Summer Lodge

Luxurious rooms and cottages, idyllic gardens, fine dining and a world-class sommelier, hiding away in rural Dorset New!

Summer Lodge is the quintessential English country retreat, the name alone conjuring images of long, golden evenings sipping spritzers in a scented garden full of roses and tinkling water features. Which is exactly what you get during the summer months: a beautifully landscaped garden, a myriad of flowers, graceful sculptures, secret spots to sit awhile amongst the foliage, and immaculate lawns.

But don't let the name put you off staying in winter, when the cosseting rooms and cottages, crackling fires and a whisky bar bring warmth and cosiness to the long, dark evenings - not to mention a fantastic restaurant whose wines are chosen by one of the world's top sommeliers. Close your eyes, and the heated indoor pool and pampering spa treatments could, with a dash of imagination, transport you to warmer climes. Rain or shine, the staff here will truly look after you: summed up by the "Whatever, Whenever" button on the phone in the rooms. The perfect getaway, all year round.

Highs

• The magical arrival: a driveway of trees sparkling with fairy lights instantly banished our end-of-journey quarrels
• 4 acres of gorgeous grounds, with flower-fringed ponds, statues, fountains, croquet, tennis and elegant stands of trees
• The sheer attention to detail: from the pre-stay questionnaire about favourite music and colours to the homemade shortbread and pillow menus in the rooms...
• Ivy Cottage: a honeymooners' haven in a quaint 18th century cottage next door, with a jacuzzi and sumptuous accommodation for 2

Lows

• The price: the rooms are not cheap and the extras soon add up (but the two Classic rooms are much more affordable, and just as beautifully decorated)
• The immediate countryside is nothing special, though Evershot is a quaint enough one-street village, and stunning beaches are a 30-minute drive away, as is Dorchester (you'll need a car)
• Minimalists beware: the frills, wallpaper, carpets and sheer eclecticism will drive you crazy