Summer Lodge Country House Hotel

10/10

Exceptional

09 Feb 2026

Steve

Warm and welcoming with great rooms, great food, great bar and lounge areas and friendly, relaxed environment. Can recommend for a delightful stay. 🤗

10/10

Exceptional

07 Feb 2026

Ronald

Beautiful room with all those lovely little extras.
Excellent very helpful staff in all departments.
Dinner was exceptional and superb breakfast.
Can't wait to visit again

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jan 2026

Malcolm

The hotel was lovely. Amazing food and drinks. Really lovely staff always greeting us with a smile. I would happily return to Summer Lodge.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Dec 2025

Warwick

We treated ourselves to a stay at Summer Lodge to cebrate our Wedding Anniversary. We were greeted by friendly, professional and attentive staff. Our room was spotless and included two welcoming cocktails - much appreciated. Before dinner, we went for a swim in the hotel's pool and used their jacuzzi - an excellent facility which was even more enjoyable as we had the pool to ourselves! Dinner was superb and reflected the chef's high standards. Summer Lodge is not cheap but you are paying for quality. Overall we were delighted with this outstanding stay.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Dec 2025

John P

Lovely and quaint hotel near the coast. Very friendly staff, beautiful and comfortable king size 4 poster bed and an enormous claw-foot tub! A delicious breakfast was also included!

10/10

Exceptional

09 Dec 2025

Laura

Really lovely experience

10/10

Exceptional

22 Nov 2025

Chris

Small personal touches that meant a lot —- welcome drink etc .

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

16 Nov 2025

Kelly

Exvellent relaxed, friendly hotel. Great for four legged friends!

10/10

Exceptional

28 Sep 2025

monica

It was so beautiful, staff were excellent, best service I have had in a long time. Worth every penny and hope to go back soon!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Sep 2025

Angela

We had a wonderful 3 days, well looked after by friendly helpful staff

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

08 Sep 2025

Paul

What a wonderful hotel - of a bygone age - sloping floors, padded walls, beautiful gardens, amazing staff. Great swimming pool. Just perfect.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 Aug 2025

Maria

Excellent locations, amazing personnel,
excellent chef ....Like other times when all was of another quality !

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Aug 2025

Y

Best Hotel we have ever stayed in.

Wonderful Hotel, very friendly staff, helpful , service is above and beyond..

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

12 Aug 2025

Christine

Very willing to adapt menu for your requirements and it was cooked very well. Phil the waiter was superb and made the experience positive.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Aug 2025

Ashish

It was just great overall.

Leisure Family

6/10

Pleasant

29 May 2025

John

Overly Stuffy

Our room was over the checkin area and we could hear people talking from our room. The room was good and very clean with excellent linens. Though it was a cool day it was difficult to cool the room for sleeping. All in all the room was fine.
Our experience in the restaurant was not so good. For dinner the formality of the staff was overdone. Too many people hovering over us the entire meal. Flavors were not to our taste but that maybe others would find them interesting. The worst was our breakfast experience. The server delivered porridge to me and didn't bring a spoon. I used the small spoon with the coffee which was fine. However, the server returned and asked where the spoon was that was used. I told him he didn't bring one which obviously upset him. The utensils are apparently silver plated which is again an attempt to be fancy but overdone. The rest of the food at breakfast was really good but the accusation of theft ruined the entertainment experience.
Maybe it is just my preference but I expected a relaxed experience in the country which turned out to be stuffy and anything but relaxing.

10/10

Exceptional

05 May 2025

Gary

Impeccable service and beautiful hotel

The staff at the hotel went above and beyond, the service was impeccable. The hotel itself was beautiful, inside and out, and the food was wonderful. We really couldn’t have asked for more. Definitely going back soon!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 May 2025

Ianda

We had an amazing and relaxing stay at Summer lodge. We also enjoyed the beautiful walk around the area. We loved the food and the staff service. The short bread are delicious and I would love to buy more to have at home.
We would return for another great stay. Thank you.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

27 Apr 2025

Tyrone

Old fashioned hotel with old fashioned values. All staff very pleasant & helpful. Attention to detail of freebies provided in the room was excellent. Would definitely recommend

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Apr 2025

Finbarr

A special place to stay and recharge. So friendly and so welcoming.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Apr 2025

