Introduction / Description
Welcome to the Duchess of Cornwall Inn one of Hall & Woodhouse’s collection of beautiful Inns. All 20 of our rooms are ensuite and themed in a Georgian style inspired by either Jane Austen or our very own Charles Hall. They are also all equipped with smart TV, digital radio and free Wi-Fi, lovely teas, coffee and hot chocolate and a couple of Travelman’s excellent (and uniquely presented) short-stories for some light reading. To ensure a great night’s sleep all our beds have Sealy’s super comfortable Pillow Honister Mattresses; the best mattresses in the world (you find them in the White House), with lavish layers of indulgent upholstery and Sealy’s Bugshield – 100% effective in protecting against bed bug nasties (and completely skin-safe).
In a palatial building on a public square, this stately, art-filled inn is a mile from Dorchester West railway station, 2 miles from the Dinosaur Museum and 3 miles from the ancient Maiden Castle.
Charming rooms with Georgian-era decor include free Wi-Fi, flat-screen TVs, and tea and coffeemaking equipment. Some feature wood-panelled walls and/or 4-poster beds.
Full English breakfast is included. There's a casual restaurant offering traditional British fare and a weekly carvery. A bar features plush leather seating and a terrace.
Arrival & Car Parking
Entrance & Reception
Accessible Rooms & Bathrooms / Accessibility
The inn’s 20 rooms come in two Georgian styles: feminine Jane Austens (soft pastels and delicate bird-print wallpaper) or manly Charles Halls (rich dark carpets and a whiff of gentlemen’s club), but there’s no standard here: every room is different. The Luxury Doubles have king-sized beds (bateau style, wrought iron or vintage brass); the Superiors are slightly smaller. All rooms are furnished with auction-house antiques (hefty old wardrobes, vintage pictures, lots of French polish and upholstery) plus kettles that look like teapots, bone-china cups and saucers, hand-made Duchy biscuits and digital radios ready-tuned to classical music. Room 18, where the real Duchess of Cornwall freshened up during the recent Royal visit in October, features a contemporary roll-top bath-shower combo that would have looked at home in the Ritz, circa 1912.
A lift travels up to all floors and there is an easy access room with an adapted bathroom and an adjoining room suitable for carers.
Public Areas / Dining
Tables flow from the bar and 'pantry' downstairs up to a mezzanine dining room where huge windows overlook the square, walls are lined with fake but convincing Old Masters and candles flicker on old fashioned tables. A specials board is on the cards but the standard dining menu (shared across six H&W properties) has a bit of split personality. Finer dishes like lamb medallions with dauphinoise sit alongside pedestrian pub meals like chicken and chips. We liked the beer battered fish and hand-cut chips, but roasted cod marinated in red wine? Surely not? Still, the food is generous, fresh and mostly cooked on the premises (try the house-baked raisin and walnut beer bread). Breakfast combines a help-yourself continental (cereal, yoghurt, cold meats, prunes, pastries) with the usual eggs-cooked-to-order. It is company policy, I am told, to over-cook bacon.
Additional Information
