Hotels near Oak Paddock, Purbeck District

My wife and I have been visiting the Isle of Purbeck for over 40 years and have passed by Knoll House Hotel many times and said that one day we would like to stay there, an offer popped up on Travelzoo so we booked 2 nights half board in September. We found out that the hotel had been recently purchased by the Kingfisher group. I imagine the hotel will have some money spent on it and certain areas do need this but I would hate it if it lost any of its charm. Some of the rooms were really charming with a 1950s feel (I think they call this post-modern!) Our bedroom room was fine, it was clean and so was the en-suite although a bit on the small side, however this was more than made up by the wonderful views from the window, Sandbanks and Bournemouth on one side and Old Harry Rocks on the other - magnificent! The staff were extremely good, from reception through to waiting staff and barman. The food was excellent, no complaints at all. Breakfast was buffet style (not a fan) but there were some choices of freshly cooked dishes, we had smoked haddock with a poached egg which was perfect. For the evening meal there was an excellent choice of courses most of which changed on the following night and what we had was very well prepared and imaginative. Apparently they don't do lunchtime meals at the moment but they have built a bistro which opens soon, we had a sneaky peak and it looks very nice. There are 2 smallish swimming pools, indoor and outdoor but we didn't use them, they supply pool towels which I believe are complimentary. We will definitely came back to Knoll House, it will be interesting to see what changes they make.

Our coach holiday at the Royal Bath in Bournemouth was terrific value for money. The location is excellent with the beach, Bournemouth gardens, and the Pavilion theatre all minutes away on foot. Our rooms were spacious and appeared to have been recently refurbished. There is free wifi in the common areas and kettle and cups, ironing facilities and a fan are provided in the rooms. The common areas are comfortable and the food is self service. We found the staff to be friendly and attentive. The hotel is an old lady and not without it's flaws so if you are used to luxury then you may wish to pay extra money elsewhere for your indulgence. We were looking for a comfortable hotel in a great location and were very happy with our stay at the Royal Bath.

The hotel is situated just off the main Dorchester to Swanage road and has a good sized car park. Despite the road being busy in the day time it was quiet a night and there wasn't much road noise in the bedroom even with the window open. It has lovely village location within an easy walk to other pubs, Corfe Castle and a bus stop a couple of hundred yards away. We used the bus to travel to Swanage then walked the coastal path via Old Harry Rocks to Shell Beach and then took the ferry to Sandbanks, walked along the beach then boarded the bus back to Swanage on Sandbanks. Travelling then back to Corfe Castle on the Steam Train. A great day out. The buses are currently operating a £2 fare. We travelled by car in the other direction to do a circular walk around the Durdle Door area and White Nothe- parking is pricey here £12 for the day. Check-in at the hotel was welcoming and we were shown to our room and assisted with luggage. The room (a Terrace View) was quite cosy. Very clean and well presented . The two chairs in the room were not very comfortable - they were very upright and basic. Towels were good quality. The bathroom had a shower/sink and toilet. It could have done with a shelf in addition to the wall mounted narrow depth mirror/cupboard. to put a make up bag etc on. The mattress was not to our liking at all despite it having a topper on it. It was extremely soft and 'saggy'. If you laid close to the edge you rolled off onto the wooden bedframe and there is a hollow in the mattress in the middle - your legs were higher than the rest of your body and we aren't oversize people. For the price of the room rate we expected a larger room with a better quality bed and chairs. The terrace is lovely although the wasps are very troublesome. We enjoyed a few drinks late afternoon here. The lounges and public areas of the the hotel are very clean and well presented. Mortons Manor has a lovely history to it too. Dinner in the hotel was great- for a small hotel it offered a good choice but the menu didn't appear to change throughout the three nights we were there. We ate there once. Service was excellent - they describe it as fine dining - the food is excellent and well presented however the glassware for the wine was poor quality - the glass was quite thick and not 'fine' quality glasses . The red and white were served in the same style of glass. Breakfasts offered a reasonable choice - not vast but was fine. The toast however was very dry. The Pork and Leek sausages were quite spicy. Service again was excellent. On check-out we were not asked if everything had been to our satisfaction or had we enjoyed our stay...are they becoming complacent?

We hired the function room at this Hotel for our 50th Wedding Anniversary Party and must say it was excellent from the organiser at the Hotel (Lisa Dowdall-Souza) and the rest of the staff who went above and beyond to be helpful especially (Keiron) on reception who doubled as a bar-person in the evening, all in all a very good experience.