Kelly

Hugely restful and luxurious 24-hour break

I have been to Summer Lodge in the past but only to the dog-friendly whiskey bar for pre-prandials before the main course at the dog-friendly Acorn Inn (luscious dinner) over the road (which is part of the same hotel group). This visit was with my fairy godmother, as a treat / R&R after a particularly hard time for both of us. It was absolutely just what the doctor ordered. The understated luxury of the room, the excellent breakfast (those eggs! like manna), the spa, which has a sauna - yay! - the walks nearby as well as the local bakery all combined to make 24 hours seem as if it were 3 days' rest. The staff were delightful: accommodating, interesting, efficient, kind. I would, however, suggest to Red Carnation that they make the whiskey bar more comfortable - the seating is rather hard apart from two big upright chairs more suitable for blokes than for petite women, and the lighting was rather bright until we asked for it to be dimmed. It would also be a good idea for them to set aside a section of the dining room / conservatory and front lounge for guests with well-behaved dogs on leads. Even though the hotel is dog-friendly (yay!) and even though there is a fee for bringing a dog, we were nevertheless excluded from using these lovely bright, beautiful and comfortable areas of the hotel. Speaking of dogs - we LOVED the special treats and beds and towels for them, along with an outside dog bath - very useful after mucky walks. I can hardly wait to return...

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

12 Mar 2025

Ian

Great staff and wonderful food , lovely stay

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Jan 2025

Neil

First class

Extremely enjoyable stay in a first class hotel. Very friendly and helpful staff; old fashioned courtesy; excellent breakfasts; lovely grounds.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Nov 2024

Christian

We had a wonderful stay, the service was excellent, the staff were attentive and welcoming

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Oct 2024

Victor

Rooms comfortable and well equipped. There is no lift but they have excellent rooms/suites at ground level. Lounge and dining service were superb and the food very good. A good sized indoor swimming pool. What not to like.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 Oct 2024

Andrew

Everything was just great

10/10

Exceptional

07 Sep 2024

Miss

Just book it! Lovely hotel!

What an absolutely lovely hotel. The staff are so friendly and the service impeccable. Our room was so large and the bed was the most comfortable ever!

Absolute star of the show is the restaurant in the evening. This is Michelin star worthy food. Totally unexpected and absolutely delicious.

We were sad not to have more time here as we didn’t have a chance to use the spa or explore the grounds (which looked gorgeous). I can’t recommend this hotel enough.

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

04 Sep 2024

Dave

Hardy Country visit

All staff very helpful. Very comfortable and large room with lots of additional seating. Lovely view of the gardens. Breakfast was adequate but seemed short of staff to keep things topped up. Excellent walking through nearby estate. Dinner was good in main restaurant but somewhat odd in that some diners had a different menu to choose from and were very casually dressed. Went to associated pub for dinner on second evening which was very good.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 Aug 2024

Milan

Excellent

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jun 2024

Justine

Our room was excellent and everyone looking after us added extra touches that went above and beyond for myself, my husband and our chocolate lab.

Leisure Pet

10/10

Exceptional

25 Feb 2024

Piotr

Good but can be better 🙂

Very nice place to visit, warm and stylish with wonderful food and service. Place where you can relax and enjoy a peaceful countryside life.

Cottage room are very nice with own fire plce and comfy bed but smells old and damp would be nice to have some better ventilation there. Same as swimming pool and jacuzzi nice pool but very shallow, once you in jacuzzi is hard to breathe due to chlorine and bad ventilation.

Pet friendly but if you with a pet you have only option to stay in the cottage rather than main hotel.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

31 Dec 2023

Michael

This hotel completely exceeded our expectations. We love this place. Every little detail is looked into and the final result is just incredible. We will definitely be returning. Fabulous and friendly staff where literally NOTHING is too much trouble, rooms clean and gorgeous and food, tasty and beautifully presented. There is literally nothing that you can criticise about this hotel.

Leisure Friends

10/10

Exceptional

13 Jun 2023

Brian

Lovely stay

Lovely relaxing peaceful stay in lovely grounds and excellent service.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

15 May 2023

Tanusha

Amazing 😍

It was an amazing weekend. This was going to be a solo trip, but then a friend joined me at the last minute. They were so accommodating. It surpassed all expectations. The staff was so friendly and helpful. The location is in the middle of nowhere, so there’s nothing to do around the property. But, it’s perfect to completely disconnect from the world. Close to Jurassic Coast. Would definitely book again!

