'It's ‘fiercely expensive’, but this Relais & Châteaux hotel in a chocolate-box village doesn’t stint on the traditional country house luxuries, drapes, stripes, sofas and chandeliers, florals, antiques, paintings.

A Georgian manor house above Chesil Beach, this is a dog- and people-friendly hotel designed for holidays and fun, catering to everyone from tinies to grown-ups with sophisticated tastes.

Little has changed at this restaurant-with-rooms in its three decades, but spotless bedrooms with thoughtful touches, and a slightly retro gourmet dining experience have their own appeal.

Berthed on the banks of the Stour since 2006, this child-friendly, dog-friendly, glass-and-steel hotel, with the sleek lines of a cruise liner, was built for leisure.

Deep in Thomas Hardy country, this picture-perfect thatched cottage is a popular restaurant-with-rooms run with great charm by Ariane and her husband, Jamie.

Within strolling distance of the town and the beach is this eco-friendly hotel in a handsome Victorian clifftop villa.

There is a hint of Castle Gormenghast about this fairytale 1820s marine villa, with its jumble of roofs, gables, gargoyles, towers and dormers, in gardens running down to a sandy beach.

A playful mix of Edward Hopper’s Cape Cod and Edwardian seaside hotel, this white-painted villa above Chesil Beach has an easy-going stylishness, conducive to fun.