2 Best Hotels in Corfe Castle, The South

This coastal outpost of the stylish, food-centric Hampshire boutique hotel minichain is in a Victorian Gothic former private residence in an unspoiled village on the scenic, peaceful Studland Peninsula. Rolling lawns look out over Studland Bay and the Old Harry Rocks at the eastern end of the Jurassic Coast; mats and towels are even provided for excursions to the beach below. Inside the hotel, shabby-chic bedrooms combine comfort with understated elegance (some have mullioned windows and paneled ceilings) as well as individualquirky touches such as freestanding roll-top baths. Two separate thatched-roof cottages are good for those who want privacy, and there's a caravanlike shepherd's hut on the lawn where you can spend the night. As at all the Pigs, the restaurant is excellent, utilizing seasonal ingredients grown on-site or sourced within 25 miles.

A thatched roof and flagstone bar are some of the 16th-century features of this small inn, where the individually furnished bedrooms make the most of the original beams, exposed brickwork, and stone fireplaces. There's an extensive garden to sit in, and the sea is a 10-minute walk away. Locally sourced gastropub dishes (such as beer-battered fish-and-chips or a fillet of stone bass with butter beans) are available daily. Local craft beers are a specialty. The place is extremely dog-friendly, so anyone with an aversion to Fido should stay away.