Friends_and_family Friends

10/10

Exceptional

30 Dec 2022

Revolut

The bathroom is freezing…. Except that the hotel is lovely

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

24 Nov 2022

Sarah

Lovely hotel, in a lovely Dorset village

Business_and_leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Aug 2022

Khalid

.

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

27 Apr 2022

Sharon

Great food and staff. Always made to feel valued when you stay at Summer Lodge

Partner

8/10

Excellent

07 Mar 2022

Sue

OVERPRICED

The staff were amazing , room very small & bathroom even smaller no full size bath , only 1 chair in room , plugs in wardrobe & not beside the bed , breakfast was amazing quality & service , disappointed with the spa not being within the hotel so you had to walk through the car park & up to it , so no wearing slippers & robes to get to it , also the size of the changing rooms were tiny with only 1 changing room , sauna only big enough for 2 people , pool was great & jacuzzi, but that’s because it was only my husband & another couple , wouldn’t like to be there when busy . For £650 for 2 nights with breakfast felt it was not worth the money and have stayed in a lot cheaper hotels with better rooms & facilities

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

07 Dec 2021

S

Weekend break

Lovely location. Nice hotel with comfortable rooms. Food and service outstanding.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

26 Nov 2021

Emma

Really nice place to stay we really enjoyed our selfs.
Everything is expensive but these types of hotels are a treat for us and I found it worth the extra !,
By far one of out good 3 hotels to stay at.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

18 Oct 2021

James

Weekend Break in October

Lovely weekend break - friendly attentive staff, great food, good wine and a nice room in one of the edge of site cottages complete with a working fireplace and a huge copper tub in the bathroom. Made good use of the spa facilities. I am sure we will stay here again.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

25 Sep 2021

Judith

Most enjoyable stay

Had a 2 night relaxing stay. Were a few problems with original room we booked. This was quickly resolved. Bea was extremely professional and helpful in all matters. Breakfast and dinner was excellent. All staff very friendly and most helpful. We felt ‘cosseted’. Gardens beautiful and relaxing. Spa land pool looked lovely although did not use.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

28 Aug 2021

Jim

Summer Lodge Review 25-27 Aug 21

Superb - only improvement required is poor drainage with en-suite sink and bathroom very dated in design and decor. Needs modernising. Noticed that majority of clientele quite elderly, would be beneficial to have tiled walk in showers. Everything else really good and we thoroughly enjoyed our two night stay.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Jul 2021

Verified traveler

Fantastic service, as always. Nothing was too much trouble and the food was excellent

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Jun 2021

Stephen

Beautiful place to stay

We had an amazing stay it’s such a beautiful old home which has been converted with much love and care
The staff were amazing and couldn’t do enough for us
Would highly recommend

Friends_and_family Family

10/10

Exceptional

03 Nov 2020

marlon

Truly 5 star hotel.

So impressed with this hotel. From the welcome to the goodbye, the highest standards, at all times. Friendly, polite and professional staff. The room.was clean and well.presented, with full range of refreshments. We are a newly married couple. Arrived, to champagne in ice bucket and card, congratulating us on getting married. Restaurant food was woderful, well presented and generous. Impressed with attention to detail. My sunday newspaper was in a bag , on our room door handle. Forgot i ordered it! Impressed with this. The grounds were beautifully presented. The environment was peaceful. Came back feeling well rested and refreshed. Definitely staying next summer. A 5 star hotel worthy of 6 stars!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

20 Oct 2020

Brunt

This is a quintessential English country house hotel. The staff were 10/10, very professional and friendly.

My wife and I have travelled the world and stayed at some of the finest hotels, Summer Lodge is up there for its unique portrayal of English tradition mixed with the finest food.

The dinner was absolutely fabulous and ranked along with our experience on the Orient Express ( French Train) as the finest meal we had ever eaten.

Tucked away in Hardy’s beautiful county of Dorset this is a must go hotel for a relaxing break.

Prices are very reasonable and there are offers available that make this a very attractive venue for a short break.

Food, service and location will all score top marks. I particularly recall a young French female waitress who was outstanding in her manner and service.

Not our first visit but the food was without doubt the best so far, always first class but this time a class above the rest. The beef just sublime!!!!

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Oct 2020

Shaun

Absolutely amazing. Always wanting to help and the food was second to none

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Sep 2020

Anthony

100%

Absolutely first class. The house and gardens were lovely and the staff excellent.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Mar 2020

Susan

Weekend getaway

We had a wonderful weekend getaway. The staff were extremely helpful and friendly without being overbearing. The setting was beautiful, the food was excellent, the village was lovely and the local pub was also great.

