Hotels in Dorset

Without doubt, a stay at the Langtry Manor country hotel in Dorset will remain an enduring memory.

Whether for the attentive yet unobtrusive service, the comfort of its impeccably maintained suites or the sumptuous dining, the hotel embodies quality and stands proud in its title 'Best hotel in Bournemouth, Dorset '.

What elevates and distinguishes Langtry Manor from other Dorset hotels - quite apart from it's regal heritage - is a sense of quiet permanence.

The hotel nestles away from the road in its own grounds, its driveway branching to a spacious car park or on to the main entrance - across which threshold a slice of Edwardian time stands still.

Communal rooms and passageways are similarly furnished with Edwardian period fixtures. The drawing room offers an opportunity to relax over brandy and cigars before a blazing log fire after an evening's fine dining.

The award winning restaurant's evening cuisine is acclaimed by Egon Ronay. Guests may enjoy an aperitif seated in comfort in the lounge area before being shown their tables by the maitre d'hotel, where professional yet friendly waiters dressed in period costume present a 5 course meal from a diverse menu created by the hotel's gourmet chef, Mathew Clements - whose magnificent sorbet cleanses the palate wonderfully.

Breakfast is an equally lavish affair. Freshly squeezed orange juice startles the appetite. As well as apple, grapefruit and other juices served in the dining room, a range of fresh fruit and cereals pave the way for the hotels full English breakfast cooked to perfection and washed down with freshly ground coffee or a selection of teas, while around the chatter and clink of breakfast, evidence of this Bournemouth hotels royal patronage is reflected on the wall drapes or high above in Edward's spy hatch.

Although rich in history, the hotel offers present day guests the best of modern facilities (and carefully disguised minibars beneath utterly incongruous televisions) along with a complementary state-of-the-art leisure centre.

A few minutes walk brings one into the heart of Bournemouth and the cosmopolitan town centre to experience world class shopping, museums and galleries, theatres and theme parks or dynamic nightclubs and winebars for the more energetic. There is also the commercial centre, making Langtry Manor the ideal venue for hotel conferences or a business respite and regenerative evening haven.

A five minute walk in the opposite direction brings you directly to the Dorset Coastline and it's seven miles of blue sea and award winning golden sand beaches running from Bournemouth through to Poole.

Dorset hotels have long been associated with royal patronage built by Edward VII for his mistress, Lillie Langtry, in Bournemouth: to relax and escape London's media spotlight, allowing him to pursue his romance more discretely, often taking midweek or weekend breaks in surroundings befitting royalty.

And, of course, the hotel continues to afford the same luxurious, peaceful enclave to guests wishing to get away from it all or recapture a slice of Edwardian grace in one of the more exclusive country manor hotels in Dorset.