Overall Ratings & Reviews Summer Lodge Country House Hotel

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.

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!

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.

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

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

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...

Great staff and wonderful food , lovely stay

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

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

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.

Everything was just great

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.

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.

Excellent

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.

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.

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.

Lovely relaxing peaceful stay in lovely grounds and excellent service.

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!

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