Partner

6/10

Pleasant

04 Nov 2019

Verified traveler

Grounds of house lovely and rooms were really nice, clean and very comfortable.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Oct 2019

mark

Just a treat!

What a delightful, comfortable and relaxing stay.

Arrived to an upgrade. The service was possibly the best we’ve experienced to date. Incredibly attentive and efficient. Room was beautiful, bed soft and lovely.
Can’t wait to return. Village is idle for a weekend of walking, lovely pub a few meters down the road. Would highly recommend.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

11 Sep 2019

Verified traveler

The Spa was wonderful and the breakfast staff were fabulous. Our bathroom was badly designed however and you had to sit at an angle because space was tight and on top of the heated towel rail. There were also wall to wall mirrors which is a bit disconcerting when sitting on the loo or trying to avoid your own image!!

Leisure Partner

8/10

Excellent

27 Aug 2019

Dani

Step back in time and relax.

Well run hotel. Quaint and dated but very much in keeping with its surroundings. The hotel’s charm and USP relies on the personal touch and this is done exceptionally well.

Beautiful grounds, very well maintained. Breakfast was excellent as was afternoon tea. Well stocked bar with a multitude of whiskies and malts.

What really stood out was the diligence of all the staff and their attentive yet unobtrusive service. Breakfasts when busy was a little slow but to be honest there was no need to rush.

Thanks to all the staff for a lovely weekend.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

23 Aug 2019

Udo Gerd

Stately and relaxing

Set in beautiful gardens, in a picturesque village, and exuding relaxation and enjoyment from every brick! The room (we took advantage of a cancellation so had the most expensive suite) was sumptuous. The service was attentive without being overbearing, and expert. Fabulous facilities - the spa worth a mention, and the huge range of drinks at the bar....
Only VERY slight letdown was the evening meal. We dined at the hotel, and chose from an impressive menu. When it arrived it was a little....'nouvelle cuisine' - small portions artistically presented. Something that Mossiman pioneered and I'd hoped had disappeared..... To be frank after a hard day and a long drive we needed something a little heartier. Wine was excellent, sommelier was expert.
Breakfast served in the conservatory was pretty good - maybe the buffet was a little sparse but this may have been down to the number of guests staying, some of the items didn't seem to be available. My smoked salmon on sourgough was a little sparse - one egg, small dollop of smashed avocado going brown at the edges, one small slice of salmon, one small slice of bread. My partner did better with a heartier Eggs Benedict, and certainly those who plumped for full English seemed well served.
Overall though, a memorable stay, relaxing, and YES, I would go back....!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jul 2019

Anne

Fantastic hotel. Restaurant & spa

Wonderful hotel, restaurant, spa. Great service, location, gardens, spa.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

14 Jul 2019

Susan

25th Wedding Anniversary

Beautiful hotel. Service was fantastic, staff very helpful and friendly and could not do enough for you. The only criticism I would have is that the pool seemed to have quite a few flies in it. Overall our stay was relaxing and the setting was stunning, a real hidden gem.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

04 Jun 2019

Verified traveler

Quiet and relaxing in a lovely location. So cosy with its luxurious furnishings and padded fabric walls. Service second to none. Would have liked some background music in the lounge and restaurant to create more atmosphere. Lovely pub nearby for an alternative meal to the hotel. Had an amazing facial at the spa. Was our second visit and will go again.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

03 Jun 2019

Carsten

Absolutely fantastic experience food was amazing s

It was Absolutely fantastic experience food was amazing service was the best absolutely loved it

Friends

10/10

Exceptional

30 May 2019

List

Our favourite

Everything outstanding - room, breakfast, dinner, service. By far our best hotel on our trip to Cornwall!

