 5* country house hotel. Exceptional friendly service. Large, comfortable and clean room. V good breakfast & dinner at the Acorn was excellent. Quiet location with great local walks. Highly recommended.

We've just come back from a few days at Summer Lodge and we can thoroughly recommend it. It's a real country house hotel in pretty gardens in a lovely part of the country. The staff are friendly and helpful and the food is excellent. Our room was large and well-appointed. It did not surprise us to learn that many of the guests are regulars - we may well join them!

Summer Lodge is a wonderful find in the middle of rural Dorset. We were welcomed most warmly by Kat on reception and informed we'd been given a complimentary upgrade to our room, which was most welcome and generous as we'd had to book a couple of nights away at the last minute due to the cancellation of another long-anticipated holiday. The hotel is very well appointed, all the staff were extremely friendly and helpful (gardeners, spa team, bar, restaurant housekeeping and front of house) and the pool, spa and massage facilities were lovely. The food was excellent too! Though normally well outside our price range for a short break the whole experience was greatly restorative and well worth going. Thanks to the whole Red Carnation team. Thoroughly recommended!

Another lovely stay at this delightful hotel. Rooms very comfortable, staff friendly and helpful, gardens beautiful, food delicious. Great location for exploring Dorset and Somerset. One tiny comment – we were there for four days and it would have been good to see the limited (which is good) menu change.