Hotels by the sea in Dorset: from foodie favourites to elegant seaside B&Bs

From foodie favourites to breathtaking coastal views, Dorset offers superb hospitality. There is the creative idyll that is The Pig on the Beach at Studland, famed for its quirky interiors as well as its exceptional food, sourced within 25 miles of the hotel and with many ingredients grown in the hotel’s own kitchen garden. It is a warm and welcoming destination that welcomes families, but also manages to be romantic and sophisticated at the same time.

For a very literal breath of fresh air, the super stylish Seaside Boarding House overlooking Lyme Bay is owned by Mary-Lou Sturridge and Tony Mackintosh, formerly of London’s Groucho Club. An elegant B&B, it brings new meaning to the bed and breakfast concept with plenty of local seafood to tuck into, pristine style and even its own library.

Then again, for total elegance there is the Captain’s Club Hotel at Christchurch, which brings cruise liner style to the banks of Dorset’s Stour. Alexandra Hotel in lyme regis offers thrilling views of the Jurassic coast, and Urban Beach in Bournemouth is a buzzy spot near Boscombe beach.