The King's Arms, Dorchester, Dorset, England - Explore & Book
"As we saunter down Dorchester’s handsome high street, a sign on a wall reads ‘Hyde Park Corner: 120 miles’, a sweet reminder of the town’s strategic position on an old main route into London. In the late 19th Century, stagecoaches would pass through here, transporting passengers from the South West to the capital. To break the journey, some travellers would check themselves into The King's Arms, a prestigious coaching inn with a handsome Georgian façade and a reputation for attracting the elite. Queen Victoria and Edward VII both stayed here in the mid-1800s; Audrey Hepburn brought the attention of Hollywood; The Rolling Stones made it cool. And, of course, local icon Thomas Hardy was a regular guest, often using the reading room to write his novels. Consequently, The King's Arms features in some of Hardy’s greatest works.Sadly, the hotel fell into disrepair in the late 20th Century, so we were thrilled when we heard that local hotel group Stay Original Co (the masterminds behind The Swan Wedmore and a string of other boutique hotels) announced they were bringing it back to life. Old rooms and bow windows have been carefully restored, oversized retro lampshades hang from high ceilings, and characterful Art Deco styling hints at the hotel’s former glamour. Of course, the owners have weaved in their trademark touches: a fine-dining restaurant headed up by an ex-River Cottage chef, a buzzy bar that’s great for cocktails and late-night whiskies, and quirky bedrooms with luxurious additions like clawfoot bathtubs, Bramley toiletries and antique trunks. This is proper urban sophistication, and we revelled in it! Highs The hotel’s illustrious history is fascinating, having served as a key coaching inn for the rich and famousRooms are creative and full of character, with bold colour schemes, retro wallpaper, velvet upholstery and lots of antiquesThe food at the restaurant is top notch – we couldn’t fault it Staff are brilliant: attentive, helpful and very friendlyDorchester is a smart town, famous for its Thomas Hardy connections. There are fascinating museums, Roman ruins and pretty pleasure gardens, plus the Jurassic Coast beaches are nearby Lows Due to their location on the high street, light sleepers might be disturbed by traffic noise in the front bedrooms, but the windows are double glazed and we slept soundlyThe food at the restaurant isn’t the cheapest, but it’s well and truly worth the price tagThe restaurant terrace is adjacent to the car park, but high walls obscure it from view" - Lucy Richardson