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

19 May 2019

Verified traveler

We stayed for 2 nights on our trip around North Devon and Dorset, from the moment we arrived the staff were very attentive and couldn't do enough for us.
The food, from the cooked to order breakfast until our evening meal was second to none.
My wife used the heated pool several times and commented how nice it was.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

29 Apr 2019

Verified traveler

Summer Lodge was absolutely wonderful!!! A rejuvenating and refreshing experience as only you would expect from a Red Carnation Hotel. The hotel was gorgeous, the setting to die for, and the staff was superb! There is so much to do in the area we simply did not have enough time to see everything we wanted to which is a wonderful reason to go back again and again. Zoe and Marek took such great care of us every morning during breakfast (which was delicious) and Petr's welcome was simply the best! He was so sweet and helpful and made us feel so at home. Thank you Petr for making my husband, myself, and my girls feel so special!! We look forward to visiting again soon!! Summer Lodge is simply the best...our only regret was not being able to stay longer...3 nights was not enough!! And afternoon tea is an absolute must (and Maxime was so great and made our tea experience even better)!! Thank you Summer Lodge for a truly wonderful experience and cannot wait to come back!!

Leisure Family

10/10

Exceptional

23 Apr 2019

Alexandre

absolute perfection. from A to Z. Spa area is beautiful and has sauna and pool.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

17 Apr 2019

Iain

An ideal Dorset retreat

Summer Lodge is a beautiful hotel in an idyllic location. Luxury comes at a price but it’s a price worth paying. The food is superb and not to be missed.

Partner

8/10

Excellent

30 Mar 2019

Verified traveler

All the staff at the hotel were very friendly and helpful. The hotel accepts dogs and were made to feel very welcome with beds, dog bowls towels and treats provided. There was even a dog food menu! The dog friendly room I was allocated was one of the cottages slightly away from the main building - but what an amazing room with a small seating area and open fire already lit when I arrived . The hotel has a whiskey lounge with a comprehensive international menu and the food at dinner was excellent.
The decor in the hotel was dated and looked tired in places, especially in the spa area but That didn’t detract from a wonderful massage.

Business_and_leisure Pet

10/10

Exceptional

02 Mar 2019

Verified traveler

We had a fantastic stay - the hotel is lovely, staff are all brilliant and everything was just perfect.

Leisure Partner

10/10

Exceptional

10 Feb 2019

Malcolm

Really great service and food!

Really great service and food.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

31 Jan 2019

Rebecca

Great couple of days away

Great experience, the staff went above and beyond for us and our two dogs. Would recommend a winter get away here.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

05 Oct 2018

kathi

Beautiful Accommation!

Summer Lodge is set in a beautiful location with access to several walking and hiking trails across historic land. The services were top notch from reception to the food and beverage areas. We had a great dinner with great service. One of the managers showed great attention to detail and was committed to ensuring our stay was pleasant. I would highly recommend experiencing this unique lodging with a long history of great service

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

13 Sep 2018

Mark

Pleasant, friendly country hotel

We stayed for 3 nights Sun-Wed, on check-in and throughout the stay the staff were friendly and helpful. We stayed in one of the cottage rooms located across the gardens beside the road - comfortable and air-conditioned. Being in the country you do get agricultural vehicles passing by the front door.

While we were there the hotel seemed to appeal to the more mature guest but was still quite busy. We dined in the excellent restaurant on the last night, and at the sister Acorn Inn (very dining-oriented) on the other nights. Breakfast was good with a reasonable selection for the size of the property.

10/10

Exceptional

19 Aug 2018

Christina

Superb restaurant and all round service

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

16 Aug 2018

liam

Best hotel ever!

Fantastic, the nicest hotel I have ever stayed in. Super attentive service but relaxed and welcoming with it. Amazing food (yes it's expensive but you get lots of little extras and it's worth it.) For lower cost but still delicious food the pub is lovely too. Gorgeous grounds and facilities, we used almost everything and our one night away felt like a long weekend. Couldn't recommend more highly.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

09 Aug 2018

Vicki

Overall great stay

Lovely hotel. Room large and comfortable, attended to twice a day. Didn't eat at the restaurant due to dress code, too hot for trousers and jackets. Breakfast great,plenty of choice.
Whisky Bar area old fashioned , this is the look they intend it to be but felt a bit uncomfatable and dark. Small spa area but very quiet so not a problem had a lovely lunch in the Sunshine at the spa.
One morning there was a couple of people with birds of prey in the ground which was good to see. Grounds are lovely lots of different seating areas, a favourite was next to the fish pond.

Partner

10/10

Exceptional

23 Jul 2018

Denise

Home from home

Another wonderful stay in the heart of the countryside! Beautiful setting, luxurious stay, wonderful food and the most excellent service. Third visit with my family, as always we enjoyed our stay and felt looked after and valued (including our dog who was also provided with a welcome drink, a very comfy bed and delicious home made dog treats). Great pool area and compact and bijou gym toboot!

Family